Page 95 of Gracefully Yours

“We’re going to have to change it to Book Husbands soon,” Angelina snorted, looking directly at our brunette haired friend.

Gabbi held up her hands. “Don’t look at me! We’re not even engaged yet.”

“Key word beingyet, Gabs. If he’s anything like his brother, he’ll ask. He’s probably already thought about how.”

“We’ve only been dating for four months officially. It’s no rush.”

I snorted.What was the rush, Charlotte?

“What?” Angelina turned to me.

“I was just thinking about how Daniel and I’d been…”together?That wasn’t the right word. We weren’t completely together, anyway. Just married and having sex. “Seeing each other for even less time than that when he asked me.”

Yes, because we were two totally sane people who hooked up once, proposed a marriage pact relationship, and then got married within three months. Totally normal.

“You said something happened at my wedding, didn’t you?”

Did I? I didn’t remember at this point. I’d tried to say as true as possible, but…

Angelina grinned, a devilish smile that told me she was all too proud of herself. “Look at Benjamin and I, bringing everyone together. He’ll be way too pleased with himself if we say anything, though. It’s bad enough at work with Zo and Nic.”

“Are they dating now?” Gabbi asked.

Ang shook her head. “No. I mean, I don’tthinkso. It’s fun watching them try to play frogger to avoid each other, though. Especially when he’s his personal assistant.”

I wasn’t envious of that situation. The only reason I’d been holding my heart back from my husband was because I was afraid of losing him as my best friend, anyway. But to have to worry about her job, her livelihood? I didn’t envy Zofia at that moment.

Noelle sat up with a jolt, pulling out her phone and typing viciously.

“Everything good?” Gabbi raised an eyebrow.

A twinkle shined in our red-headed best friend’s eyes. “Book idea. I will one hundred percent forget it if I don’t make a note.”

We all laughed. “You write it, and we’ll read it, Charlotte.”

“And draw it,” chimed Angelina.

“I love you girls so much.”

And honestly, there wasn’t a single thing I would have changed about that night. Surrounded by my best friends, and all our guys… Everything felt right. Like this was where we were meant to be. Like we’d been put in those dorm rooms across the hall from each other for a reason, and every single decision we’d made had brought us here, together.

Noelle moving home to Portland and going to grad school, where she met Matthew. Angelina’s email feud with the man who would break down all of her walls and show her what it meant to fall in love. Gabbi’s perfect man, coming in the shape of Benjamin’s brother.

And me, with Daniel… It fit. It made sense.

So why was I holding back? Why wasn’t I embracing this fully?

Why wasn’t I letting myself love my husband?

Maybe it was time that I stopped running from the things that scared me.

And start running towards the things that truly made me happy.

Towards my home.

* * *

I collapsed on the couch,Brownie bundled up in my arms, and let my eyes flutter shut. We’d stayed until the late hours of the night, till all four of us girls could barely keep our eyes open. Laughter echoed through the room, and love filled every corner.

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