The Mitchell Brothers Collection: A Feel-Good Romance Box Set Read online

  This new bit of information stuns me for a moment. “Oh okay. Sure, no problem at all.”

  “Thank you.” He lets out another big breath, and I wonder what’s up with all of this.

  There’s clearly more to these sessions than I thought there was. Or maybe I just don’t get it because let’s face it, this isn’t my scene at all. I mean, I didn’t even know who he was when we first met.

  The comforting sound of the running water stops when Hudson turns off the faucet. With the sponge in his hand, he starts washing one of the mixing bowls I used earlier. I’m not sure what I expected, but this seems more normal than I thought it would. Somehow, I thought I’d find the picture of my rockstar roommate washing the dishes to be hilarious, and maybe even slightly odd. Instead, it feels like no big deal—just two people sharing a completely normal and mundane task.

  While I’m still clueless about what’s going on, I’d really like to change that if possible. “Can you at least tell me what exactly it is you’re planning on doing during these sessions?”

  “Sure.” It seems like taking a few minutes was all he needed to get out of his funk, and he’s back to smiling. In the short amount of time we’ve spent together, he seems like a normal guy—contrary to the moody, brooding, or just plain arrogant kind of musicians you hear a lot about in the media. “Let’s just say that my creative juices haven’t been flowing very well over the past few months, and I need to rectify that. Very badly and very quickly.”

  “Huh.” And here this man surprises me again with his answer. That was definitely not at all what I thought he was gonna say. “Are you talking about writing songs?” I stop drying the bowl in my hand, tilting my head to look up at him. “Wait. You do write your own songs, right?”

  Without warning, my face is suddenly covered in water drops and soap bubbles.

  I blink at him for probably a solid minute while my brain is trying to catch up with what just happened. “Did you… Did you just flick water at me?” I wipe my hand over my face and look at Hudson incredulously.

  “Sorry.” He’s laughing—big, loud belly laughs that make me want to join in too. “Strong reflexes to being insulted, I suppose, or maybe it was payback. I still owed you one for the fun welcome home with the dough.”

  Well, what can I say to that? He’s got me there. Holding up my hands, I point my finger at him. “All right, I can’t argue with that. But now we’re even.”

  “If you say so.” He keeps chuckling, and we go back to doing the dishes. After a few minutes, he’s the first to break the silence, his voice filled with sadness and frustration. “To answer your question, though, yes, I do write my own music. But it seems like I’ve been having a bit of writer’s block hit me out of the blue. It’s nothing I’m proud of, and no one really knows about it either, not even my bandmates. To be honest, I’m not even sure why I’m telling you all of this right now.” He shakes his head, not looking at me.

  I try to keep my voice quiet and calming. I obviously don’t have any experience with this sort of thing, but I can imagine what a tough and vulnerable subject this must be for him. “And you think I can help you with that?”

  When he turns around to look at me this time, his gaze is soft, holding an emotion so strong, my heart skips a beat. “You already have. Just spending time with you seems to do the trick. The second I saw you, I had music and words floating through my head.” He pauses for a moment, lost in thought. “I can’t even tell you how incredible it feels. Nothing like this has happened in the past six months. And even before then, inspiration never seemed to hit me this hard.”

  Hudson swings his hands around in the air as he continues talking, his excitement almost palpable.

  His words leave me speechless for a moment, and the look on his face as he recalls the experience has me slightly entranced. There’s no doubt about the level of pure joy he’s been feeling about this, and it’s almost infectious.

  That feeling is crushed into a pile of dust though, as the realization of this whole situation hits me. Hudson needs me to save his career—or at least he thinks he does—and that knowledge settles in my stomach with a sour taste. A rush of disappointment makes its way through my body while I keep telling myself there’s no reason for it.

  It’s great I can help him with his career, right?

  I mean, what more could I want?

  Seven

  I can’t believe it’s only been twenty-four hours since Hudson dropped Mira and me off at the airport. When we got home from the bakery the other day, I got a phone call from my best friend’s mom, informing me that Monica had been in an accident. After getting all the details and the hospital info from her, I immediately went online to book a flight to New York—after profusely declining any sort of private air transportation or upgrades Hudson was offering me.

  Thankfully, my nerves finally settled a little after I was able to see for myself that Monica’s okay—at least, as okay as anyone can be after getting hit by a car and needing immediate surgery for their broken leg, which was especially bad with Monica’s career as a dancer. But my best friend seems to be the same—loud, boisterous, and slightly inappropriate at times, if the male nurse’s flushed cheeks were anything to go by when we walked into Monica’s room.

  My phone vibrates from where I set it on the windowsill, and I snatch it up quickly to silence it. Mira fell asleep on the way to the hospital, and the last thing I want to do is wake her up. Spending half the day traveling across the country yesterday—from Los Angeles to New York—and spending the night in a hotel didn’t make for the best sleep for either of us.

  “What does Mr. Sexy Rockstar want now?” Monica’s eyebrows are raised as she waits for my answer. Her strawberry blonde hair is piled on top of her head, her green eyes looking a little tired on her pale face.

  Sitting back in the chair next to her bed, I prop up my feet on the side rail of the bed. “How do you know it’s Hudson?”

