Chapter Text
RYAN HUDSON
Ryan Hudson had no delusions about how much of a rich-ass jerk he was. He was self-serving, selfish, and didn't care who he stepped on and hurt to get what he wanted. Ryan was the product of his environment. Cold, calculating, and cunning. It was the Hudson way, the only way, as far as Everett Hudson was concerned.
Having his father sneer down at him for every perceived fault was probably the most constant show of attention Ryan received from Everett growing up. To the patriarch of the Hudson empire, any emotion was a weakness that needed to be squashed like a bug. Hudsons were not bred to be sentimental or weak. They were made to be feared. Ryan was more than willing to follow along the status quo, his path conveniently laid out to for him, as long as it kept his father off his case. All he needed to do was drive along it to the success, and parental approval, he so greatly longed for.
Nothing prepared him for the eighteen wheeler, that was falling in love with Lucy Sable, that slammed him completely and irreparatively off his easy course.
When Ryan was younger, his parents used to force him to go to Church with them. He would scoff about it now, especially at the hypocrisy of how someone like his father could ever think for one moment he wouldn't burn in hell. There were not enough good deeds Everett could do to offset the million and twelve vile, horrible crimes he committed. However, that is hardly the point.
It was during one of the many boring sermons the pastor drolled on about did Ryan learn about the fall of Adam and Eve. At the time, he didn't understand why both of them were so stupid. They only had one rule to follow, how difficult could it be to do that.
Like Adam and Eve, all Ryan had to do to stay in his Garden of Eden was follow his parents' preset plans for his life. He would graduate high school, get into an Ivy League college, study business, get married to the handpicked, socially and economically acceptable woman of his parents' choosing, pop out children until a son is born to inherit (which only took Celia and Everett one try, thank god), and then take over the family business when the old man deemed it fit. Simple, to the point, and doable.
But the moment Ryan reached over the center console of his Bentley to weave his hands through luscious copper hair, his thumbs brushing over rosy tinged cheeks, his lips capturing plump pink lips until the need to breathe couldn't be denied any longer, he finally understood why the call of the forbidden apple was so strong.
When you tell someone they are not allowed to do something, it only makes them want to do it more.
As melodramatic as it sounds Ryan Hudson may have been alive, but he did not truly start to live until the day he met Lucy Sable. Lucy Sable was chaos, love, wonderment, and awe. She was as resplendent as the sun and as luminous as the moon. She was his northern lights and shining stars. She was it. Yes, he was well aware he sounded just as dumb as Romeo did in the stupid play he skimmed through for class. But there was no other way he could explain it.
Maybe he enjoyed the adrenaline of finally defying and rebelling against his parents and that Hilltopper life. Maybe it was the vindication of knowing that someone as smart as Lucy would be with some punk like him. There were a million horrible conclusions that Ryan can draw for his relationship, but they all crumble to pieces to the most obvious one.
Ryan loved Lucy. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He loved Lucy and he didn't care that he wasn't supposed to. As cheesy and lovesick as it sounds, every smile, every touch, every kiss, every moment he spent in her presence was a balm to his heart and soul like nothing before. He wanted to shout his love from the rooftops, but also jealously guard it so nothing could take it away.
But something did take it away.
Ever since he came back to school Ryan had been eagerly awaiting a message of any kind from Lucy. But to his frustration and disappointment, there hadn't been any and he didn't get why. Did those moments they had together mean so little to her? Did Lucy not feel the same warmth and comfort as he did when they talked and just be? Did she finally realize he was no good for her?
Round and round these thoughts with plague him whenever he had the time. Ryan would wait anxiously in the school library as the computer connected to the internet so he could check his emails. But every time he didn't see anything from Lucy made him sad. He tried calling her a couple of times, but each time it went unanswered.
At first the situation just made Ryan mad. He was snippy to his friends and extremely curt to his teachers. Eventually that anger slipped in to confusion. If only he had some answers to the abrupt ending of their relationship together he could get some closure. Unfortunately, he was left breft like a parked ship blown away in a storm because it wasn't anchored properly. Ryan knew his friends were wondering about his totally weird attitude, but Ryan couldn't bring himself to care.
