Melt My Heart Read online

  I nod a little too enthusiastically and heat rushes up my neck. Better check to make sure I haven’t drooled all over him. “Sure, uh, yeah, I would love that.” Okay, so talking isn’t any better.

  His dimples pop as he offers his hand. “You seem like you might need help getting there. I’m Hudson, by the way.”

  “Samantha, but most people call me Sammy,” I say as I take his hand. It’s warm and soft despite the few calluses that scrape over my palm. The intimate contact also sends a weird electric sensation up my arm, something I only ever experience with Cole.

  I try not to gawk too much as he leads me over to the two comfy chairs positioned right in front of the blazing fire, but my eyes have a mind of their own. Even when he’s not smiling, there is an ever-present upturn to his lips, making those two glorious dimples a permanent fixture.

  Why on earth is he talking to me when Lucy and her band of merry cheerleaders are running around here somewhere?

  “Here we go.” He steps back as I sit and glances around the room.

  My heart does a little skip thinking for a second he might be embarrassed to be seen with me. Instead, he turns around and collects two pillows from the loveseat and props them on the table in front of me.

  “Best to elevate that. I twisted my ankle one time in an ill-advised attempt at parkour. It swells pretty bad if you let gravity do its thing.”

  I giggle as I imagine him trying to run up a wall in Spider-Man fashion. The sound is so foreign to my ears that I bite down on my lip to stem it and do as he says, resting my foot on the fluffy cushions.

  Once I’m settled, he crosses to the other side of the room, where the lodge has a table set up with coffee and cocoa along with various snacks. A few minutes later, he returns with a muffin and two cups.

  “Here.” He hands me a cup and the plate then takes the seat next to me. “It must suck being stuck in here all busted up.

  “Eh. I’m not much into skiing, anyway.” My phone beeps inside the kangaroo pouch of my sweatshirt, and I reach inside to silence it. The only person it could be is Eva. She can wait until later. She’ll understand.

  Hudson reclines in the chair, resting his feet on the table, mirroring me. “If you don’t like skiing, why did you come?”

  “Pressure,” I laugh, telling him the truth. If it wasn’t for Cole or Eva getting all amped up about the trip, I would have skipped and it never looked back.

  “Same. My friends are all about the holiday spirit. I would rather do anything else.”

  I nod, glancing around the room, searching for anyone who appears confused over the fact that Hudson is here talking to me and not one of the gorgeous girls running around. “Where are your friends?”

  “Skiing. I told them I would meet them out there.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment washes through me. This is the moment he’s been waiting for so he can ditch me and not come off as a jerk. “Well, go ahead. I appreciate you helping me get settled, but I’ll be okay here.”

  There are those dimples again. “I wasn’t trying to come up with a reason to ditch you. I’d much rather be in here talking to you. In fact, you gave me a reason to ditch them.”

  “Oh.” I chew on my lip and glance away, hoping he can’t see how happy his words made me.

  It’s silly, but it’s also nice to be put ahead of other things for once. I love Cole to death, but most of the time, he’d rather be doing anything other than just sitting around chilling with me. I blame it on his need to always be moving. It’s something that’s plagued him since we were kids, but I kinda have a feeling he finds me boring. After all, I’m comfortable just hanging around watching movies. Cole on the other hand always has to be multitasking. Even the other night when he forced me to watch those horrid scary movies. Most of the time he was on his phone, or ducking out of the room to chat up my dad.

  “So, what do two people do when one can’t hit the slopes, and the other is desperately trying to avoid it?” Hudson asks over the rim of his cup.

  “I saw some cards and board games tucked away in the corner over there.”

  Now I’m positive he’ll see how lame I am, but he smiles. “Ever play Spit?” When I shake my head, he jumps up. “You’re going to learn today.”

  My phone vibrates a few times in my pocket, but I’m too busy watching Hudson’s broad shoulders flex under the thin material of his long-sleeve T-shirt as he bends down.

