Celebrities Don’t Date Bookworms (Texting the Boyband #1)

Chapter 16

sixteen

“Are you coming to the football game tonight?”

Those were the words that I dreaded every Friday afternoon. I wasn’t sure why Sloane kept asking—when was the last time I said yes? I only went when she specifically asked me to come watch her cheer, which was usually only at Homecoming.

“Um…” I made a show of putting books away in my locker so that I didn’t have to look her in the eyes. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings by saying a blunt no, but I couldn’t think of a good way to say no either. I probably should have told her that I had plans with Hudson, but I felt like it might be better to wait, and tell her after it happened, instead of before. I was worried that she would make me more nervous than I already was. “Well, I…”

“Actually,” a British voice said from behind me. “I was hoping I could get Megan to show me around town this afternoon. I’m still getting hopelessly lost.”

I looked over my shoulder to see Hudson sidling up to us, hands in his pockets, and a grin on his face. A pair of girls were following behind him, but I couldn’t tell what they were trying to do because they weren’t asking for an autograph or anything. It was almost like they thought walking near him made them friends.

“That is, if you don’t mind missing out on the football game,” Hudson added with a wink. How long had he been standing there and listening? Or did he just have such good hearing that he overheard the conversation from down the hall?

“She doesn’t like football games anyway,” Sloane said.

“That’s not… true,” I said, but my voice got so pathetically quiet at the end that I was sure my true feelings were obvious.

“Ignore her,” Sloane said. She pushed me toward him. “She’s all yours. Have fun!”

With a happy wave, she spun around and flounced off. I swore I blinked and she was gone, like she had teleported away. I guess that was one way to be a wing-woman. I looked at Hudson and shrugged.

“I guess I’m free,” I said.

“Good thing because you did already agree earlier,” Hudson said. “I was mostly just here to remind you.”

“Does that mean you’re not coming to the football game?” One of the girls behind him asked. She was the same one who had glared at me in English class the first day Hudson was at school, though now I knew her name was Jennifer .

“You know, I’ve never understood the appeal of football,” Hudson said. “But I think the other boys are going—maybe you could catch up with them there.”

“Oh,” Jennifer said. She looked at her friend. “Yeah, I guess.”

“We’ll see you in class on Monday, right?” Her friend asked Hudson hopefully. She was practically standing on her tiptoes as she tried to look him in the eyes.

“Definitely,” Hudson said with a nod. “I’m looking forward to it.”

That seemed to appease them as they both giggled and headed off down the hallway, whispering to one another.

“Those poor girls,” I said, staring after them. “They are absolutely obsessed with you.”

“And that warrants sympathy, does it?” Hudson asked.

“Well, yeah,” I said. “They obviously haven’t realized how much of a loser you are.”

Hudson crossed his arms and scoffed. “And here I was planning the perfect romantic evening for you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said. “First, we were going to get Starbucks, and I would buy your coffee?—”

“Still trying to make up for spilling that one on me?”

“I’ll never stop,” he said. “And then, after Starbucks, I was thinking you could actually show me around town, if you were open to that. Take me to all your favorite places—I want to get to know this town, and why you love it so much. Then, we could go out for dinner. And,” he took a step closer, until we were almost touching, “if you still weren’t sick of me by then… I thought you might let me kiss you goodnight. What do you think?”

Even though I’d never been kissed before, I could imagine his lips on mine. They would be soft, I was sure. And I bet he would taste minty—he was probably the kind of guy to keep gum or mints or something in his car. He wouldn’t want word to get around that he had bad breath, right?

“I’d say your chances are pretty high, Mr. Shaw,” I said. He interlocked his fingers with mine, keeping our hands hidden between us, so nobody would notice, and ask questions—or worse, take a photo, and share it online.

“Then, let’s go.”

Hudson and I did spend the day together, exactly like he’d described it. After a quick stop at Starbucks, we were off touring the town. I didn’t know exactly what to show him since there wasn’t all that much to do, but he seemed amazed by everything, from my old elementary school to the art museum. His enthusiasm for everything was infectious, and I found myself seeing the whole town in a whole new light. The only thing he didn’t seem to like in the whole day was the stuff he’d chosen out .

“I’m sorry the restaurant sucked,” Hudson said as he walked me to my door that evening.

“It didn’t suck,” I said, even though that was a total lie. I mean, it was a really nice place. Super fancy, and all that. But that wasn’t totally my vibe.

“You can call it what it was,” Hudson said. “Awful.”

“Regardless,” I said, “I appreciate you taking me.”

I wanted to add a thank you for paying on to that, but that felt a little tacky to say. I just wasn’t used to being able to go out and do stuff like this with friends. I wondered if Hudson was used to it either—I couldn’t imagine how strange it must be to go from being a normal teenager to a millionaire so quickly.

I pushed the front door open and glanced inside. From what I could tell, nobody was home.

“Come in with me?” I asked Hudson.

“I guess if you insist…” Hudson said with a laugh. He followed me inside and looked around with curious eyes. I suddenly got self-conscious about everything in the house—the small size compared to what his mansion must have been like, the mess in the living room, my brother’s gym bag sitting at the bottom of the stairs…

“I know it’s nothing like you’re used to,” I mumbled. “It’s not a mansion or anything, but it’s?—”

“Home,” Hudson finished for me. His eyes landed on me. “It feels like home.”

“Yeah. It does,” I said softly. Hudson took two steps towards me, practically pinning me against the wall. Heat began to grow within me, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from wandering to his lips. “Tell me a secret,” I whispered, not blinking once.

“I want to kiss you.”

I stared into his eyes, so dark and beautiful. His hands slid around my waist, pulling me closer, like he wanted to just go for it, but he wouldn’t without my permission.

“Then do it.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. My eyes fluttered shut as he tilted his head towards mine. My heart thudded in anticipation, and before I knew it, he was kissing me. It was just like I imagined it, but somehow ten times better. His lips were soft and gentle, the brush of his hand along my neck was comforting, and the smell of mint had filled my senses. I guess I was right in him having mints in his car. He smelled of mint too, but it was mixed with something else—his cologne or shampoo or something else. I didn't care what caused it. The smell was him.

“Hudson,” I murmured. Then, because I had no idea what else to say, but felt like I had to say something, I added, “Secret?”

“I’m in love with you.”

“You already told me that secret.”

“Bay told Eggo that secret,” Hudson said. “And now Hudson’s telling Megan.”

Was it possible to have a heart attack as a teenager? Because if so… I definitely was.

“Your secret?” Hudson asked.

I didn’t even have to think. “I’m in love with you too. ”

“Even if you hate my band?”

I giggled. “I can probably be persuaded to change my mind.”

“One more question…” He whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Just to make it official… will you be my girlfriend?”

I wondered how many other girls in the world had dreamed of Hudson Shaw asking them that very question. I had no idea how I ended up being the one to get him.

“Yes,” I whispered. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I thought he might be able to feel it. “Of course, I will.”

I’d seen Hudson smile before, but never like that—never that happily.

“I love you so much, Megan.” Then he kissed me again. He kissed me like he wanted me, like he truly loved me. And for the first time… I really, truly believed him.