  She shrugs her shoulders, a smirk on her face. “Just a hunch, I guess. Am I wrong?”

  I unlock the screen and shake my head. “Nope.”

  “I knew it.” Her voice sounds triumphant, and I have to laugh at the big, goofy grin on her face.

  “You’re impossible.” I roll my eyes at her, still smiling.

  “What? Why? I mean, come on, give a girl something. I was just in an accident, and you know how much I love him and his music. And umm, you just fucking moved in with him.”

  That comment makes me sit up straight again. “I did not move in with him. You know I never would’ve taken Hannah up on her offer had I known it would be anyone but us in the house, let alone someone like Hudson.”

  She sighs and plops back against her pillow. “Gosh, do I ever. You’d probably be the last one jumping on an offer like this. I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse. Anyway, what does he want?”

  I look down at my phone to read the message.

  Hudson: When are you guys coming back home? It’s so quiet here without you. To be honest, it’s actually pretty boring. Grandma threatened to take me out with her squad later on if I don’t get busy. I’m officially scared.

  I chuckle at his text. I mean, how can I not? Monica is surprisingly quiet, but I can almost feel the curiosity radiating off of her. I’m also pretty sure she’s trying to burn a hole in the side of my head with her gaze.

  Charlie: We’re gonna fly back the day after tomorrow.

  * * *

  Hudson: Is your friend gonna be okay?

  I want to call and tell him everything that happened to Monica, but I don’t think we have that kind of relationship yet. It seems like we’re on the way to becoming friends, though, despite our “muse deal.” I haven’t had real friends in many years—besides Monica, of course, but she’s been busy with her career and traveling ever since we graduated from high school.

  Despite my earlier reluctance, I have to admit I like the idea of Hudson and me becoming friends. I love both Mira and Hannah to the moon an
d back, but it feels nice to have someone my age around to talk to.

  Charlie: Yeah, it’s gonna be a while for her to get back to normal, but she’ll be okay. She’s gonna transfer to a rehabilitation facility in two days, so that’ll keep her busy for a little while.

  I’m sad to leave Monica again so soon, but I know she has to focus on getting better, and sadly, I can’t help her with that. There’s no point in denying I’m excited to go back to my new home, though. In just the few weeks since we moved, I’ve felt better and more relaxed than most of last year. It’s been a real life-changer.

  A change of scenery really does do wonders sometimes.

  “Hello? Are you going to talk to me or what?” Monica’s dramatic voice cuts into my conscience, but I ignore her for another moment while Hudson’s next message comes in.

  Hudson: I’m glad to hear that. You’re a good friend for being there for her. Let me know which flight you’re gonna be on (or when you stop being stubborn and let me get you better tickets at least), so I can pick you up from the airport, okay?

  “Come on, Charlie, don’t leave me hanging.” Monica’s voice has turned whiny.

  Deciding to throw her a bone, I look up from my phone. “He wants to know when we’re going to be back.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet. He misses you.” Putting a hand over her heart, she sighs. She looks so completely smitten and happy I can almost see the hearts in her eyes. I try to keep my eyes on her face, since I want to flinch every time I see her bruised body that’s covered with bandages.

  “I’m sure he misses his new best friend, our little Miss Mira here.” I point over to the stroller on the opposite side of the room, where Mira’s snoring softly. “You should see those two together, Mo. It’s quite the sight. The best way to describe it is like two old souls that have been separated for ages and are finally together again. They absolutely adore each other. It’s almost like nothing else exists around them. I’ve never seen Mira get attached to anyone this quickly.”

  “Looks like someone’s jealous.” Monica sing-songs the words as she points at me.

  “Who? Me?” My eyebrows pull together, and I have to laugh.

  Monica chimes in, the occasional snort thrown in for good measure, and I press my index finger to my lips to remind her we have to be quiet.

  She nods and puts her hands around her mouth to form her own kind of megaphone. “You, my friend, are jealous of the relationship between Hudson and Mira,” she whisper-shouts.

  “No, I’m not.” Despite my request to her, my voice comes out louder than I intended, and Mira stirs in her stroller. Thankfully, she snuggles back into the other side without waking up. “It’s just sweet to see them together, that’s all. I told you I’m helping him with his career. You know better than anyone that I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t need a guy, even though I don’t mind him being my friend.”

  Letting out a sigh, she shakes her head at me, all the playfulness suddenly gone from her face. “I know you don’t need a guy. And I never said you should throw yourself at Hudson and ask him to marry you either.” She puts a finger to her chin and gazes past me out the window. “Even though that would definitely be super awesome. Could you imagine the headlines? My best friend and the hot—”

  “Mo!” I interrupt her before she can finish that sentence, knowing full well I just lost her to her own little world of all things celebrity.

  Rolling her eyes at me, she stretches her arms across her chest, wincing at the movement. “What I wanted to say was that I think it would be good for you to get back into the game. You don’t have to commit to anything. Just go out and have some fun. It’s been almost a year since Sebastian, that stupid dickhead, and I don’t like that he did such a number on you. I still wish I would’ve kicked him in the balls when I had the chance. He deserved it, and then some.”