  A few hours ago, I thought the rest of the trip would be torture. Now I think this might be worth the sprain. It might also be what I need to shake these dangerous feelings I’ve been harboring for Cole. After all, why pine after someone who will never see me as anything other than a friend? Time to set my sights on something more realistic. And Hudson might be perfect.

  Hudson and I spend the afternoon playing random card games. Between fits of laughter when we get into a heated game of War and stuffing our faces with the snacks the lodge put out, we talk.

  I learn he was born and raised in Utah. My family moved here from Montana when I was five, so I tell him what I remember, which isn’t much.

  His parents divorced, and he lives with his dad, who owns a detail shop in Salt Lake City. He got all animated when he talked about his school and how, for one whole semester, he played on the football team. He quit when he realized he was as uncoordinated as I say I am.

  I attempt to pay attention to everything he says, but I often find myself distracted by the way his lips move and how certain words make his dimples pop even more. My heart speeds up whenever our hands brush during our game, and I try not to count the number of times our feet touch—okay, it’s seven.

  All this adds up to is a stranger keeping another stranger company in a place neither of us wants to be, but my stupid heart isn’t convinced. The dang thing keeps screaming about this being a chance to become something other than the book nerd I am at school.

  “The sun’s setting,” Hudson says as he peers out the large window behind him. “You know what that means?”

  I brace myself for him to say good night, but he surprises me instead.

  “Time for you to suffer through meeting my friends. Just so you know, they’re way too loud and will either ignore you if they had a bad day on the slopes or talk your ear off.”

  The smile that works to the surface almost makes my face hurt. “I think I can handle them.”

  “I bet you can.”

  We grin at each other like idiots as he moves from the chair to the loveseat where I’m now sitting, foot still propped up on pillows. He’s been a doll all afternoon, refilling my bag of ice and making sure I don’t move around too much.

  Finally, a guy who puts me first.

  “So, what should we do with the rest of the night?” Hudson’s hand brushes against my shoulder as he slides his arm behind my neck.

  My heart leaps into my throat, and those stupid butterflies throw a party. And yet, there’s a strong urge to push him away when Cole’s face pops into my head. It makes no sense. Here’s this great guy who, from what I can tell, is into me. But at the exact moment he touches me, all I can think about is Cole.

  Ugh. What a terrible time for my heart to butt into a situation my gut had under control.

  My heart needs to jump off the Cole train. Spending more time with Hudson should do the trick.

  “Well, we could—” I started when a voice interrupts me.

  “Sammy, there you are.”

  Both Hudson and I twist toward the sound. When I see Cole looming over us, I almost shove Hudson away. The urge only intensifies when Cole zeros in on the arm around my shoulders and his eyes narrow. Hudson appears unfazed.

  “Hey, Cole. You just get back inside?”

  “No. I went upstairs to for you, but Lucy said you hadn’t been there all afternoon,” he tells me, but his attention never strays from where Hudson’s fingers now brush against my collarbone.

  For a second, I swear Hudson is doing it on purpose, egging Cole on in a vain attempt to rile him
up. If only he knew how deep our friendship flows. Cole wouldn’t care if I made out with a stranger in front of everybody in this place.

  “I got bored.” I shrug unapologetically. “This is Hudson.” The boy at my side grins and does a little two-finger wave, which only seems to make Cole tense up more.

  When Cole makes no attempt to introduce himself, I do it for him. “This is Cole. He’s one of my best friends. Known him since we were kids.”

  “Oh, yeah. I think you mentioned him earlier, right? The guy who would rather be on the slopes than keeping you company while you’re injured.”

  So not what I said, but I can’t fault him for interpreting it that way. I guess I didn’t emphasize how I forced Cole outside so he didn’t miss out on all the fun.

  “Well, I’m back. So, you can go.” Disdain drips from Cole’s every word, and he appears coiled as tight as a snake ready to strike. Even the veins in his neck are popping out.

  Never once have I seen him like this. Not yesterday when he stood up to Ian. Not when his mom left. It’s got to be the most unnerving thing I’ve ever witnessed.

