Page 36 of Gracefully Yours

The vision was so jarring that when I came back to reality, I was startled for a second.

A cup being pressed into my hands. A pair of brown eyes looking down at me. A spandex suit that felt tight, hot. I tugged at the neck.

“You okay?” Daniel mumbled.

“Of course.” I quirked an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He shrugged his shoulders, which caused the fabric to stretch. It should be illegal for someone to look good in a spandex Spider-Man suit, but there he stood. “You just seemed distracted.”

“Just thinking.” I hummed in response, taking a sip of the drink. It was some sort of punch, thanks to Noelle’s excellent party planning skills, and it was delicious.

He nudged me as I took another drink. “About?”

I looked away. This wasn’t the time for that conversation. A group had huddled around the couch in the living room, another gathered on the patio outside, happily chatting away. The rest of our friends had gathered in the dining room, surrounded by a heaping pile of goodies on the table.

“We need to tell them,” I muttered, feeling guilty for keeping this from them. Feeling even guiltier knowing we were going to lie.

“When?” Daniel asked, squeezing my hand.

I shrugged. “Soon.”

“Dad said we can come by this week, after you’re done with dance one night. Teresa said she’d make us dinner, too.”

Eyes wide, I nodded. We were really going to do this.Oh, boy.

“Oh, Charlotte,” Noelle said, pulling me away. “I made you gluten-free cookies. And cupcakes. And…” She scratched the back of her head. “Well, there’s a bunch of stuff for you.”

“You’re the best.” I leaned against her arm. “As always.”

“I know.” She laughed. “That’s why I’m your best friend.”

Daniel gave a small noise of protest, but I ignored him.

“Forever and always, babe,” I said, as I followed Noelle into the dining room. I wouldn’t trade her for the world. She was more like my sister than myactual sister.

The engagement ring on her finger sparkled, catching my eye, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring at it. She and Matthew were so happy, planning their wedding for the next year, and I looked over at Daniel.

Would we look like that when I had a ring on my finger? When he and I were planning ourfakewedding?

Would we be as happy as our friends were, even if it was nothing but a marriage pact between the two of us?

I hoped so.

CHAPTER8

Daniel

The week flew by, and despite work being slammed, Charlotte and I had been carving out little portions of each day to plan everything out with each other.

“So, we should tell them, huh?” I asked Charlotte, who’d been quiet ever since I picked her up from the dance studio after she’d finished her last class of the day.

She had changed into a long-sleeved t-shirt dress with a raincoat pulled over the top since it was currently gray and drizzly out, like any typical fall day in Portland.

“Hm?” She looked up at me, the question clear in her eyes. “Oh. Yeah. I feel guilty keeping it a secret.” She fidgeted with the zipper on her jacket, clearly avoiding my gaze. “We need to tell them.”

“I know we haven’t really started planning the wedding yet, but…” I couldn’t help but think about the ring that was currently hiding in my nightstand drawer.

“That’ll change tonight.” Since we were currently driving out to my dad’s house.

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