Chapter Eighteen. Masculine Fragrance

Lake Larson

"Do I look alright?" I asked Ian, biting into my cheek.

My nerves shook me as I tapped my hands like it would help. I glanced around, exhaling while the smell of old books filled my senses. The EWU library had students filtering at the tables, but none were Hudson.

"Stop that," Ian said, pointing at my hands.

I pulled my hands apart, not realizing my fingers were picking at each other. The skin around my nails looked raw while my hand shook. I could leave before Hudson showed up. I can't do this.

I paced toward the entrance, leaving Ian behind. If I leave now, I could come up with a good excuse. The presentation was simple. I could do it all myself, and he could read from the PowerPoint.

"Where are you going?" Ian sprinted before me with his hand out, trying to stop me.

"Nope, can't do it," I replied, walking straight through him.

"No." Ian tried to grab my wrist, but with his ghost hands, he couldn't grip me.

His cold sensation froze me to my core while I grabbed my white beanie from my coat pocket and slipped it on my head. I smirked at Ian as I spun and placed my back on the door, opening it slowly. Ian huffed in annoyance, grabbing my shoulders but failing for the hundredth time. He chuckled as his hand reached into my face, freezing me.

I swatted at his hand, turning to step into the cold weather. The door creaked with a click when it shut.

"Lake," a deep voice vibrated near me.

I peeked from under my beanie at Hudson standing before me.

"Thank god. Prince Charming showed up at the right moment. Now you can't run," Ian whispered with attitude in his voice.

"H-h-hey," I stuttered. "Hudson."

He tilted his head, looking at the door behind me. "Are you leaving?" He stepped closer to me, placing a hand on the door.

"Ohhh." I glanced across the campus, looking down the stairs. "Ummm."

Ian chuckled. "Ha, get yourself out of this one," he said, mocking me.

My glare locked on Ian before fixing my gaze on Hudson with a fake smile. "I wasn't leaving. Just needed to call my mom." I pulled my phone from my back pocket, showing him. "I didn't want to be one of those people who take phone calls in libraries."

I glanced at Ian, seeing his jaw drop. Dumbfoundeding Ian at my ability to create a wonderful cover, and I did it smoothly.

"Okay." Hudson leaned on the door, shuffling close to me while he stepped by. "I'll see you inside."

I brought my phone to my head, acting like I called someone. My ear vibrated while a ding echoed around. I glanced at Ian, confused, before looking at the screen. Lily Anderson in black showed brightly.

"Hellooo," I said, dragging out the O.

"Lake!" she yelled, while I pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Lily?" I questioned, hesitant to put the phone back to my ear. Ian stepped closer with a questioning expression. "My older sister," I said, letting Ian know but making myself sound sarcastic.

"Mom told me you are staying with her during Thanksgiving," she said, upset.

"Yeah, she wanted me to," I replied, glancing down at my feet.

"You don't want to stay here?"

The thought of staying at my sister's place was a headache. She had the perfect little family with her smiling husband, Paul, and Lily Anderson, with three perfect kids. Noah, Ethan, and Sofia are walking robots with every hair in place. My sister worked for a bank while Paul scored a job as a top physical therapist in the local hospital. But behind the perfection was my sister's OCD about keeping everything clean.

"Sorry, I already told Mom I would stay there." I could hear her upset sigh. "Maybe next time."

"Are you bringing a guy? Is that why?" she asked while Ian leaned against a pillar, watching people enter the library.

"No, I'm not bringing a guy," I replied, catching Ian's attention.

He jumped from the pillar. "What, I'm not going?" he asked loudly.

"Who is that?" Lily's voice changed to a mom mode. "Is that the guy?"

"It's just Ian," I said, stepping away from the ghost.

"Oh, that's the guy Alex mentioned," Lily said, causing me to freeze.

"What?" I yelled, glancing at Ian, who stood too close behind me. "Stop talking about me with Alex."

"So, Ian, huh?" she replied, like she solved a murder.

"I'm meeting with someone, so—"

"Ian," Lily interrupted.

"So!" I yelled. "I will talk to you later." I closed my eyes, listening to her giggles. "Bye," I said, hanging up the phone.

I glanced at Ian, shaking my head in disbelief. Placing my head high, I spun around and walked toward the library doors. My breath fogged around my head as I reached for the door and paused. Hudson had seen my worst times already.

Ian placed his hand on the door beside mine. "Go, Lake," he whispered. "Your Prince is waiting for you."

I peeked at him while a smirk formed on his lips. His hazel eyes gazed at my mouth before trailing to mine. The wind blew my short hair off my shoulder while we stood in limbo between the inside and outside.

I shook my head, looking at his hand. "This is a bad idea. I'm going to be—"

"Like an awkward teenager on her first day of high school flirting with the boy she likes," Ian finished while my jaw dropped open. "You are going to be a train wreck."

I pouted out my bottom lip. "Casper, who hurt you?" I asked in an annoying tone.

Ian shook his head while a smile grew on his face. "But don't worry, you got me."

I stepped inside and finished my entrance into the library, pointing at him. "My hero," I sang with my hand on my heart.

"Please don't." Ian kept in my shadow as we walked.

