Chapter 18
Hudson
I woke up the next morning to a floor covered in vomit. The rancid stench floated into my nose and nearly caused me to throw up again. Pain shot through my head as soon as the morning light hit my eyes.
Fuck. What the hell did I do?
I pulled myself off the couch, rubbing temples and trying not to scream. Like a zombie, I walked through the front room and into the kitchen where I made a Bloody Mary to try and fight off one of the worst hangovers I’d ever had.
Flashes of last night popped in and out of my mind, as I pieced together fragments of what had happened. I saw glimpses of Ariel and me in the VIP section at Pierre’s, then me alone at the bar after she left get hammered, mixed with quick images of Jade peering at me from the main floor below.
Shit. Chloe! I dropped the glass out of my hand. It made a thud when it hit the floor, but it didn’t manage to shatter. I stumbled back into the front room, pain radiating through my mind, as I grabbed my cell phone. I remembered the way she came over and helped me into my house. Her voice echoed in my mind as I remembered parts of an argument we had. She saw me coming in late at night, drunk, when I told her that I was just going to stay in because I needed rest.
Her phone rang three times before she sent me to voicemail. I hung up and called again, but this time, it was sent to voicemail after the first ring. Before I could leave a voicemail, a text came through.
Chloe: Don’t fucking call me. Don’t text me. I literally can’t be any clearer.
Me: Chloe, please. Let me explain. It is not what you think. Please, answer your phone.
I called her again, but she sent it to voicemail before it was able to ring one full time. She sent a text just as fast.
Chloe: You are wasting your time. I do not want anything to do with you, Hudson. Just live your life however you choose and forget we ever happened.
Me: Chloe, just let me explain!
She didn’t respond again. I unbuttoned my shirt and sat down in one of the chairs near the couch. The stench of vomit hung in the air like a kite as I shook my head, trying to recall the conversation I’d had with Ariel. What did Simon want from me? What had I agreed to? And why the hell couldn’t I remember anything that had happened with any clarity?
Just then, there was a knock at my door, and soon after, it opened. “Um, so, you just leave your door unlocked these days?” Keith said as he stepped in. “Oh my God. What the fuck is that smell?!” he said, lifting his hand over his nose. He looked at the pile of vomit near the couch. “Jesus Christ, man, what did you do last night? Did you sleep in that shit? It smells like somebody died.”
“I had the worse night last night, man. The worst.”
“Shit,” he slammed the door closed. “Did you murder someone in here last night? Because if you did, we still have time to cover it up. I know a guy in Van Nuys who is an expert at…”
“For the love of god, Keith! Will you please just shut up,” I yelled. My raised voice caused my headache to throb even more. I put my hand on my forehead. “I’ve got bigger shit going on. Bigger shit with Simon.”
“The movie director?”
“Yeah. He has me backed into a corner and I don’t know what the hell to do.”
I explained to him what was going on and how Simon was managing to screw both me and Chloe over with his twisted demands. He listened with his hand over his nose and mouth, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Damn. I can’t believe he is pulling that crap. What a jerk.”
“Yeah. From what I can remember, his assistant said I have to back off Chloe or he’s going to fire both our asses. But I got so angry and so hammered after Ariel left, I don’t remember everything. Honestly, I don’t even know how the fuck I made it home in one piece. But, on top of all of that, Chloe is gone. She won’t answer her phone, she won’t talk to me, she won’t do anything. I’ve fucking lost her, and it is all because of this bullshit with Simon that I can’t tell anyone about because I know it will backfire on me.”
He sighed. “Yeah, man, I don’t know what to do. If you tell anyone right now, that is career suicide, but on the other hand, you are risking your relationship with Chloe. That is a tough choice, man, and I wish I had some good advice for you. I wish I did.”
I buried my head into my hands and curled up on the couch. I didn’t know what else was going to happen between me, Chloe and Simon, but I had to figure something out before everything got worse than what it already was.