Page 21 of Gracefully Yours

But I knew what it said without having to even look at it.

“Don’t be mad.” I winced.

Why hadn’t I put it away?

“Mad?” He froze, looking at me in shock. “Charlotte, I’m not mad. I’d never be mad at you. I’m just… Why didn’t you tell me?”

Despite being super close with all of my best friends, there was one teeny-tiny secret I’d been keeping from all of them.

A big, sort-ofterrifyingsecret.

“Tell you that my apartment rent was going up so much that I can’t afford it? That I’ve barely been scraping by as it is? That I’m close to being evicted?” I looked down at the floor, embarrassed, and my voice grew quiet. “I didn’t want anyone’s pity. Especially not yours. Not after everything.”

I’d barely had anything left over lately, between my apartment, car payment, and the student loans I was still paying off. I was making ends meet, sure, but I wasn’tthriving.

Not like the rest of my friends were. The worst part was, I knew they would have jumped in a second to help me. But I needed to do this myself. Still, I didn’t want to confront that reality head-on just yet. Despite all of that, I was clearly going to, with Daniel standing in my kitchen. He had such a presence there, like he belonged, and I didn’t know why the realization came to me so suddenly. I’d never thought that before, had I?

He set the paper down on the counter, striding over to me in what felt like two steps thanks to his long legs. Then he was staring down at me, his six foot one to my five foot four, and I suddenly felt so small.

I tried not to let the tears prick my eyes, to stand strong in front of him, but it felt like everything was falling apart. “I feel like a failure. Like… nothing is working for me.”

He cupped my jaw with his hands, softly steering my head up to meet his gaze. “You are not a failure, Charlotte. I don’t want you to think you are for even a moment, okay?”

I nodded my head, wrapping my jacket around my body, wishing I could retreat into myself.

My rent was going up at the end of the month and I couldn’t afford it with my current income unless I got a roommate or moved. Even with my side business of making dresses and dance costumes, I wasn’t making enough. And I didn’t have enough time in the day to take on more clients unless I quit the dance studio, and I loved those kids more than anything. And even with the extra classes I was teaching at the studio, I was running on overtime for sewing.

So I wasstuck.

My brain was working overtime, trying to think of ways I could make up the difference any time I stared at my credit card bill on my laptop. I’d already cut my spending down, and what was left? I could sell my books. But that was the last thing I wanted to do.

My books were like my most prized possessions.

“We’ll figure it out, okay? You’ve got me. You know that.”

My shoulders dropped. “I know, I just… I wanted to take care of this myself. I’ve been taking extra orders, working longer at the dance studio, but it’s just… not enough.”

I’m not enough.

And maybe the thought rang so true that I finally let a tear drip from my eyes.

CHAPTER4

Daniel

Shit. She was crying.

This was not how I wanted to start her birthday dinner. Of all the ways I had planned on tonight going, this was not it.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, wiping the tears from under her eyes. I really needed to step away—to put some space between our bodies. Mine liked this close proximity a littletoo much.And if I was going to ask her what I needed to ask her later tonight, well—I needed my wits about me.

Not to fuck up and cause a repeat of what happened at the wedding.

I wouldn’t be able to take it if she pushed me away for another month.

“I came in here looking for a vase for the flowers—” I nodded at the glass that I’d filled with water and her pink lilies. Her favorite flower, and the way her face lit up when she saw them, made me want to buy them for her every week, just to see that smile. “And it was just laying on the counter. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, I—” Charlotte shook her head. She was my best friend, and it hurt that she’d kept something like this from me, but I knew it was her pride that kept her from speaking about it. “It’s good that you know. I just…” She looked around her apartment. “I didn’t want to admit it to anyone. I’m sorry for not telling you before.”

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