  “Okay. Calm down, tiger. This has nothing to do with my ex and everything to do with Hudson. Aren’t you the one always telling me about all these famous guys changing women like their underwear? I don’t think I want to be another notch on a bedpost. That’s just not who I am, and you know that. Plus, let’s not forget I’m not a single deal either. The last thing he needs is a woman with a baby getting attached to him.” My feelings are scattered all over the place from this conversation, and I let out a big sigh.

  “Hey, hey. None of that!” Monica’s voice is firm. “You know how I feel about you saying stuff like that. Just because you’ve had bad experiences in the past doesn’t mean you have to give it up altogether. You deserve someone good in your life, and you deserve to have some fun too, you both do. End of story.”

  “Hudson said something similar.” I belatedly realize I’ll probably only encourage her with this admission. “Well, not really, never mind.” I make a face, hoping she’ll just forget about all of this.

  “Honestly, if he said something close to this, I like him even more. Not everyone is bad, but I understand it’s hard for you to believe in good guys. I promise you they’re out there, though. I truly believe it for you.” Her smile is reassuring, and I almost want to believe her.

  As usual, I ignore the fact that she only believes there’s someone out there for me but not her. It’s been a battle between us for ages, since she refuses to talk about her love life.

  “I know you do, and I’m sure I’ll find someone eventually, but I don’t think that someone for me is Hudson. I mean, look at him. We’re completely different, it could never work. Plus, I could never compete with the long list of prospects he can choose from on a daily basis either. I’m not sure I’d ever be able to handle that.” I sigh again, feeling defeated and a little upset with both Monica and myself for allowing the conversation to go down this road. All week long, I’ve successfully avoided thinking about Hudson this way, knowing it would only frustrate me.

  “It seems like he’s interested in you, though.” Leave it to my best friend to push my buttons even more.

  I throw my hands up in the air, feeling the irritation burning under my skin. “How do you know that? I’ve known him for less than a week. I’d like to think we’re on the way to becoming friends, but that’s it. I doubt he’s looking for anything more anyway. He’s very focused on his songwriting, which is quite captivating to watch. A lot of the time, he just sits there, completely engrossed in his music sheets.”

  Monica doesn’t say anything, which strikes me as weird. Instead, she’s grinning from ear to ear.

  “What? What did I say?” I pause, mentally going over what I just said but coming up empty. “Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?”

  “You like him.” Her statement is short and simple, so unlike my best friend’s usual declarations.

  Something about that makes me nervous, especially since she’s still grinning. “Stop smiling at me like that, it’s creepy. And yes, of course, I like him. Why wouldn’t I? He seems like a nice guy.”

  “You really like him.”

  Rolling my eyes at her—something I seem to be doing a lot in her presence today—I take in the self-satisfied smirk that’s telling me exactly how happy she’s with herself. “You’re annoying. Now stop it.” I can’t help myself after all and grin at her.

  “I just wasn’t sure you’d ever like anyone again. I was so worried about you after Sebastian.” Her voice softens, and I know exactly what she’s talking about because I was worried too. I wasn’t sure I could ever like another guy again either, or if I even wanted to.

  Now, I’m not sure about anything—all because of Hudson.

  “Mo, as much as I like him, I don’t think he’s the right guy for the job.” Monica has been my best friend since elementary school, and we’ve always been honest with each other. No need to change that now. “And this is not just about me anymore either. Not only could he break my heart ten times worse than all the other guys before him combined, I also have to think about Mira. How could I ever risk her heart?”

  Monica studies me for a momen
t before speaking. “Because love is worth it, and you both deserve a good guy in your lives.” She says it like a statement, like it shouldn’t be questioned, and I’m guessing in her eyes, that’s the case.

  I shake my head at the crazy girl I call my best friend.

  “And because you have the chance to get down and dirty with Hudson freaking Mitchell, Charlie. Just do it for me, girl. You can’t let a chance like this pass.” She levels me with a death stare, and I burst into laughter before slamming my hands over my mouth to stay quiet.

  Only Monica would do a one-eighty like this.

  It’s like she knew I needed her craziness because, just like that, my weird mood is gone. “Of course you’d say something like that.”

  “Come on, you can’t blame me. I mean, have you seen his ass?” She sighs loudly, a dreamy expression on her face.

  “Nope. But how about his abs?” I giggle as her gaze snaps to my face, her mouth wide open as she stares at me.

  “You’ve seen his abs? You better not be toying with me right now, or I will never ever forgive you for such a lie.”

  Even though she’s glaring at me, I can’t deny I’m enjoying this just a little bit. I don’t get these moments often, so I take my time to relish in this one. “Did I not tell you how we met? Oops.”

  “You better spill the beans, or I’ll come over there, broken leg be damned.”

  I have no doubt in my mind she’d actually do it too, so I quickly fill her in on everything, having a hard time making it through the story without bursting out laughing at her stunned expression.

  “I cannot believe you haven’t told me about this before. You are the worst best friend ever.” She smacks her lips a few times, shaking her head at me, like I did something far worse than not telling her how I met one of her favorite musicians. “Unbelievable.”