Torn by C.J. Fallowfield Page A

and grimaced,
then shot up out of his seat. “I’ll be right back.”
    “You ok?” Josh asked, a look of
concern on his face.
    “Yeah, just one of my headaches
coming on. I’ll go knock back some pills and hit the head while I’m at it.”
    I looked over my shoulder and
watched him saunter down to the back of the diner, with a frown on my face.
    “He gets them a lot.” Josh’s
voice startled me and I sat back in my seat to focus my attention on him. “Used
to take regular prescriptions for them, but since his dad … died, his ma’s not
much use at keeping on top of things. He gets pills off the internet now, but
I’m not sure they’re always the real deal, since his headaches are coming more
frequently and sometimes he’s just not himself.”
    “What’s wrong with him?”
    “Not my place to say, he’ll share
if he wants.”
    “I’m sorry to hear about his dad.
Was it long ago?”
    “Few years back, not long after …”
He blew out a breath that made his shaggy hair lift up off his forehead before
settling on his face again. “We’ve had a few crappy years in our family. My dad
died in a helicopter accident, and Billy’s dad, my ma’s twin brother, committed
suicide, as he couldn’t handle seeing her in so much pain.”
    “Oh God, I’m so sorry,” I stated
softly. I reached out and put my hand over Josh’s, which was lying on the
table. He blinked rapidly a few times and nodded his head in acceptance,
reaching up to quickly wipe his eyes with his free hand, looking embarrassed. I
squeezed his hand and let it go, not wanting to make things harder for him.
    “They were really close, so it
wasn’t a great time.”
    “Must have been tough,” I agreed,
nodding my head. I’d be devastated to lose my pops. “Wait, if Billy’s dad was
your mom’s brother, how come Billy’s a Hudson?”
    “My mom’s maiden name was Hudson
too, she and my dad used to say it was fate.” He smiled weakly. “Anyway, poor
Nate had to step up, look after me and our ma as well as keep an eye on Billy
and his.” I recalled something Nate had said when I’d met him, “I’m used to
pain.” Poor guy, it was bad enough to lose a parent, without having to become
the man of the family or look after your aunt and cousin at such a young age. “But
Nate did good. He made sure Billy and I were ok, kept on top of our school work
so our grades didn’t slip. Christ knows when he slept. Between his coursework,
baseball practice, and his job, he was busy enough, without looking after us
all.”
    “He sounds like a good guy.”
Whatever his reputation, I had a sudden newfound respect for the eldest Hudson
boy. Looking after your family like that wasn’t the kind of thing you’d expect
from a player, a good-time guy. There was obviously more to him than met the
eye. And he’d already given me plenty to look at.
    “He’s the best,” Josh beamed as
he shook off his melancholy, that super-cute dimple of his appearing. “And you have
to see him pitch! He’s insanely good. Turned down a place in the draft
though because his degree is important to him. Says all athletes only have
finite careers, and he needs his education to make sure he has something to
fall back on when he’s forced to retire from the game.”
    “He sounds positively saintly,” I
observed, giving Rosie a big smile as she put my shake in front of me, then
gave me a knowing smile and discreet wink before she disappeared. I had a
feeling she’d like nothing better than to see Josh and me hook up. “He must
have some flaws,” I added, as I dragged the tall, frothy glass toward me, eager
to know more about Nate.
    “Nah, not really, unless you
count women. He’s got a bit of a rep, but it’s his way of blowing off steam,
and if anyone deserves to do that, it’s Nate.”
    “Heartbreaker, huh,” I nodded, my
heart sinking to have my suspicions confirmed.
    “I doubt that, he never lets
anyone get close enough to break their heart. Whatever anyone