Greyson

"St-Stop staring you...you weirdo!" Sage suddenly pulls the blanket over her stark body.

I shake my head, grabbing the covers and pulling them down. "I'll do as I please."

"You've done as you pleased, twice." She grips the sheets tighter.

I scoff. "That was me going easy on you."

"EASY!?" Her jaw drops.

There's a certain air around us now like after finally sealing the deal we have gotten to a place in our relationship where it's real. It's been a long time since I've had real and although I'm somewhat hesitant on a variety of aspects I know with Sage it'll be worth it.

The way she treats me since my proposal of both her soul and body, which was a week ago. We've been bickering non-stop but not in a bad way, in a fun teasing way. Sage has grown relaxed around me and is quickly picking up the pointers of having a sex life.

"I'm hungry." I ignore her shock, slumping down onto the bed.

"Then eat." Sage tells me as if I were slow.

"Is that an invitation?" I grin.

Immediately her ears turn bright red. "You're a...pervert!"

"You weren't complaining about my perverted ways earlier."

There isn't anything more entertaining than messing with Sage. Her innocence may have been taken away physically but mentally there's a chuck load of it. Which works perfectly for me, it makes the experience more enjoyable and fresher. Women I've been with are too eager to finish what they started but with Sage, she's so dense about this stuff I take my time and teach her.

"Seriously, how were so many women able to deal with you?" Sage rolls her eyes.

"I'm going, to be honest with you, they couldn't, which is why they were nothing but a one night stand." I inform her. "So consider yourself special, Sage soon to be Blackstone."

She smiles. "Yeah well, not many people can deal with your life."

"Especially my father." I rub my face. "That bloody man will be the death of me."

A laugh escapes her. "What are you talking about Papa Blackstone is the more entertaining member of our family Greyson."

"Papa Blackstone?" I raise an eyebrow. "You refer to my father, one of the strictest men I've ever met, raised in the Baby Boomer time period, as Papa Blackstone?"

"Yes and that's what our children are going to refer him as too..." She stiffens.

"Oh." I sit up. "You've been thinking about children with me, hm?"

Sage turns her head towards me and protests. "That didn't come out...right. I didn't mean it that way Greyson. This relationship is the way to fresh and I'm way to young, I mean I haven't been to Mars yet. And a guy like you who has lived the bachelor life for so long can't possibly be thinking about children.

When she's nervous she rambles a lot, one of the many quirks about her I can't help but be enthralled about.

"Relax." I grab her head and shift myself, facing myself completely towards her. "Although most of that is correct, we are fresh and you're very young. I have absolutely no objections to the thought of our hypothetical children, in fact, I love kids, despite what you think."

"Really?" She shakes her head. "I've never seen you around a child."

I sigh. "That's because even though I love kids I'm bad for them. Or at least...they're bad for me."

"How are kids bad for you?" She chuckles. "They're cute faces must be a terrifying sight."

"No." I chuckle, dryly. "It's nothing, you want pancakes? I'm making pancakes."

Sage stares at me as I slide out of the bed and she doesn't answer the question but I decided to make them for her anyways. So I walked over to the kitchen and prepared for pancake preparation.

→←

It's unfortunate to have to work sometimes, especially since Sage's schedule is about to get filled with classes about Astronomy. She decided to save the boring stuff for her later semesters which isn't what I would do but she says she'll grow more accustomed to school that way.

"You had sex with Sage, didn't you?"

I snap my attention towards Hudson, who was casually sitting on the couch inside my office. From how comfortable he looks I can only assume he's been there for quite some time.

"When the bloody hell did you get in here?" I frown.

"Grey, man, I've been here for..." He looks at his watch and his eyebrows raise in shock. "...ten minutes. I feel sort of creepy just sitting here as you zone out about seeing your fiance naked."

"That's not what I'm thinking about." I tell him, which was sort of a lie.

"Fuck that!" He scoffs. "I haven't seen your workaholic ass not piling yourself with work ever."

"Why are you here?"

Hudson chuckles. "Changing the subject doesn't help, but if you must know why I'm here it's because I'm in New York and want to see my fucking friend. Is that cool? Besides, I am your best man and we need to discuss this whole arrangement. Because the best man is supposed to have rights to sleep with one of the bridesmaids or whatever, right? Or the maid of honor. But Sage's friends are...Sage's age and I have nothing wrong with young companionship but I'd prefer to stick closer to my age group. No shade to you of course, you got lucky."

"You can here to complain that my fiance's friends are too young to...sleep with?" I sigh. "Get out of here."

"Don't get mad."

I scoff. "How can't I? I've been under the impression that you stopped sleeping around so that you can settle with someone."

"That was when Dawn was in the picture but she's not leaving that French bastard for me, ever."

Hudson gets me angry and annoys me a lot but one of the things that had me bond with him is the mutual way our lives connected. He's a broken boy too, although his Mother wasn't murdered in front of him, that doesn't mean his life wasn't as unfortunate. Not many know the true story about Hudson, not even Dawn.

In High School, just as Dawn and he were getting serious. Hudson was in the middle of fighting depression despite how great he can plaster a smile onto his face. Admittedly, Dawn helped a lot of it, distracting him from that dreadful feeling of nothingness. Thankfully it's not as gruesome as most cases but it really took a toll on him.

He knew he couldn't hide the fact that he was that way forever, sometimes he'd lie to Dawn and tell her that he had to go on a trip with his family to England when in reality he was home unwilling to get out of bed. The only reason I know is because I suspected him of cheating on her and had him investigated. When I found out he never left for these "trips", I confronted him at his house.

