[ððððððð ðððððð-ððð : ð ðððððð ðððððð]
" ððð ððð ðððððð ððððððð ðððð ððððð ððððððð. "
â¯â¯â¯
ððððððð ððð ðððð ððððð. It really was Hudson's best time to strike. Then, they could talk and catch up without the distractions of everyone else. So, on Sunday, he drove over to her building and took the elevator up to her floor. The doors opened and he looked around for any signs of life.
The floors were made of marble and large chandelier hung from the high ceiling. He remembered her house, but not that clearly. None of them really spent a lot of time over here. They were always either at the country club or Ezra's house.
"Mr. DuPont!" One of their maids, Elizabeth, smiled brightly. Hudson clutched the strap of his bag and walked forward.
"Hi, Elizabeth."
"It's been a long time since I've seen you. Look how tall you've grown." She paused, "Are you here for Miss Bethany?"
"Yes. Is she?" He pointed up the stairs and the maid nodded.
"You can go up and see her if you want." She replied and that's exactly what Hudson did. His slender fingers traced the silver bannister like they had did so long before as he bounded up the curved stairway.
Down the hall, he still remembered, was Bethany's room where he stopped to knock twice.
"Elizabeth! I said no visitors."
"Hey, Beth? It's Hudson." He heard some shuffling around on the other side before the door opened and Bethany was standing ready to greet him.
She was still in her pajamas even though it was 12:00pm, a black sweater and comfy shorts, and when he entered her room it was like being brought back to a year ago. Everything looked exactly as he left it.
"Why did you come?" She asked, "I mean, I know why..."
"I, uh, haven't had time to talk with you... because every setting we've been in has been with... everyone." Hudson clutched his bag nervously as Bethany took a seat on the edge of her bed.
"I understand." She glanced at the spot next to her, "You can sit here." She chuckled a bit at his awkwardness.
"Oh, yeah! O-Of course." He dropped his bag at the edge of her bed and sat down. Bethany glanced down at his clothes, a white button up with a blue sweater over it and tan khakis. He was still the perfect prep boy from 10th grade.
"How is everyone?" She murmured and folded her fingers together, "Is everyone... okay?"
"Well, I'm not sure to be honest. I've only really hung out with Camila... so."
"Yeah, I understand."
"A-Are you alright?" His expression fell, noticing how tired she looked and how many sad vibes were coming off her.
"What?" She paused, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay, I know a lie when I see one. Fess up." He smiled making her smile too. Something in Hudson's stomach fluttered. He thought she was beautiful.
"It's complicated."
"I know where you're coming from. I mean, my parents divorced a year and a half ago and my mom sent me to England to live with my dad." He shrugged lightly, "Then he left me at boarding school to go travel the world."
"Wow, that's tough..."
"Yeah." He ran a hand through his tousled brown hair, "It's not as bad as it sounds... I think."
"Mine's a bit more complicated than that." She bit her lip, "I did some bad things. Said some bad things."
"What kind of bad things?"
"I did something. Something mean to my friends and they don't know it was me. A-And Theo hates me right now." She teared up just thinking about it, "Everyone hates me."
"I don't hate you-" He started, but she cut him off.
"Yet." Bethany glanced over at him the covered her face with her hands as she pulled her knees up to her chest, "I think I'm a terrible person. Everyday I look in the mirror and I hate the person I see staring back at me, and for those few seconds... I understand why everyone else hates me too."
"You shouldn't think that way, Bethany."
"But you don't understand. You don't know what I've done... I ruin people's lives and no one wants me in theirs." She sighed, "I think I might start college abroad."
"Don't you think life's hard me for me, too?" He rested his elbows on his knees, "My dad left me. He doesn't want me or my mom, and she doesn't even want me either. Whenever I sit down at the dinner table she gets up and leaves and whenever I am in the same room as her she doesn't say a word to me."
"I didn't know the Dean was like that." Bethany whispered.
"I think I remind them both of each other... and they hate each other."
"I'm sorry, Hudson." Bethany looked over at him, "I have to tell you something."
"Anyth- I mean, yeah." He stuttered making her laugh. It was a sad laugh though. There wasn't any heart in it and Hudson caught on.
"I knew you liked me all those years ago, and I'm sorry I wasn't in the right place to reciprocate anything." She smiled sadly, "You and Camila deserve each other anyways."
And she meant that in the best way possible.