Page 73 of Gracefully Yours

A white wedding, just like I’d dreamed about.

“Oh, Daniel…” I covered my mouth, taking in the view. “It’s beautiful.”

I never would have imagined that I’d actually get my wish. Since I was little, I’d always thought winter weddings, especially with snow on the ground, were beautiful. Never mind that I was always cold, or that I’d definitely need a blanket after the ceremony was over. It was everything I could have ever asked for.

“You’re sure you want to do this, right?”

I loved that he asked, that he checked to make sure this was what I wanted and that I was okay. That he was so caring all the time. A part of me had always known this was how he was. It was part of the reason I’d loved being his friend so much. He really cared about the people he got close to, and he loved taking care of them.

Now I just had to let my brain—and heart—get the memo. That I could let him take care of me, without worrying about the consequences. About what happened when everything fell apart. But maybe, even if it was just for now, I needed to live in the moment. Enjoy the little things as they happened.

Not worry about what happened if my fake husband I was marrying for convenience didn’t fall in love with me. This wasn’t some plot of a romance novel where they were getting married because of a contract, and a dose of forced proximity would get her to fall in love with her.

Because we’d been best friends for too long for that.

I let him wrap his arms around my shoulders, swaying us back and forth as we watched the snow fall. He tucked me into his body, and it was an intimacy that almost came too easily to us, but I wouldn’t complain. I enjoyed being in his arms. Honestly, ever since I’d crawled into his bed after having a nightmare, I wanted to be there all the time.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice soft. If he wasn’t holding me, I doubted he’d be able to hear it at all. “I want to be your wife. I want to marry you tomorrow.” It was the truth, even if it was dangerous to feel that way.

I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, before raising up on my tiptoes to place a quick kiss to his lips.

“Yeah?” He asked, and I let our foreheads rest together.

I could feel his gaze on me, even as he lowered his lips to my ear and nipped at my earlobe.

“Y-yes,” I said, trying to hold back my voice as he kissed my neck.

“Daniel, what are we doing?” I whispered into the darkness of the night as he sucked at my skin.Sex, just sex,flickered through my mind. Why had I ever said that, when it was the last thing I’d wanted?

“Forgetting the bad stuff,” he murmured, and I almost let myself drown in him. “Making it real.”

But as much as I wanted to… “We should go to bed,” I whispered. “We’re getting married tomorrow.”

“Mm. You’re right.” He wrapped his arms back around me, pecking me on the forehead. “I’ll be waiting at the end of the aisle, wife.”

“Not your wife yet,” I murmured, even though the word sent a rush through me.

And how he was looking at me…. like I was the most precious thing in the world to him?

Maybe none of my fears mattered, as long as I had him like this.

“Soon.” He kissed me again, tenderly, on the lips, before disappearing back out the door, leaving me to watch the snow.

* * *

“Charlotte, you look beautiful,”Noelle said, squeezing my hand as if she was being careful not to touch my dress.

I’d added the finishing details three nights ago, and then it had finally beendone.I overlaid the base of heavy white satin with a sparkly sheer fabric, and I decorated it with flowery lace details and sleeves. It was everything I’d ever dreamed of since I was a little girl, and I’d made it myself, down to the row of pearl buttons up my back and the long veil that trailed behind me tucked into my hair.

“The perfect bride,” Gabbi agreed.

“Shut up, you’re going to make me cry,” I said, playfully swatting at my friends, who were taking turns making sure I looked perfect. “And I don’t want my makeup to run yet.”

I was sure it would later. I cried easily, and my wedding… Well, it was safe to say I’d almost cried a few times today.

Luckily, I had my girls by my side.

“You’re officially going to be my sister,” Angelina smiled. “Finally.Took you two long enough, huh?” She gave me a little wink to let me know she was kidding.

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