  I shoot Cole a dirty look before turning to Hudson. “Sorry about that.”

  He turns to me, dismissing Cole. “No worries. I should go find my friends. You’re still up to meet them, right?”

  “Of course.” I smile, although this time, it feels plastic and not as genuine. Might have something to do with my brooding best friend who is still trying to glare a hole through Hudson’s head.

  Hudson gives my shoulder a squeeze as he stands and doesn’t spare Cole a single glance as he stalks out of the room.

  “Rude much,” I say the moment Hudson rounds the corner.

  Cole has the audacity to appear offended. “I didn’t do anything. Where the hell did you meet that guy, anyway?”

  “Here.”

  “He doesn’t go to our school.”

  “Thanks, Detective Reed.”

  Cole clenches his jaw, popping out those little muscles below his ears. It’s his tell-tale sign of anger—the moment I back off. Sure, I could and would normally drop the attitude, but he started it. He rushed in here and had his hackles raised from the get-go. With my luck, he scared off the only guy in this place who prefers my company over the mountain.

  “So what, your ankle felt good enough to come hang out with this guy all afternoon but not for me? And where’s your phone? I’ve been texting you all day.”

  “Okay, first off, my ankle hurts like hell, which is why it’s still propped up. I wouldn’t make it outside, let alone down the bunny hill.” I wave at my foot, where a half-melted bag of ice is resting on the bandage Cole put on earlier. “And two, I didn’t think I had to check in with you, Dad.”

  He growls and closes the distance between us in a flash, taking the space Hudson vacated. “Come on. Some random guy approaches you in a lodge. That doesn’t seem weird to you?”

  Air rushes from my lungs in a whoosh. “Wow. Okay, I didn’t know that a guy wanting to spend time with me is weird. What am I like a human cootie or something? Or do you think I’m the type of girl guys don’t want to approach?”

  This is the first time I’ve ever been this angry at Cole. His thinly-veiled insult is a bit too far below the belt. All through high school, I’ve been in the shadows of my popular and outgoing best friends. No wonder people don’t approach me. Not with Eva looking the way she does and being the star of every school play since elementary school. And Cole, well, he fits into every clique at school without even trying. Everyone loves him, and he revels in it.

  As for me? I’m the girl people go to when they need tutoring. That’s it. The few guys I’ve dated have all been from other schools where my reputation is a mystery. So being here now and having him throw it in my face makes me wish I’d never hurt my ankle so I could kick his butt.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” his voice drops to a soothing whisper as he leans in and grabs my clenched hands. “He just gives me a weird vibe.”

  As my anger dissipates, I roll my lower lip between my teeth. Why is it I can never stay mad at this boy? It has to be the sincerity in his eyes or the fact that I’m a total idiot when it comes to him, but I sigh out the rest of my annoyance and meet his gaze.

  “Out of the two of us, I’m more suspicious. If I got even a whiff of a bad vibe, I would have run.”

  “I’m just looking out for you.”

  “I get it.”

  We sit there staring at each other until it tips over into awkward. I pull my hands away, fighting to suppress the tingles lighting up my skin where he touched.

  “Are we still on for movies?” he asks, running a hand under the edge of his beanie to fluff up his sweat-drenched hair. “I need to shower first. Lucy was saying something about the hot tub. So, we have your room open.”

  “Um, about that.” I open my mouth to tell him I already promised Hudson I would meet his friends, but nothing comes out.

  This should be so easy. How many times has Cole ditched me to hang out with other people? Yet, I can’t bring myself to say the words and let him down.

  In the end, I don’t have to, because right as I’m about to agree to the movies, Hudson appears with two other guys in tow.

  “Hey, you ready for dinner?”

  I nod, not meeting Cole’s gaze even though he’s burning a hole in the side of my head. “Yup.”

  Without turning around, I stand, being careful not to put too much weight on my ankle. “I’ll catch you later, Cole.”