The warmth masked my face while I zig-zagged around computers, looking for Hudson. After not finding him at the individual desks, I discovered he took a vast table in the back. I strolled closer to him while he spread a few books out on the wood surface. His head bobbed between the book beside him and the laptop on the table. Hudson's hands brushed through his hair while his beautiful eyes glanced at me. He smiled, warming my heart, and I couldn't help but grin back at him.

Ian stepped through me and sat on the table with his body stretched out. "Hey, are you ready to study this bitch?" Ian asked.

"S-s-s," I stuttered, removing my beanie from my head.

Ian raised a brow at me, pointing at the chair beside Hudson. "Lake, just sit down before you have a seizure."

I shut my mouth and pulled the chair out beside Hudson. As I dropped my backpack to the ground, I glanced at the books on the table. The blue book with a sea turtle on the cover tangled with a grocery bag caught my attention. I grabbed the book and dragged it closer to me while I sat down.

Hudson leaned closer to me. "That's a good one."

"Yeah," I said, opening the cover. "I've read this one." Flipping a page, I peeked at him. "It's been a while, though."

"I read it about a year ago," he responded smoothly.

I smiled, showing off my teeth. "We should put in our presentation the importance of cleaning up trash and volunteering on the beaches."

Hudson shifted his laptop toward me. "I'm already on that," he said while I scanned the bullet points he had typed out.

I looked from the screen to Hudson while his blue eyes watched mine. Green specks danced in the blues like the ocean's water in the deep.

"I also have these," he said, breaking eye contact and turning away to grab something from his backpack.

An expensive scent caught my attention, causing me to inhale as I closed my eyes. Hudson's cologne took me over with a masculine fragrance mixed with a natural, fresh aroma.

Ian cleared his throat, tapping his hand on a book. I glanced at him, seeing how comfortable he was on the table. His eyes widened as he leaned closer to me.

"Stop smelling him," he said before chuckling.

"Here," Hudson said, placing a small pamphlet on the table and sliding it before me. "It's a map that shows the common nesting areas for sea turtles."

I did a double-take between Hudson and the map. "This is amazing," I said, smiling at Ian while gripping the ripped edges. "Where did you get this?"

"I went to Florida this last summer and saw them in a tourist shop." Hudson pointed at the bottom of the map. "I hope to go to Australia one summer to help."

"That would be a dream," I replied, looking at the nesting areas around Hawaii.

"Well, I'll start here," Hudson said, lifting an article.

I grabbed a unique textbook and wrote into my notebook, when a good topic point popped up. We spent the next hour with our noses in the books. I reread a few pages twice while Ian kept talking nonsense in my ear. I thought if I didn't respond, Ian would stop, but I was wrong.

"Lake, are you even listening to me?" Ian asked, fanning his hand over my book.

I glared at him, shaking my head. With an exhale, I dragged my notebook away from Hudson's eyes and wrote, stop talking on the page.

Ian's eyes glanced at my note a few times with a smirk. "Why?" he asked.

I aggressively wrote, you are joking, right?

Ian read it before looking at me. We stared at one another while I waited for him to respond.

"Lake," Hudson said, causing me to jump.

Ian brought his hands above his head. "Finally, someone talks!" he yelled.

I gazed at Hudson. "Yep?" I whispered without meaning to.

Hudson glanced away from me, closing his book. He scooted his chair closer and placed his hand on the table. His blue eyes sadly didn't want to look back at me.

"I wanted to say sorry," he said, finally looking at me.

I raised an eyebrow, feeling uneasy in my stomach. "Is this about Gabby?" I asked.

"Yes," he responded, brushing his fingers through his blonde hair. "I was wrong for asking you about Gabby." He frowned at the table. "I've been wanting to ask you on a date for a while, but—" He paused, looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh." My jaw dropped open.

"I didn't think you were available," he said, side-smiling.

I quickly glanced away from him, playing with my hands. I picked at the skin around my nails, unsure what to say.

Ian placed his hand on my chin, freezing my skin. "Look at him," he said, trying to tilt my head up. "Tell him you are available this Friday."

I glanced up at Hudson, feeling Ian's hand brush away from me. "I'm not busy this Friday if you want to go on a date?"

"Really?" Hudson's smile grew ear to ear, not expecting my response.

I nodded, biting my bottom lip.

Hudson mirrored me with excitement. "Okay, I'm completely open Friday, too." He pulled his phone from his pocket. "Can I get your number?"

"Of course," I said while he handed his phone over, and I programmed my number in.

Hudson raised his head higher after taking his phone back. The library emptied hours ago, leaving us with a handful of students.

"We better get going." Hudson shut his laptop. "I'll text you later," he said while his eyes peeked at me. "If that's alright?" Hudson shoved books into his backpack, leaving the library ones on the table.

"Yes," I replied, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Perfect," Hudson said, waving goodbye before walking backward from me.

I smiled at the table, lost in the idea of Hudson noticing me for once, not only seeing me but going on a date with him on Friday. My eyes glanced up from the table at Ian. His smile grew, showing off his perfect teeth while giving me two thumbs up.

I stacked the library books on the table before exiting into the chilly weather, heading back to my dorm room.

Thank you for reading. Please share, comment, and push that beautiful star.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top