The air in the clinic smells like old magazines, a scent that usually calmed me but today felt suffocating. Zack sat beside me, his gaze heavy and probing. He didn't beat around the bush; he never did.
"So," he started, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous hum. "Do you actually like Hudson?"
I shifted uncomfortably on the plastic chair, looking anywhere but at him. "I... I don't know."
Zack let out a short, cynical laugh. "You don't know? After that video? I mean, the whole school has seen it. You looked pretty certain about what you wanted in those clips."
I felt the heat crawl up my neck, staining my cheeks a deep crimson. "I was drunk, Zack. I wasn't in my right mind."
He leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing, a smirk playing on his lips. "Drunk or not, the body doesn't lie. Tell me... do you like the way Hudson fuck you?"
The question hit me like a physical blow. I froze, the words dying in my throat. I couldn't breathe, let alone speak. I wanted to deny it, to scream that it meant nothing, but the memory of that night flashed behind my eyes the friction, the heat, the overwhelming sensation of being completely taken.
"Cat got your tongue?" Zack whispered, his voice dripping with provocation. "Have you already forgotten how you shouted my name? How you begged me to choke you, your voice all raspy and desperate? Or the way you sucked my dick like your life depended on it?"
I flinched, my heart hammering against my ribs. The vividness of his description made my thighs press together instinctively.
"Change the topic," I snapped, my voice trembling. "I've moved on. I can do whatever I want with my life."
Zack shrugged, leaning back with a sigh. "Sure. That's true. I can't control your life. But be careful with that guy. Hudson's expelled. He's not coming back to this school"
**********************
When the final bell rang, I didn't go straight home. I couldn't face the silence of my room or the judging eyes of my peers. I joined the girls I might at the Hudson's night party, and we spent the afternoon drinking. I wanted to drown the memory of Zack's words and the lingering shame of the video. I wanted to forget the way my body still craved the very thing I was pretending to hate.
When I got home I stumbled through the front door, the house was dim. My parents were in the living room.
"Hey Mom... Heyy Dad," I mumbled, trying to keep my balance as I hurried toward the stairs.
"Where have you been?" my mom asked, her voice sounding strained.
Panic surged through me. I stopped dead in my tracks, my mind racing. Did they see it? Did someone send the video to them? The fear was a cold knot in my stomach. Without thinking, I blurted out.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! Well the video, we didn't filmed it, didn't know someone was recording, he just_"
My parents exchanged a confused look. My dad stood up, his expression shifting from confusion to alarm.
"Sorry for what? What video are you talking about, hun? Let's see."
"Who was that guy? What video?" my dad demanded, his voice rising. "A leaked video? What happened? Did someone post nudes of you?"
My heart nearly stopped. I realized I had just handed them the information. I scrambled to cover my tracks, my voice pitching higher.
"No! No, Dad! It's just... a girl in my class. Someone leaked a video of her, and I just thought maybe you'd seen it and thought I was like her. I'm apologizing on her behalf! I promise I'll never be like that!"
My mom sighed, rubbing her temples. She looked exhausted, her eyes shadowed. She didn't look convinced she knew I was hiding something but she didn't have the energy to fight. "Right. Just go upstairs, take a shower, and come down for dinner, okay?"
***********************
It was 11:15 AM. I was drifting in and out of a heavy, alcohol-induced sleep when a sudden scratching sound echoed from my window. I bolted upright, heart racing, and peered through the curtains.
It was Hudson. He was standing there, leaning against his bike, looking ragged and desperate.
"Why are you here?" I whispered, cracking the window open.
"My dad and I had a fight," he said, his voice rough. "I can't stay in his house. My mom is pissed too; she won't take me in. I have nowhere else to go."
I stared at him, convinced this was a joke.
"You're kidding. If my mom finds out you're sleeping in my room, she'll actually kill me."
"Please," he muttered.
Against my better judgment, I reached out to help him climb through the window. But as he swung his leg inside, we both lost our balance. With a gasp, we tumbled backward onto the floor, landing in a heap. Hudson landed squarely on top of me, his heavy frame pinning me to the carpet.
I looked up, and for a moment, the world stopped. His eyes were an electric, piercing blue, shimmering in the moonlight. I felt my breath hitch. Was I actually falling for him? The school's resident bad boy, the guy who had ruined my life and then vanished?
"Hey," he whispered, his face inches from mine. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I breathed, though my heart was drumming a frantic rhythm against my chest.
He started to move away, but we both spoke at the same time.
"About the video—"
We stopped, glancing at each other. "I'll go first," we said in unison again.
"Go first, Hud," I sighed, and we both sat up, retreating to the edge of my bed.
"I paid someone to hack into the school website," he said quietly. "He's taking the video down. It should be gone by tonight. Did your parents see it?"
"No... they didn't. I almost told them, but I caught myself." I looked at him, the memory of the night returning. "Did we... did we actually fuck? I mean, I remember bits and pieces, but..."
Hudson looked away, a flash of guilt crossing his face. "Don't tell me you forgot already. Look, I'm sorry about that night. I was wasted, too. I didn't mean for things to get that out of hand."
"It's okay," I whispered. "We both made a mistake." I paused, a sudden anxiety hitting me. "My ovulation wasn't near, but... you didn't cum inside me, right?"
He nodded slowly. "Nope. I didn't."
"What's your plan?" I asked. "Are you going back to your dad tomorrow?"
"No. I'm staying here every night for a while... until I can get access to my accounts. My dad froze everything."
"What?"
"Yeah," he said, his voice turning bitter and sad. "He wants me gone. I told him I regret being his son. He used to beat my mom when I was little... I can't stand the sight of him."
My heart softened. I had only ever seen the arrogant mask he wore; I didn't know about the broken boy underneath. We talked for hours, the tension between us shifting from awkwardness to a strange, intimate kinship. Eventually, he mentioned he hadn't eaten all day.
"Wait here," I whispered.
I crept downstairs, the floorboards groaning under my feet. I made it to the fridge and began gathering snacks, but just as I turned around, the kitchen light flickered on. My mom was standing there.
"What!!" she gasped.