  I follow Hudson out into the hall, taking his hand when he offers it. It should feel nice, but I can’t shake the weird pit forming in my stomach. I force myself not to look back, but the whole time it’s as if there is an invisible rope tethering me to Cole. Every step I take makes me question if I made the right choice.

  The problem is, I don’t think I have a choice. Cole can never be more than my friend. It’s time I accept that.

  “So, we’re hiding in the bushes because a neighbor called the cops.”

  Hudson’s friend Mac pauses for dramatic effect, looking around to make sure he’s got us all invested in his story. Everyone else has long since gone to bed or are off at the hot tubs, leaving the lounge to us.

  It would be cozy if the conversation didn’t feel so awkward. Hours have passed, but still, it’s as if they don’t want to be here. Every once in a while, I catch them giving me a weird look when they think I’m not paying attention. They seem like polar opposites of Hudson in every way. Both of them are beefy, jock types who don’t lean into the relaxed style Hudson dons. With their perfectly styled hair to their expensive shoes, they want to be seen, whereas Hudson doesn’t mind sitting with me all afternoon doing nothing but talking.

  “They circled the block at least four times,” Mac continues, “but we were smart enough to wear black and plan this attack at night. The second they’re out of view, I let my last three paintballs fly and nail Hudson on the forehead.”

  The three guys around me burst out laughing, having experienced a paintball raid firsthand. A tradition they started as tweens. All I know is if someone nailed my house with a bunch of pink paintballs, I’d be grounded for eternity. My parents would be through the roof angry.

  Dan, Hudson’s other friend, shakes his head and leans back into the chair he’s been occupying for the past four hours. “I swear he almost got his eye too.”

  “Shouldn’t you wear masks?” All three of them stare at me, so I try to clarify. “Aren’t those dangerous if you’re hit in the eye?”

  Dan laughs and runs a hand up the back of his neck into the long blond strands hanging loose from his ponytail.

  “Being dangerous is kinda the point,” Hudson whispers and plants a kiss on my temple.

  I nod even though that makes zero sense. Sure, Eva, Cole, and I have done some dumb stuff, but I would never risk losing an eye if a simple solution was a facemask.

  “So, Sam, what’s something crazy you’ve done?” Mac asks, sharing a look
with Dan.

  “Oh, um… a few years ago I snuck out of the house to see a concert downtown.” I guess it seems lame compared to their stories, but at the time it was the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done. Okay, it’s the most rebellious thing I’d ever done, period.

  “Wild,” Mac laughs and again glances at Dan.

  I hate to admit it, but as the night wears on, I’m wondering more and more if I made the right choice when I ditched Cole. He hasn’t tried to check on me once, which is out of character. All the excitement I had earlier with Hudson has evaporated into nothing. Perhaps Cole was right, hanging around with a group of guys I don’t know is a bad idea.

  “I guess I’m not the wild type,” I mumble, picking at a loose thread on the arm of the love seat.

  “Says the girl who busted her ankle going down the mountain.” Hudson gives my shoulder a shake, and I force a smile.

  He assumed I hurt myself on the mountain. I never got around to correcting him. I didn’t want to seem stupid explaining what really happened.

  “It’s nothing,” I say, and wave off the statement before they ask for more details.

  “Well, at least you have someone equally boring to keep you company while we’re out on the slopes,” Dan says, then produces a flask from his coat pocket. “Now, we don’t have to worry about you being all sad and lonely.”

  Hudson laughs, but I don’t find any humor in what he’s saying. He just called me boring because I don’t ski. Is that how Cole see me too?

  Ugh, stop thinking about him.

  Dan takes a swig from the flask, then passes it to Hudson. I swear he drinks half in one go before motioning for me to take it. As if I would drink something a practical stranger offered me.

  I shake my head. “I’ve had a ton of painkillers today.” True, even if I’m only using it as an excuse not to drink.

  Mac snorts. “More for us.” His hand almost smacks me in the face as he reaches over to take the flask. “We need to find a liquor store tomorrow because we didn’t bring enough to last the weekend.”

  “The closest one is in town,” I offer, hoping to win some cool points.