The Truth About Falling by H.M. Sholander

Author:H.M. Sholander [Sholander, H.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: new adult
Publisher: H.M. Sholander
Published: 2017-08-19T16:00:00+00:00

I wake up to the sound of a bang, followed by cursing. I turn on my back, expecting to see Hudson watching me nervously, but he isn’t there.

I relax into the bed and stretch before I crawl out and slip out of my room. The kitchen has been put back together like my dad didn’t ransack it for anything he could take with him.

Hudson steps out of my mom’s room carrying the neighbor’s toys in his arms. He stops in his tracks when he sees me. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine.”

“I was just cleaning up some. I taped a garbage bag over the window until it can get fixed. The guy I called said he couldn’t be here till tomorrow to replace it.”

“Thanks,” I say, grateful it’s one last thing I have to deal with.

“You shouldn’t stay here tonight.”

“Where else would I go?” I swipe my index finger under my eyes, rubbing any eyeliner away.

“You can stay with me.” He says it like it’s the perfect solution. Simple. Easy. It’s not.

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. I don’t want to intrude. Plus, you have Chris to worry about. You don’t need to add me to your list.”

He shakes his head, disagreeing with me. “It’s not a problem.”

“I have to work tonight,” I argue, trying to come up with an excuse to stay here. But why do I want that? Do I really want to be alone in this place? No, I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I should fall into Hudson and be a burden to a guy who has his own life to keep afloat.

“Please,” he begs. “I’ll feel better if I know you’re safe. I’ll sleep on the couch, and you can have my bed.”

“Hudson–”

He interrupts me. “I’ll pick you up after work.”

I concede, knowing I’m never going to win. “Did you get the glass?”

“Yeah. It’s all taken care of. I just have to drop these toys off next door.”

I smile in thanks and collapse on the couch as he steps out the door to return toys that I’m sure I will never see in my yard again. In fact, I’ll be surprised if my neighbors ever let their kids outside with me living next door.

He comes back inside and sits on the opposite end of the couch, staring me down. “Tell me what happened.”

I know I’m going to sound insane for flying off the handle the way I did.

“My mom is dying.” I pause, looking at him, and he waits for me to continue, knowing there’s more because…he already knew that. “They gave her a month, tops. No surgery. This is the end of the line.” I wrap my arms around my body, holding myself together. “My dad left. He abandoned both of us, and now I have to tell her. I have to tell her when she’s about to die that her husband won’t be around because he’s an asshole.”

He waits a beat, contemplating what to tell me before he says, “Don’t tell her.”

“What?” I ask, confused.

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