Nothing he did mattered as much as Lucy.
So when after all this time of radio silence Ryan saw Lucy waiting for him at his dorm's lobby, he didn't know what to expect. He sure as hell didn't expect to be grabbed by the arm, dragged to his car, and told to drive back to Horseshoe Bay with her immediately.
Ryan had questions, a lot of questions, but he was too stunned to ask even one. Somehow, they were already on the highway before Ryan was able to snap himself out of his stupor. At that point, everything that he had been feeling bubbled up to the surface and bursted out.
"What the hell, Lucy?" He shouted, hands curled tight around the steering wheel. Ryan wasn't sure if the death grip was so he didn't attack Lucy in rage or to tug her close and never let go. "Why did you come all the way to get me? And why are we going back to Horseshoe Bay?"
Lucy bit her lip, wringing her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Look, I get you're mad and all."
Ryan scoffed in disbelief. "Mad? I'm not mad, I fricking furious! No calls, no emails, no nothing. Absolute radio silence for weeks. Did our relationship mean nothing to you? Did I mean nothing to you?" He shouted, taking his eyes off the road to give Lucy the most scathing look to hide his hurt. Looking at her made it worse, so he brought his focus back to the highway in front of him.
He couldn't show how much it hurt, her indifference. Ryan could already hear his father's cold, disappointed voice echoing in his head. Hudsons are not supposed to be this sentimental. But as he was often reminded, Ryan was a horrible Hudson to begin with.
Even as he was spiraling down into a flurry of self-hate and deprivation, Ryan was acutely aware of the intense stare of his companion next to him. Ryan saw from his periphery that Lucy crossed her arms and sported a disbelieving look.
"Are you serious right now? You were everything I ever wanted. You were the one that tossed it all away, so don't go blaming me. And seriously, pretending as though I didn't email you to make yourself feel better. That's just pathetic, and frankly insulting, Ryan. Grow up and accept the consequences for your own damn actions."
Okay, now Ryan was confused, and frankly still prickly. What is going on here?
"Lucy, I honest to god have no idea what you are talking about. What do you mean I'm pretending that you didn't email to make myself feel better? I haven't gotten any emails from you. I thought you ghosted me."
Lying it all bare and being sentimental made Ryan's skin crawl on principle. Could he be any less Hudson right now? Everett would be so angry with him right now. However, none of that mattered when compared to the girl he had sitting next to him. Even when she was currently doing a damn good impression of a fish with how her mouth kept opening and closing. It was okay though, Ryan would wait forever if he needed to. For Lucy, he suddenly realized as he eased his grip on the steering wheel, there really wasn't anything he wouldn't do. The realization should have scared him, but instead all it did was warm him up from his fingers to his toes. Yeah, his father was going to skin him alive.
"You aren't joking," Lucy stated in wonderment. "You really don't know what I'm talking about."
Ryan shook his head. "Please, explain it to me. Completely. What's going on?"
Lucy bit her lip as she internally fought with herself over something. Ryan could see how conflicted she was. However, it didn't take that long for her to come to some type of decision. A steely resolve flashed across her face and she nodded her head to herself.
"Are you sure you really want to know?" Lucy asked him one more time for clarity.
"Yes."
"Truly?"
"Lucy, yes, okay? Yes. I don't know how else I can say it to you to make you believe me. I want to know what is going on with you and why you drove out to see me and are dragging me back to Horseshoe Bay." Ryan pleaded with her, hoping she could see just how serious he was.
Lucy let out a soft sigh and flashed a gentler smile in his direction. "Okay, you've convinced me. Just listen first before you say anything okay?"
She looked at him expectantly. "Yeah, okay." Seeing the doubtful look in Lucy's eyes, Ryan rolled his. "I won't say a thing, I promise."
"Thank you," Lucy said. "But you should pull off to the side of the road. There is a lot to tell you and it may be safer if we are stationary while I fill you in."
Despite the weird, and slightly foreboding directive, Ryan did as he was told to do. He even turned on the hazard lights so no one would think they were some random stalled car on the shoulder.
