All In | ✓

Fifteen

"I brought you some food, Hudson." I place a paper plate on my desk, then switch on the light. "Figured you didn't get to eat much."

"I'm not hungry," he mumbles. Jaxon sits down on my bed and pats the blanket next to him.

"Hudson, come sit down."

Hudson nods and walks over, collapsing onto the bed. Jaxon wraps his arms around Hudson and whispers a few things in his ear before looking back up at me.

"Thanks for letting both of us stay over," Jaxon says, bringing a hand up to rest on the back of Hudson's head. "How long am I allowed to stay here?"

"However long your parents let you."

"Thanks." Hudson turns his head a little bit. Jaxon pats the back of Hudson's head a few times.

"You should go to sleep. It's been a rough night."

"You'll stay with me, right?" Hudson grabs Jaxon's shirt as he pulls back.

"Of course." Jaxon scoots back and leans against my headrest, opening his arms. "C'mere."

Hudson crawls up and lays on Jaxon's chest. Jaxon starts stroking Hudson's hair. He's asleep within just three minutes.

"How long will your parents let me stay here?" Jaxon's hand stills and he simply sits and gazes down at the boy in his arms.

"Once they hear the situation, they'll let you come over as often as you want," I explain. "I don't think they'll let you sleep here every night, though."

"Do you mind if I call Hudson every night?"

"Feel free, man." I sit down at my desk and move the plate aside, then move it back and look over at Jaxon. "You want this?"

"Yeah." Jaxon slowly slides out from underneath Hudson, making sure to drape the blanket over him once he's fully off the bed.

"What are we going to do?" I stand and let Jaxon take a seat at the desk to eat. "About Hudson. Someone's going to call the cops and then he'll have to go back there."

"If you think I'm just going to stand by idly and watch Hudson be dragged back to that hellhole you're wrong." Jaxon looks up at me, a fire in his narrowed eyes. "Hudson is everything to me and I refuse to lose him again."

"You said that this stuff was happening when he was younger, right?" I take a seat on the end of my bed, careful not to disturb Hudson. "What happened then?"

"Hudson was absent from school for three days. Our teacher called the cops when he showed up with leaves and sticks in his hair and dirt on his skin. He told us about the bruises that he had and how he had gotten, and then his parents showed up."

"And they were the perfect pair, right?"

Jaxon nods. "Upon seeing Hudson they began to cry. They threw their arms around him and said how glad they were to have him back. They were put together and made everyone believe that Hudson had lied."

"Except you."

"Hey, Hud." Jaxon smiles softly as Hudson sits up. "You didn't sleep very long."

"Yeah." Hudson moves to the end of the bed, clutching my blanket with a death grip. "I got- there were-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Jaxon whispers, standing and moving over to Hudson. "You don't need to say anything." He reaches out and pulls Hudson into his arms, resting a hand on the back of his head.

"Finish your explanation for Jack," Hudson mumbles, leaning back a little bit. Jaxon nods and looks over at me.

"Hudson wasn't in school for the following two weeks. When he came back it was like nothing had changed. We all forgot about the experience for a few years until Hudson brought it up again in seventh grade. He broke down into tears and told us how his parents had hurt him that day when they had gotten home, how they had beat him close to death. And we sat there, mouths agape with shock. None of us had believed him and we had nearly paid the price."