August 6

Loon Call Island, Lake Rosseau, Muskoka

"Fuck, that hurts."

"I'm so sorry, Hudson. Are you okay? Can I keep going?"

"Maybe just rip it off, Elle. Get it over with?"

"I can't, I think some stitches are stuck to the bandage." I bite my lip, looking closely at the bandage that's stuck to his cheek.

I peel back another millimeter, trying my best to ignore Hudson's tense jaw, his small flinches and cursing as I try to separate the dried blood-crusted bandage from his face.

Not surprisingly, Theo wasn't the ideal nurse. Especially not when he was hungover. One look at Hudson's gruesome cut led to Theo puking his guts out.

Clearly, Theo missed the point that it was the nurse's job to be the bad guy and the tough guy and make sure the patient took care of himself, so this wouldn't happen.

Slightly hungover myself, I grit my teeth together. I'd woken up this morning, in that same magenta lingerie set, my dress hanging from my doorknob, to a note on my pillow and a small bunch of wildflowers. Greyson's precise, all-capital-letter handwriting made me smile.

'Gone to Ry's. Prepping for Liam. Take an Advil, maybe two, drink some juice, eat something unhealthy, preferably fried. Trust me. Call me later. X - G'

I was a little glad I didn't have to face him this morning. How could I have been so careless last night, drinking the way I did? What if I'd blabbed? I was lucky that I remember the whole night, at least until I'd fallen asleep in his arms.

"Please give me a little space, Theo. You're in my light."

"That looks pretty gnarly, Elle." Theo's unhelpful comment from over my shoulders makes me roll my eyes.

"We wouldn't be in this situation, Theo, if you had helped him change the bandage on time, instead of leaving Hudson face planted in the pillows for fourteen hours."

Shifting a little awkwardly, I try to look under the gauze from another angle. "I'm sorry, Hudson, but I think this next part is the worst, but it looks like it's the last bit that's stuck, then we're done."

Hudson's fingers grip my wrist so hard, I nearly yelp. "Just rip it off." I bite my lip again, I can't rip it off, I'm too scared to tear the stitches. Maybe I can make him think I'll rip it off, then just go as quickly as I can. "Okay, just hold still. Maybe you can hold Theo's hand instead of mine? You're hurting me a little."

His hand drops immediately, a horrified expression on his face as he looks at my wrist, noticing the marks he's left there. "Sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Hudson, don't worry. Honestly. Theo?"

Grumbling under his breath he grabs Hudson's hand in his. "Better not damage them, I need them to work my magic with the girls."

"Get over yourself, the only thing you need your hands for is a little five on one." Hudson's laugh makes me smile, but I have no idea what they are talking about.

Theo flips him off.

"What's five on one?" I have no clue what they're talking about, or how it applies to Theo's hand, or this situation.

Hudson and Theo share a mildly horrified look before Hudson jumps in, "I'm just messing with T, ignore me."

"Yeah, put him out of his misery, Elle. Mine too. Let's get this show on the road."

I lift the corner of the bandage again, using my free hand to pull the skin of his cheek tighter, the sound of the bandage pulling loose makes me a little ill, as does every wince from Hudson. His hand flies up to grab my thigh, squeezing hard. "Just do it, Elle."

I work as quickly as I can, dipping my fingers in a small bowl of water and sliding them over his stitches, trying to release the bandage. Finally, I feel the last small part of the bandage that's stuck, and I work it free, peeling the rest of the bandage off quickly.

"Fuck, I'm glad that's over."

"Me too." Theo's huff of breath as he expresses his relief whispers over my cheek as he remains hovered behind me.

Me three, I think to myself. "Let me see, Hudson. I'm not quite done, yet. I just want to make sure none of the padding is still stuck, then we can leave it open with some Polysporin on it for a few hours. I'll bandage you up later, before I go home."

"Actually, Elle, maybe you can stay here? Instead of Nurse Useless? Our folks won't be home till Sunday anyway, so you're on your own as well. Plus, we can be lazy and watch movies and eat junk food. Not sure about you, but I definitely regret those last few beers."

Laughing at his not-so-subtle digs at Theo, I agree. "Sure, I can stay. I don't regret the strawberry wine, I regret whatever Theo was drinking, that I was certain I needed, too. Theo? Looks like you're off the hook, unless you want to stay?"

"Don't need to tell me twice, catch you both later. I've got a date." Theo slaps Hudson's shoulder, then bends to kiss my cheek. "You're a much sexier nurse than I am anyway, Elle. We should really get you a little outfit, since you're patching us up so often. I for one would be a very grateful patient." He emphasizes the word very as he smiles down at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Good lord, this must be how he talks all those girls into the palm of his hand.

Fortunately, I seem to be immune to his charm at present. "Perv, I'll leave you bleeding, to fend for yourself next time if you're not careful." I smack his ribs as he walks by, stopping to yank my braid.