In hindsight, Ryan was quite grateful towards Lucy for the suggestion. There was no way that while hearing her tale, Ryan would have been able to keep sense about him enough to focus on driving. What Lucy shared with him was absolutely insane. Every single bit of it, starting with the most insane bit.
Lucy was pregnant.
Lucy was pregnant with his child.
He, Ryan Hudson, was going to be a father.
Holy fuck!
Ryan stared at Lucy open-mouthed, as he tried to process. He tried say something, but his tongue did not want to cooperate. Instead, he was gapping like the goldfish he had for a couple days when he was a little kid. Trying to find something else to focus on as he attempted to get his vocal functions back online, Ryan's eyes traveled from Lucy's face to her stomach. He could just about make out the faint outline of a bump in her oversized dress. The extra fabric bunched up around her midsection, making the extra weight more obvious. Or maybe it was obvious to him now that he knew there was a baby there.
His baby.
Ryan pulled his eyes away from Lucy's stomach and looked at her face. This was the face of the mother of his child. A strong burst of some emotion he couldn't even begin to describe spread throughout his body. His eyes filled with tears and his chest filled with warmth.
"Lucy," Ryan garbled out, voice shaky as he became overwhelmed.
The love of his life didn't even waste a second before gathering him into her arms. The moment he was able to fit his head at the crook of her neck, he was gone.
"Hey, Ryan," Lucy cooed softly, as she rocked him gently despite the awkward angle of their bodies. The center console of the car made it difficult to position themselves for this heart to heart, but neither minded.
"It's okay, baby, it's okay." Lucy pulled back a bit, and glided her hands across Ryan's cheeks to wipe away the tears that had escaped from his eyes.
Ryan moved out of the embrace and mirrored the same action. Lucy gave a watery giggle, not realizing that her cheeks were just as wet as his.
"We are having a baby, Luce, a baby." He said in awe, bringing his hand to rest against Lucy's stomach where his baby was developing.
It was obvious to Ryan that of all the scenerios that had meandered through her mind since Lucy first saw two pink lines on a stick she peed on, the one that was happening in reality was not one that she thought would happen. Ryan figured she didn't expect his lips to be spread in the largest, most genuine grin to ever grace his face, nor his blue eyes being bright, shining with unbridle joy. His dimples being on full display was another glowing neon sign that the mother of his babh couldn't ignore. Ryan Hudson was ecstatic about being a father to their child, and he wanted to make sure Lucy knew that.
She must have understood, because she was unable to prevent a couple of unchecked tears to fall down her rounder and fuller cheeks. She sniffed to clear her sinuses as she placed her hand over Ryan's, which was still on her baby bump.
"Yeah, we are." She whispered softly. Before she could say anything else, Ryan felt a pressure against his hand. He saw Lucy wince.
"What was that?" Ryan asked fearfully. "Is something wrong?"
Lucy started to laugh in earnest at the pensive look that overtook Ryan's face.
"That, Ryan Hudson, is your daughter saying hi."
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise, his jaw unhinged like before but wider. "Daughter? We're having a girl?"
"Well, to be fair I don't know for sure. But I have a feeling that this baby will be a girl." Lucy said with a shrug.
The ear to ear grin was back on Ryan's face in full force.
"Works for me," he said as he started rubbing her stomch. Lucy was just about to give some witty remark back when Ryan started speaking again. This time directly to her baby bump.
"Hello, Baby, I'm your dad. Your Momma says she thinks you're a girl. So if she ends up being wrong, I promise to remind her of her blunder for the rest of my life. I also want you to know that even though you have yet to be born, I love you just as much as I love your Momma. Which is more than I can describe."
"Ryan," Lucy sniffed, overcome with emotions.
Ryan squeezed her hand, but continued to talk to their unborn child. "I have no idea what kind of father I'll be, but I promise that I would do everything I can to make sure you want for nothing, feel loved, and above all know you are safe. I will protect you and cherish you forever. From this day forward, you have my heart." With that said, Ryan bent down his head and kissed Lucy's pregnant stomach.
A wet sob escaped from Lucy's throat at the declaration and the gesture.
"Ryan, do you really believe we can keep our baby safe? Away from your father?" Lucy asked him, biting her lips to prevent anymore sobbing.
