This One is For You

Chapter Twenty-Five

Hudson

Fourteen days. Two whole weeks and I've had no contact with Josie. She might as well have fallen off the face of this planet. I called a few more times before giving up altogether. She's got my number blocked and I guess I don't blame her. If she wants to be done, I need to respect that.

That doesn't take away the fucking hole in my chest, though. It grows bigger every day.

The thought has crossed my mind that I should drive back to Atlanta and talk to her. I refrain from doing it. I even checked her social media but nothing new. I wonder what she's doing. I think about her non-fucking-stop but it doesn't do me any good. I've been suppressing the emotions with alcohol and nicotine.

The only happiness I get anymore is when I get on stage. I can lose myself up there and forget the world. So, I keep on. I play almost every night and on the nights I don't have a show, I play on the tour bus.

That's what I'm doing tonight. Writing a song about her and trying to express my aching through three chords and some words. It's going nowhere.

I light a cig and put my guitar to the side. Reaching into my bag, I pull out the black velvet box. I haven't been able to bring myself to look at it, but it's been calling to me. The pretty little ring that would've looked so good around Josie's slender finger. I can't believe I was so fucking stupid.

"Yo, Hudson, you in here?"

"Yeah." I call to Dave. "Come in."

"Have you seen the charts lately?"

"No."

"Look, man. People are loving the EP. I guess getting on the road and touring has helped after all."

I take the phone from his hands. Clear as day is my name and one of my original songs. Spot number thirty-three on the Billboard one hundred. I silently thank whatever powers exist that the trending song isn't the duet. That would've been an sick, ironic joke from the universe. 

"Get your sorry ass dressed. We're going out tonight and celebrating. I'm going to make you forget all about that little girlfriend of yours. It's time you quit moping. You're a rockstar, dude! Act like it."

I scrub my face with my hands. While that's the last thing I feel like doing, he's got a point. I need to start living. It's clear Josie isn't coming back. Even if she did, I'm not sure I'd take her.

Sure, I love the girl with all my heart. But someone who would say what she did and cut off all contact, with minimal explanation? I don't know if I could ever risk going through that again. She's nearly killed me.

A couple hours later, I'm showered and shaved.

While I don't feel one hundred percent, I do feel a little more like myself. Or like myself from back before I knew her.

More and more people are starting to recognize me. It's to the point where I'm having to sign autographs and take pictures pretty frequently.

We're in the back corner of some bar out in Dallas. People are dancing and drinking. Some are hooking up. I'm nursing my beer and letting the couple rounds of vodka I've already got in me do its thing.

"Excuse me?" A blonde headed chick walks up. She's more made up and less clothed than Josie, but the hair color and dark eyes are almost the same. Maybe if I get drunk enough... "You're Hudson Thomas, right?"

"That's me."

"I just wanted to say that I love your music! You're so talented. Are you touring right now?"