Point Of No Return

Chapter 8: Nexus

𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫.

Sunday arrived faster than I expected. A week and a half had passed since the Halloween party, but I'd spent most of it dodging Tessa's relentless commentary and trying to convince myself that nothing had changed.

Spoiler: It had.

Because ever since the Halloween party, ever since the way he looked at me—like he hadn't expected to see me like that, like he hadn't known what to do with it—I hadn't been able to get him out of my head. And that was a problem.

So, naturally, I overcorrected. I went out of my way not to overthink my outfit—jeans, sweater, nothing special. No jersey. No ridiculous heels. Just normal, casual, safe. I wasn't thinking about Hudson. And I definitely wasn't thinking about Finn, about his lazy flirtation, about the way he had smirked at me all night at that party like he knew exactly what he was doing.

I told myself it didn't matter. That I was reading into it. That Hudson Reed didn't care about me or my stupid Halloween costume or the fact that Finn had spent half the night wrapped around me like a human blanket. I told myself that.

And yet—I was standing in front of my mirror for way too long before heading to dinner at the Whitmans' house.

It was just another dinner. Another loud, chaotic meal where the Reeds and Whitmans took up too much space, where Finn would inevitably find new ways to annoy me, and where Hudson would—

I exhaled sharply. I was not thinking about Hudson. I grabbed my jacket and headed downstairs before I could spiral further.

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The Whitmans' house was already packed by the time we arrived. The second we stepped inside, the usual chaos hit me. Mrs. Whitman was already greeting my mom, ushering us in with warm smiles, and Mr. Whitman was pouring drinks in the kitchen. My mom had barely finished hanging up her coat before Mrs. Reed was pulling her into conversation about something, and Alex had already disappeared into the kitchen—probably stealing food before dinner even started.

Finn, still standing near the doorway, grinned when he saw me. "Lawson." His eyes flicked over me. "No jersey tonight?"

Heat rushed to my face. "Oh my god," I muttered.

Mrs. Whitman, who had overheard, lit up. "Oh, right! The bet!" She turned to my mom with a conspiratorial smile. "Did we ever get pictures?"

I gawked at her. "Absolutely not."

Finn smirked. "Sad. You looked so good in it, too."

My mom laughed, joining in. "I have to admit, it was pretty cute."

I groaned. "Mom."

Mr. Whitman chuckled, shaking his head as he turned to Finn. "Careful, son. At this rate, you'll truly be part of the family before you know it."

Finn beamed. "Ah, Mr. Whitman, don't tempt me. I think Amara would just love that."

I groaned. "Absolutely not."

Finn wiggled his eyebrows at me. "Guess I'm growing on her."

I rolled my eyes, stepping further into the house. "Like a rash."

Isaac snorted from the hallway. "Sounds about right."

Hudson, who had been quiet the entire time, shifted slightly. I didn't look at him. I refused to look at him. But I felt him. That small, unreadable presence. Like he was waiting for something.