Ryan's face steeled in resolve as he sat back up. "Lucy, I know we have no idea what we are doing. But I will not let my father touch a hair on our baby's head. I swear."
Ryan could still see the hesitation in Lucy eyes, knowing she wasn't completely convinced. He knew Lucy needed more to believe, but she trusted Ryan's words and that was the best he could hope for at the current time.
Lucy took a deep breath. "I should have realized you didn't ghost me, huh?" The regret evident in her voice made Ryan's heart break.
"Hey, I understand. You weren't at your best, and I know I'm not the most mature person in certain situations. But I love you, Lucy, more than I ever thought I could. And I will love this baby, our baby, with every bit of me forever. Don't you ever doubt that."
"I won't, not anymore." Lucy said, bringing his hand up to her lips. The soft kiss she placed there sent a pleasant zing of contentment through Ryan's body.
"Good," he said back to her. Ryan allowed a slight pause to absorb the calm that had settled between them before continuing. "So why did you decide today of all days to come and get me? You also still haven't explained why it was so important for me to come to Horseshoe Bay."
And so Lucy did, which was why Ryan suddenly found himself in one of the most awkward moments of his life. Girls crying had always made him uncomfortable, mostly because he was the one making them do so in the first place. However, seeing the girl Lucy spoke about in the car breaking down in such a way, gave Ryan a different type of awkward vibe than he was used to.
Instead of feeling impatient and suffering second hand embarrassment, Ryan felt helpless and miserable. It was so peculiar to feel such a way about someone he hadn't met before. Sure Lucy had commented on her suspicion that the girl must have some connection to the Hudson family. From the first sight Ryan saw the girl, he understood where Lucy got her assumption from. Maybe this girl, Nancy he remembered Lucy calling her in the car, was a Hudson cousin he never met. However the more he he looked at her, the more he noticed Nancy's resemblence to his girlfriend. From the rosy cheeks and the slight curl to the ends of her hair, they could be mistaken for sisters.
A shiver raced up Ryan's spine at the thought. He shook himself to focus, the scene in front of him was taking its toll on everyone present.The poor girl was sobbing hysterically, mumbling sorry over and over again. Nancy made sure to look each of them in the eye as she apologized, fresh sobs for each of them. Thankfully the Drew's were more than willing to take the reigns in calming her down, and Lucy joined in when their attempts to soothe her did not work. But despite Ryan feeling the need to say soemthing or do something to make this random girl stop, he stood frozen on the outskirts. It didn't make any sense.
"Why?" He said out loud, question out of his mouth before he could stop it.
Nancy's sobbing cut into a hiccup as she turned toward him in surprise. The unexpected question, perhaps asked from the last person she thought would get invoved, seemed to help Nancy snap back to herself.
"Ryan, what are you doing?" Carson Drew asked him, looking between Nancy, who was finally calming down, and his scariest and most demanding client's son.
He didn't answer his father's lawyer. Instead he spoke directly to Nancy, who had taken the time to get up from the floor and was sheepishly trying to gain back some of the dignity she lost with her public outburst.
"I'm not trying to be an asshole, I am just trying to understand. What did you do that you're apologizing to us? You never met us before today."
Nancy ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip. The move caused Ryan to direct his eyes towards his girlfriend. He was on the cusp of a revelation, but to what avail he didn't know. Something major was happening, he knew it in his very bones. Ryan wouldn't have instinctively checked on Lucy otherwise. He felt somewhat vindicated when he saw the exact same expression mirrored by Lucy.
Ryan saw Nancy start to open her mouth when her eyes opened wide at something behind him. Turning around to look at what caused Nancy to clam up, he found that it was some lady with dark hair who was walking towards them. Ryan had no idea who this person was, but it was obvious he was the only one. The Drew's, Lucy, and Nancy all seemed quite welcoming to the new additional to their circle.
"What is going on here?" The lady asked as soon as she came up to the group. "Nancy, are you crying?"
Nancy's cheeks turned a very telling, and familiar bright red in embarrassment to being singled out so plainly.
"I'm fine, Hannah. It's all good now." Nancy said with a forced smile.
It was obvious to everyone including the new lady, Hannah apparently, that Nancy was very much not okay. But the group wordlessly agreed to take it in stride and let Nancy off the hook.
