Found in You(128)

Talk about gross.

I moved my eyes from her snack of questionable taste and pretended to study my nails. “How is your mother dealing with the news?”

Mira shrugged. “Who knows? Every time she starts to feel something other than bitterness she simply refills her bourbon.”

I nodded, surprised by her openness. “Good times.”

I hadn’t actually spent much time alone with Hudson’s sister. I’d assumed she was as closed-off as Hudson, hiding her true thoughts and feelings behind a veil of happiness where he hid his behind cold stone walls. Perhaps I’d been wrong.

“Mom will get over it. Or she won’t. Whatever.” She paused to finish chewing her celery. Then she frowned. “I don’t know why she was so attached to Celia to begin with. I’m sorry about that.”

“Whatever. You aren’t responsible for your mother’s bad taste.”

She giggled. “I know, but it’s embarrassing. Celia’s such a bitch.” Mira leaned back in her chair. “She’s always been…I don’t know…fake. I’ve never trusted her, but I still can’t believe she did this to you.”

It was my turn to shrug. “It was my own fault. Not because I stalked her, but because I didn’t listen to the warnings not to get mixed up with her.”

“I know you didn’t stalk her.” Mira rolled her eyes. “Please. Do you think I don’t? Why would you do that? It’s not like you at all.”

Her confidence in me was startling. As well as completely off base. I’d figured my obsessive days were out in the open now for the whole Pierce family. It was nice to know it wasn’t the case.

But I was tired of secrets and bitter about my predicament. “Joke’s on you, I guess. That’s exactly like me. I used to do that crap all the time. Stalk people, I mean. I have a record.”

Mira narrowed her eyes and studied me. “No wonder you and Hudson are so good for each other.”

My mouth curled up at her unexpected comment. It was exactly the reason I’d thought I wasn’t good for Hudson. Interesting that she had a different perspective.

“Anyway, you don’t do that stuff now, do you?”

“No.”

“See? And you now is who I know, so don’t correct me again.” She grinned as she snagged another piece of cheese, this time sans celery, thank god. “Plus, I was in that bathroom. You didn’t harass her in the least. I told Hudson that, by the way.”

She was the second person to have defended me to Hudson. While I was glad for the support, I wished I didn’t need it.

Still, I was dying to know. “Did he believe you?”

“Of course, he did.” Her brown eyes widened. “Is that what this is about? You don’t think he knows you didn’t do that stuff? He totally does.”

“Because of what you told him?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Her face flushed. “I mean, maybe it wasn’t me. He probably believed you without…” Her sentence trailed away. “Shit.” She ran her hand through her short hair. “He would have figured it out if you weren’t avoiding his calls.”

“My phone’s broken.”

“And the times he’s called at the club?”

“Okay, I’m avoiding those.” I folded my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling defensive. “It’s not because I don’t want to talk to him. It’s…it’s complicated.” I chewed the inside of my lip. Was it really that complicated? I loved Hudson, and Hudson…well, I knew he loved me, too. Was that enough? There was no way of knowing without talking to him.