When he opened the door, the happy Hudson that I saw daily, the one who was surrounded by many and could easily make anyone smile, looked dead. Empty inside, a shell of a man. Hudson explained everything and told me not to tell Dawn because we both knew she'd fight through it and work to help him in any way she could. I believed my sister could do anything when it came to love and sometimes I think she was the best cure for Hudson.

However, he had trust issues, his family could care less about the disorder and shoves him to others to deal with it. At first, they worried but when it became too hard, to the point they had to make him get out of bed after a week so he wouldn't die, they gave up. And although Dawn isn't like that he didn't want to put her through all the trouble, so he and I devised a scandal in where he cheated because if there's one deal breaker for Dawn it's cheaters.

One of the many things I respect about Hudson is the fact that he never brings it up to Dawn in order to win her back. He takes responsibility of ruining the relationship by falsely cheating and does it in a way without guilt.

"Don't you ever think to find a girl to love other than Dawn could help?" I ask, genuinely. "You let her go for a reason, Hudson."

Hudson's expression grows lifeless. "You're not wrong, sleeping with these women who don't care about me only makes me...deader inside."

"You're not dead inside." I inform her, serious.

He chuckles. "Oh, I know that, trust me you don't pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to be told otherwise." It sounded like a joke but at the same time I couldn't help but be saddened by the comment. "Greyson, don't give me that look. I'm fine I only visit those annoying therapists like twice a year now, it was a joke. See smiling!" He smiles large.

"You were always good at that, though, you'll never realize how much I believe you should be an actor. You're the perfect liar, Hudson." I chuckle. "Anyways, if you really want to hang out with me join Sage and me for dinner."

Hudson scratches the back of his neck. "Hm, that's not a bad idea. Sage and I share a love for Crime shows, it'll be nice to watch them with people."

"Great, I'll text her and inform her."

He nods. "Then I shall leave."

"Oh and Hudson."

Before turning around he freezes.

"Nathan is being suspected of cheating, she called me up and told me a female picked up the phone at his hotel in France." I inform him. "So she'll also be having dinner tonight with us."

It's rare and hard to catch, but there are times when I think Hudson is truly happy. That his smile isn't just practiced and instead can be real. This was one of those times and I can tell from the gratitude in his eyes that's he's delighted at the news. I didn't want to tell him but if he truly wants a shot I need to help him.

Then he left.

→←

"I'm just telling you it doesn't make any sense." Sage protests, lifting her fork and pointing it at Hudson. "If he really was the killer why would he place himself in such a dangerous situation?"

Hudson scoffs. "The same reason Dexter murdered people but worked in a Police Station. They just don't care as long as they kill."

They've been arguing about whatever TV show for quite some time. I'm not sure what game he's playing at but he hasn't muttered a single word to Dawn. Who is already on her third glass of wine which is never good. She gets a tad unhinged once tipsy on wine.

Though I know Hudson wouldn't do anything he wasn't supposed to. Especially placing her in a situation in where she'd do the unthinkable—cheat.

"You know what I'm going on the first plane to France and give that bastard a piece of my mind." Dawn grumbled, slamming her glass onto the table and pulling her phone out of her shirt.

I sighed. "Dawn, put the phone down."

"Dawn." Sage placed her hand on Dawn's shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm surprised you're not stopping me and making a move!" Dawn says venomously towards Hudson and I frowned.

"Dawn." I say, sternly.

Dawn scowled. "It's true! That bastard couldn't keep his hands to himself even if it ruined something good. Exactly why we broke up in the first place! I am genuinely shocked that you haven't taken me to the back and fucked my brains out so you'd feel good and I'd feel like—"

Before Dawn could finish, Hudson stood up abruptly. He held a cold expression while fixing his tie then without saying a word he walked away.

Fuck

"Hudson!" Sage stands up then follows behind him.

When the two were out of sight I leaned real close to Dawn and as composed as I could, told her off. "Listen here, you have no right to speak to him that way. No right! You can't take your shitty relationships out on innocent people, especially when they care about you. Deny Hudson all you want, fuck it, you don't ever have to be with him. Just stop using the past when he's trying to make a future, with you. And one more thing, Hudson is many things but he is not a cheater."

As her eyes were wide, I decided it was my turn to follow Sage and Hudson out there. Especially when I heard the elevator doors close.

"What does that mean?...he's not a cheater? He cheated on me." Dawn says quietly to herself.

"Two plus two equals four, Dawn. Put the pieces together and figure it out your fucking self." I scoff.

Dawn snorted. "Who is this man? You were never this involved with others."

"Sage taught me that if you wanna' resolve issues you've got to keep fighting until something gets through." And at that I stormed off.

→←

As expected when the elevator doors opened in the lobby, I'd see Sage and Hudson right there. What I did not expect to see was Hudson shielding Sage. His arm was out, blocking her from whatever was in between the two. And from his posture, which was tensed up, I could tell it was a sight that wasn't very welcoming.

Before I managed to even get a foot closer to them I looked past Hudson's shoulders to see the last woman I'd ever see. The one I hoped for a long time would be rotting in the worst place in the world, all alone and suffering. But there was someone next to her, a child—a little girl. And I felt my whole body seize up.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Greyson. Long time no see." Bianca grins wickedly, while taking her shades off. "You've gotten quite handsome over the years, I must say time has done you well."

Hudson turns around, pale.

That look could only mean one thing and there are very few people who know the secrets between Bianca and I. If there was someone who could accurately describe to me what is going on without words, it was Hudson.

Bianca rolls her eyes. "It's impolite not to say hello..." Her smile widens. "...to your own daughter."