"Okay, that's good. I got some extra books that might be of some interest." Hannah said, sharing a significant look with her.
Nancy cleared her throat and nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes, thank you, Hannah."
Hannah gave a slight incline of her head before turning her focus on Ryan and Lucy. A crease formed between her eyebrows.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" She asked them.
"I'm Lucy Sable and this is my boyfriend, Ryan Hudson."
There was a flicker of slight panic that Ryan would have sworn he saw in Hannah's eyes before she was able to put up an inviting expression on her face. Ryan's gut was telling him something was definitely not kosher about the whole situation.
"Oh, well it's nice to meet you both. What brings you here to the Historical Society?" Hannah prodded.
Ryan narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the casual prying. "Don't see how it is any of your business." He told her sharply.
Lucy elbowed him hard for his curt reply, giving him an angered and unimpressed look. "Ryan, don't be rude." She admonished him.
He felt the tips of his ears get hot as he rubbed at his now stinging side. Lucy had quite the power in her lanky arms.
"My apologies," Ryan said through gritted teeth. "I don't do well with people asking me about what I'm doing if I don't know who they are." He added in explanation.
Hannah looked thoughtful. "Fair enough. My name is Hannah, and run this place. It's just my habit to ask newcomers to the society as to why they decided to visit." She finished with a shrug.
"Okay, when you say that, it makes sense. To answer your question, I'm here because she's here." Ryan told her, indicating towards Lucy.
"Okay, and what brings you here Lucy?" Hannah asked, looking straight at her.
Lucy took a moment to gather her thoughts. Ryan could tell that she was looking at Nancy, who in return was trying very hard to avoid her gaze. It would have made him upset on Lucy's behalf if he didn't see her sidestepping Carson and his wife's looks too. Hannah also followed Lucy's line of sight. Compassion dawned her face, but Ryan wasn't sure which of the two women it was for.
"I met Nancy today, and I thought I could help her." Lucy finally replied with a helpless shrug.
Lucy's explanation snapped Nancy's attention straight to her. The devastation shone clearly through her eyes, even taking the Drew's by surprise.
No one said anything for a couple seconds before Carson's wife, whose name Ryan regretfully still didn't know even after all these years, started talking.
"Well, that's good. There are so many books that Hannah pulled out. Between the six of us, I'm sure we can find what Nancy is looking for. Right?" She said cheerfully to the rest of the group.
Nancy opened and closed her mouth to say something a couple of times before they actually came out. "Yeah, I guess that's okay." She said softly.
"Lovely, I guess that means we can do some official introductions. My name is Kate Drew, I work as a guidance counselor at the high school. That's how I know Lucy over here." She said with a smile.
Ryan saw Lucy return the smile cautiously, still looking slightly lost.
"Anyways, this is my husband, Carson, who I believe Ryan knows well enough. He is a lawyer on retainer for the Hudson family." The disapproving tone in Kate's voice that couldnt be completely hidden made Ryan wince.
With all the dirty business his father had Carson Drew clean up for him, it was no wonder Kate Drew was not a fan. Ryan was Everett's son and even he could see the monster his father was. Possibly more than anyone else. The hate that his father garnered often trickled down to him, exacerbated by Ryan's own penchant of being a rich asshole. But he couldn't afford to be that way anymore, not with the responsibility that he now had.
"It is nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Drew." Ryan said kindly. "Lucy says you have been a big help to her whenever she needed someone to talk to. Thank you for that."
Kate waved her hand. "Oh don't be silly, Ryan. I adore Lucy, she can always come to me. Also, call me Kate. I may be a guidance counselor at a high school, but you guys aren't that much younger than Carson and I are. Right, babe?"
Carson laughed. "God, no. I shudder to think that we would be like our own parents in twenty years."
"Don't jinx it, I refuse to be my mother." Kate said faux sternly.
It didn't take a genius to realize that Kate and Carson where trying to diffuse the tension and get Nancy to be more comfortable. The shocking part to Ryan was how well it was working. Looking at the two of them and the way they worked together made Ryan yearn for parents who would have been just like them. Everett and Celia were not the kind to joke around. He could only hope he and Lucy could be the same as the Drew's to their own child. Catching Lucy's eye once again, Ryan could see she felt the same way.
