Page 75 of One Night With You

“I have no idea. I really need to get laid,” Crew said, breaking the tension, and I ran my hands over my face.

“I need to tell her. Tomorrow. I need to fix this.”

“You really do,” Kane put in.

“Tell her at the party. She’ll be there in a pretty dress, you can dance around, there will be twinkle lights I suppose, and just do it.”

“But what if she doesn’t love me back.”

And that right there told me exactly what I’d been fearing this entire time. Kane just glared at me, but it was Crew who gave me that look of pity.

“I think she does. Kane thinks she does. All of our circle thinks she does.”

“But your love of her isn’t contingent on her loving you. Tell her for the both of you. And if she doesn’t say it back, that doesn’t make your feelings any less meaningful. But fix this, okay? Because both of you deserve to hear it.”

And with that, Crew pulled out his phone, ignoring us, and I just stared at Kane, wondering where the hell Crew had gotten all that information.

I needed a plan to make things right.

I had fallen in love with Claire Harlow.

And I might have just broken her heart.

17

CLAIRE

“Ihonestly don’t know how we could have pulled this off without you. You are a godsend.” Holland wrapped her arm around my shoulder and squeezed, only I ducked my head.

“You guys know exactly what you’re doing. You would’ve figured it out.”

“We would’ve made it work because in the end it doesn’t matter what fairy lights or food or entertainment we have. We just need each other at these events. However, it’s also nice to make them special.”

My chest warmed and I wasn’t sure if it was the praise itself, or the fact that it was Kingston’s mother who gave it. “You were the one who helped us set up the extra lighting, and the catering since we had tomove to a different suburb and our old catering couldn’t accommodate us.”

She shook her head and squeezed my shoulders again. “We used to do a potluck, where everyone brought something, and the spreadsheets were insane. And sometimes for reunions or other parties we do. But other times we want to feel a little pampered. And that’s what today’s all about. Thank you for helping my family feel special.”

“It honestly wasn’t that hard.” And I wasn’t lying. They had most everything set up. I was only there to handle a little of the loose ends that slipped through the cracks because of the change in venue. And it was because I happen to have contacts, thanks to my job. And in the end, I had made more contacts for different vendors and services. And a few of Kingston’s aunts and uncles had taken my information for help with their own get togethers. And not just with personal events, but with their businesses.

And when I explained that to Holland, she grinned.

“We like taking care of our own.”

“Honestly, I feel like I’m gaining the most out of this.” I smiled, my heart warming at the thought of being their own. Even as it kicked just a little bit. Because I hadn’t seen Kingston yet.

He had called me to say goodnight, and I had answered. Because not answering would’ve made ourodd little disagreement a spectacle. And maybe it wasn’t even a disagreement. Maybe it was just the two of us realizing we were in two different places. It wasn’t as if I could force him into loving me. Or force him into speeding up that realization. It hadn’t been the correct time, and I don’t even know why I freaked out the way that I had.

We had arrived separately since he had had to deal with a few work things beforehand so he could have the weekend off to help me at my event the next morning. And I had come in early to do my part of the job. I had a huge weekend in front of me, with not only this event, but the biggest one to date tomorrow evening that I would have to start in the morning. Trix couldn’t handle it herself, and that was fine. It was my business after all. And as I had slid this party in the middle of my work schedule, I was a little overwhelmed, and not just personally.

“Usually we just throw some cheese on the table and call it a day. This is much better,” Ethan Montgomery said as he winked at me.

“I heard about your family and cheese.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “It’s oddly a little weird that people do know our love of cheese. It could be the shirts and branding we wear.”

“I love a good baked brie, perhaps in a pastry shell with either a spicy chili jam or even a fig jam on it.Well, and a little Havarti. And a good Asiago. And of course parm. Parmesan is on everything.” I was rambling now, and Ethan put his hand over his heart.

“You’re literally a woman after my own heart. I mean, I’m already married to two people and you’re my son’s girlfriend, but I still love you.”

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