"Considering I think you're related to Mother Teresa, Florence Nightingale and Martha Stewart, I find that highly unlikely. You're too kind to let me suffer, too caring to leave me unattended to, and too polite to let me bleed on anyone's carpet, even my own. Love you, Ells Bells, but I've got your number, babe. Later gators." He chucks me lightly under my chin with a wink on his way out.

A short while later, once his cheek is all cleaned up and airing out, I curl up on the lounger next to Hudson, my head at the opposite end so I can prop myself up on the cushions to watch him.

"I guess I'm cooking tonight?"

His fingers absently trace figure eights on my ankle and leg, currently tossed over his chest. "If you can guess what I'm writing, you can choose what we eat."

"Since I'll be cooking it, shouldn't that trump your preference?"

He grins and shakes his head at me. "Take pity on an injured man, Ellie."

"Take pity on a girl with her first hangover." I sigh, smiling, because I know I'll let him have his way. "Fine, play your games. But if I don't guess correctly, you still have to help me in the kitchen, or at least keep me company."

"Deal. Practice round first."

Closing my eyes, I relax back onto the pillows, focusing on the movement of his fingers on the side of my calf. At the first touch, I squeal, "Not that close to my knee, it tickles."

As he shifts his pattern lower, I settle back down, waiting as he traces the letters.

"Donkey, no Monkey."

Hudson's laugh booms out. "Monkey. Okay, I can see I need to up my game. Next one is real, two words this time."

I scrunch my eyes shut tightly and focus on his fingers. First word, five letters, starts with an 'N' I think and there is definitely an 'R' and an 'S' as well. Could be a "V" or a "U" in the middle there...

"Nurse!"

He laughs but doesn't say anything, only continues to trace more letters. 'R' 'A' 'T', then it starts to get hard.

Seven letters in total. Hudson's fingers run up and down my leg, erasing the words and the tingles they leave behind. "Again?"

"Again."

This time, I get it and throw my pillow at his chest. "Nurse Ratched. You should be ashamed of yourself. At least I'm better than Theo."

"Theo's heart was in the right place at least."

"And mine wasn't? I see what kind of gratitude there is around here. Just for that, we're eating vegetarian tonight."

"Aww, Ellie, I didn't mean it. Maybe just a little meat? To speed my recovery? A guy needs his protein."

Rolling my eyes, I twist to the side, pushing up. "Well, come on then. Might as well make yourself useful.

To please him, I decide to make homemade pizza, and once the dough rises, we laugh as we roll and stretch it into a large round circle. He chases me around the kitchen island with his fingers covered in sticky, olive oil coated flour, smearing it over my neck, cheek and chest. I can't retaliate out of fear for his face, so I slap powdery hands to his chest, leaving two handprints.

I wash my hands, laughing as he hip bumps me to the side, nudging his way under the warm water. "Now for the serious talk. What toppings are we going to argue over for the next twenty minutes?"

Laughing, happier and lighter than I've felt in days, I strike a compromise. "I'll do a quarter of the pizza with vegetarian toppings, you can pick the rest."

"A nurse, and an angel."

"Sweet talker. You're just trying to recover from earlier, get back in my good books."

"I'm always in your good books, Ellie. Just like you're always in mine."

It's true, neither of us ever stays angry for long. We also have a strict rule, we never part ways angry, we always talk it out. It's one of the things I appreciate most about our relationship, the complete openness, the respect and the unfaltering love we have for each other.

When the pizza is in the oven, I pop open some ginger ale and set the table while Hudson grabs a large cutting board and the pizza cutter.

As soon as we sit down, Hudson takes a huge bite, effectively burning the roof of his mouth on the hot cheese. It's not unexpected and happens almost every time we make pizza.

He swears, chugging down some ginger ale. "How's Grey holding up? I guess this stuff with Liam is pretty stressful for him and Ry."

I look over, chewing slowly, trying to suck air into my mouth as gracefully as possible to cool the steaming hot pizza before swallowing. Hudson is friends with Liam too, maybe not as close as Greyson, but they've played together for two years on the same team. I know Hudson's hurting as well.

"Yeah, it is. He and Ryan are there now. I'm not entirely sure how he's doing. He's been a little more distant than usual. Then last night was super weird, like this crazy role reversal, where he wants to talk, but I was too buzzed. Normally, as soon as I try to bring anything tough or meaningful up, he just shuts down. So, as usual, I'm just waiting for him to decide when to let me in and trying to be as supportive as I can."

Hudson nods, "Well, that's Grey for you. What else did you expect? I spoke to Liam yesterday."

Hudson's comment stings, because I had expected something different, but I'm not ready to talk about it, not tonight. "Oh, yeah?" I want to steer the conversation to him, rather than Greyson tonight.

His silence pulls my attention away from dinner, and I turn in my chair to face him. "You going to see him? How are you holding up?"

"I'm dealing. Yeah, of course I'll see him. He was actually really excited on the phone, it threw me off, a lot."

I sigh. "He's been miserable in the hospital, Hudson. Try to put yourself in his shoes. He's been going at this over a year now, stuck there. Don't you understand his choice? God forbid you ever find yourself in that position, what would you do?"