"I know we've heard your name from two different people, but we would love for you to introduce yourself." Kate said patiently to Nancy.
Nancy cleared her throat. "Right, well my name is Nancy. I'm sorry about before. I'm kind of far from home at the moment and got overwhelmed." She told them with a sad shrug.
"Oh you poor dear. Homesickness is nothing to be ashamed of. Crying is good for the soul." Kate told her reaching out her hand to grab Nancy's.
Ryan saw Nancy give a little twitch before gripping onto Kate's hand tightly. "Thank you," she said earnestly. "I've been told that before, but I guess it only took a breakdown like that for me to realize there must be some truth behind it."
"Felt good right?" Lucy interjected to the conversation hopefully, closely resembling a puppy waiting to be cuddled by its owner.
Nancy nodded her head with a shy grin. "Yeah, it did. Thanks for bearing with me."
"No worries. It happens to the best of us." Carson told her warmly.
Ryan didn't know what else he could productively add to the moment, bit felt the need to say something. "Yeah, what they said."
Ryan wanted to punch himself in the face for sounding like such a freaking idiot. Was this how he would be to his own child. No, he'll learn to be better. For his child there would be nothing he wouldn't do.
"I guess that means you got this handled, Nancy. I still have further things to look into." Hannah looked intently at Nancy. There seemed to be some kind of silent conversation happening between the two.
Finally, Nancy nodded. "Yeah you go on ahead, Hannah." With that, Hannah left to do whatever she needed to do, leaving the five of them to their own devices.
"So, what are we looking for and where do you need us to start?" Ryan questioned as soon as it was just them.
Nancy's bright smile made his heart skip a beat. Not because he felt any bit of attraction to her, but affection instead. Being around Nancy made him feel warm and happy, exactly and different than Lucy did. It was so weird, and Ryan couldn't find how to describe it. Even to himself.
Shaking his head, he turned his attention towards Nancy as she started to explain what she needed. Ryan tried to follow to his best ability and took whatever books she handed him with grace. He didn't understand why a college thesis needed to be this detailed, but then again he was still in high school so what did he know.
The five of them were just getting into the swing of things before they heard Hannah approach them again.
"Nancy?" Hannah called out with trepidation. "There's someone here for you."
Nancy, who was completely engrossed in the book she was reading, looked up in confusion.
"Who would be here for-" She started saying before completely trailing off. Nancy's eyes wided comically in disbelief as she went still. Her hand went to her heart, clutching the fabric there as some kind of grounding measure.
During this, Ryan took the time to study the newcomer. The guy was just as still as he took in the sight of Nancy right in front of him. He looked like a guy who had spent day wandering the dessert and Nancy was the first sign of water he'd seen. It made Ryan feel nauseous and protective, and really made him hate the lanky guy with the long hair and blue windbreaker on.
"Ace?" Nancy finally gasped out breathlessly.
"Nancy." The guy with the hair responded just as winded, no doubt restraining himself from running to her.
Nancy looked like a cornered animal, seconds away from having a panic attack. When Ryan saw her take a deliberate step back, he responded on reflex.
Maybe it was those inate father-to-be senses that started budding from the moment Lucy first said she was pregnant with his child. Or maybe, it was the fact that this girl looked so much like a Hudson that Ryan felt some deep connection to her he couldn't even begin to explain. Or maybe it was the fact that he saw her have a complete breakdown that absolutely broke his heart not even five minutes ago. More than likely it was a combination of all three reasons and other ones too. Either way, the moment Ryan saw the absolutely terrified look on Nancy's face he reacted before he truly thought through on his actions.
Ryan punched the guy with the wavy, blond hair in the face. Hard. The guy flew back by the force and automatically brought his hands over his now bleeding nose.
"Ryan, what the hell?" Nancy yelled staring at him in disbelief. The rest of the group had their mouths open in varying degrees of shock.
It didn't matter that his hand now hurt like a bitch. The satisfaction Ryan felt ran deep.
That's how Hudsons roll.
Everett should be proud.