Kept

“Morning, sunshine.”

“Don't scream. It hurts my head.” Awesome. Just what I needed, a fucking hangover on top of a broken heart.

“Calla, you have to tell me what happened. There is some shit on the news about Hudson going away with some girl. And in the Entertainment section of the Boston Globe, your picture is everywhere.”

“My picture?”

She nodded. “Apparently, he's never taken a girl to his house in France before. You’ve become this international reality celebrity mystery.”

“Oh, shit.”

“You guys look really happy, though. How did it go downhill so fast?”

“Hell if I know. I thought we were having a great time, and then I find out that the only reason that he brought me there was to ask me questions about the judge, and to see if I was actually telling the truth about that night. He played me, Alexis. He saw some poor girl that he thought he could use to get ahead with the district attorney. And he was so right.”

She came over and sat on the edge of the bed. I could tell that she was trying not to let all of her weight go down at once, knowing it would make me puke. She rubbed my arms slowly. “I'm so sorry, Calla. I know how much you liked him. I could hear it in your voice as you were leaving. I can't believe he did this.”

“I can. He tried to warn me about what kind of guy he was, but I didn't want to hear it.” I slowly sat up because the room was spinning. “So, tell me what's all over the news?”

She sighed. “They're mostly just talking about this mystery girl with Hudson James in the Sou

th of France. So far, nobody knows your name. But you also might want to go out into the living room, and see what else is here.”

“Something’s here?”

“Yeah. You should just go look.”

I pushed myself out of bed with my arms and shuffled over to my door. The room wasn’t very large, but by the time my hand reached the handle, I felt like I'd run a marathon. Hello Jack and Coke, you treat me well the night of, but the next morning you’re a killer. I slowly opened the door, slightly afraid of what might be waiting for me. But I was met with a view of absolute beauty.

The entire apartment was filled with white flowers.

All types of flowers: roses, daisies, Calla lilies. There were potted plants, hanging plants, and bouquets. The entire flower shop must've been cleared out to get them here. “What the hell?”

Alexis came up behind me. “They're all from him. Every single one. Four different flower shops have been here so far this morning, and, considering he hasn't filled up your room yet, I would say there's probably at least another one on it’s way.”

I reached into a bouquet of roses, and pulled out the card that was attached. In print it said:

I'm sorry. Hudson

I turned around, and on a potted plant of tulips, there was another card with a similar message.

Forgive me. Hudson

I shook my head. “I don’t want to see all of this, Alexis. I don't want to hear his excuses and his lies. Because that's all he really is, a damn liar.” I dropped the cards on the floor, turned around, and walked back into my room. I fell back onto the bed, and let the pillows absorb my sobs.

Sixteen

When I emerged from my room later that afternoon, Alexis had taken care of most of the flowers. There were definitely still some in the apartment, but I was shocked to see how many were missing.

She turned around and looked at me from the couch. “I called a local nursing home, and they offered to come pick them up. At least some old bitties are enjoying your flowers, even if you're not.”

I walked to the kitchen to make myself some PBJ. “What's that supposed to mean?”

She shrugged. “I don't know, Calla. Why would he send all those flowers? Do you think you should just give him another chance? I mean it's not like he really set you up.”

I screwed the lid back on the peanut butter. “We don't know that. And, after I totally thought I was in the clear and I wasn't going to have to testify, now he's talking to the detective on the case. I'm probably going to have to be involved even after Monique tried so hard to get me out of it. I just can't trust him. And that’s entirely his fault.”

She shook her head, but was silent.