"I don't agree with his choice, Elle. I respect it, I'll support him, but I don't agree with him. If I had any fight left, I'd fight for more time, with you, with my family."

Hudson would, he's the strongest of us all, the anchor. How could I have thought otherwise, even for a moment?

"You're right, but we don't know what he knows, what his doctors say. We only see what he wants to share. Try not to judge him."

He nods, picking at the crust of his third slice. "It's just shitty, Elle. He's a great guy, he doesn't deserve to be sick." His voice is thick with emotion and he blinks quickly, fighting the tears.

I stand, wrapping my arms around him from behind and pressing my cheek against his good one. "I know. It's not fair, it's just the worst. All we can do is support him, spend time with him, collect memories. Will you help me do that for him? For everyone?"

Hudson presses his face into my neck holding tightly for a few moments before turning his attention back to his plate. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Have you talked to Theo? I think he could use a friend. He's putting on a good show, but he's really freaked. I'm seeing more and more how like Greyson he is, closing his feelings away."

"What do you mean? Theo seems like his usual self?"

I glance over at Hudson, surprised he hasn't noticed anything off with Theo. "His parents have only been up here two weekends this summer, he's been on his own the rest of the time. More often than not, he's been out all night with girls, or crashing with you, super late. I just worry that he's not dealing with things. I know my dad will talk to Kate, he's concerned as well that he's been on his own so much. But every time I ask if Theo wants to stay with us, he tells me he likes the freedom."

Hudson sighs, shaking his head at me and turning his attention back to the pizza. "I'll talk to him. But it might take more than me to get him to open up. Might need to send your baby-blues in to crush his resistance."

"You boys are suckers. Bunch of tough guys break every time with a little strategically used puppy eyes and eyelash batting. Honestly."

"Only for you, Elle. Seriously, if you were to turn those pretty blue eyes on anyone with that sad look in them, I swear, you could have the world eating out of your hand. Well, at least the male fifty percent of it."

I bump my shoulder against his. "I've got everything I need right here, in our little bubble. I have no interest in ruling the world, fortunately for you men."

Hudson's laugh makes me smile. As amazing as this summer has been, it hasn't been without challenges. Even I can feel myself fraying at the edges, trying to hold it together for everyone. "It's okay to be sad, I hope you and Theo know that. I'm here for you both, I'll tell Theo, too."

A strong arm wraps around my shoulder, squeezing tightly, so I lean into Hudson, pushing my plate away, my appetite gone.

"Let's try not to worry about the future Ellie. We can take a few hours to chill, recharge. We can worry about T tomorrow, then take the rest as it comes."

"You can't worry about Theo tomorrow, you guys are having your barbeque at his place. All of you, remember? Boys' day?"

At his groan, I can tell he's forgotten, so I peel away from him, combing the pantry for staples. "Because I love you boys, I'll make some food for tomorrow. We can drop it all by Theo's then one of you can take me to work in the morning."

"Thanks, Ellie. You're the best. I don't know what any of us would do without you."

"Don't thank me yet, you'll be on cleanup duty. Hurricane Elle is about to roll through your kitchen again."

With Hudson sitting on the counter watching me, I whip up the simplest recipe I know by heart. Cheddar cornbread muffins. I slide them into the oven, then change gears.

I raid Hudson's fridge and settle on making potato salad tomorrow morning at Theos before work, and slicing up all the vegetables Brooke left for her son to eat, which he ignored. They'll go nicely on the grill at any rate. I spot a bag of fresh corn and smile.

"Hudson, what did you and Theo eat yesterday? You don't seem to have touched any of the real food Brooke left."

Hudson rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, we ate chips and stuff."

Pulling the muffins from the oven I smile at the familiar, homey scent. When Hudson moves to grab one, I slap his hand away. "There's enough for three each tomorrow, no snacking." His pout is comical, but he resists the muffins as I tip them from the tin into a cloth lined basket, wrapping them lightly.

"Well, I've done all I can do for now, I'll do the rest tomorrow and you and Theo will both help."

"Yes, ma'am. Now, how about a movie? Even you need to relax a bit, Ellie. Think you can turn that big, busy brain of yours off for a bit?"

So for the rest of the night, I try to turn my mind off, curling up beside Hudson on the large chaise of the sofa, flipping an old movie on, immediately recognizing the hilarity of Caddyshack. I barely make it through ten minutes before my eyes finally drift shut, Hudson's steady heartbeat a soothing, hypnotic sound beneath my ear, his palm a warm weight on my back.

Curled beside him, I sleep peacefully through the night for the first time in days.

- - - 

Nothing like the comfort of a familiar friendship <3. 

Let me know what you think of Elle, Theo, and Hudson in the comments! I think they're a sweet trio.

Who's your favorite of Elle's friends so far? I can't wait till Vi is back in town to include her more in the story, as well! (Book 2 we'll get a chance to see more of Elle's female friendships develop.)

As usual, if you liked this chapter, consider voting and letting me know in the comments!

Xx Toria