Page 124 of Deep In Love
She rolls her eyes, batting my stomach, but blushes all the same, a coral hue spreading to the tips of her ears.
The chatter is loud in the galley, most of the crew eating before they finish the final work needed to dock the ship. Charlie scans the room, landing on Sofía and Vivian, and her tears begin again.
She’s not the only one fighting the emotion as the three fall into an odd embrace, quiet words exchanged between them.
So much for never seeing sappy Charlie again.
I offer her privacy and drop our duffels in the corner before making us coffee. Jett appears out of nowhere, startling me as I pour a third shot into her latte.
How she’s not bouncing off the walls with this amount of caffeine is truly astonishing.
“This is for you,” he says, shoving a manila envelope toward me.
I gesture at the coffee in both hands, and he nods emphatically, following me to an empty table with enough space for all our friends.
Shaun nods as we pass, and I offer one of my own. A small kernel of smug pride flares knowing I got the girl.
“What is it?” I ask, picking up the folder with an air of caution.
“Open it,” he prods. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna jump out and bite ya.”
I’m not so sure, but I peel back the envelope to find a handful of papers and a USB.
“The paperwork lays out your percent of the profit from the videos I made while on the boat,” he explains. “You and Blondie will each get ten percent of the revenue from each video you were in. As horrible as the comments were, Charlie’s video did well.”
He points out a figure, and the number of zeros beside her name is astonishing.
“This wasn’t part of the contract,” I say, slightly dazed as I stare at the five-figure number beside my name.
“I know, but you guys made this experience special, and you deserve pay for your work.” He’s more serious than I’ve seen him when he picks up the USB. “But this is truly special. Doug and I put it together last night.”
“What is it?”
“Your love story. All caught on tape.” My stomach drops. “We parsed through the B-roll, and it was right there—evidence of two people clumsily falling in love.” He drops the USB into my shaking palm. “I cried when I watched the final cut. You and Charlie have a beautiful love story.”
His features turn somber, contemplative, before his focus flickers to the women on the other side of the room, huddled around the pastry tray. He lingers on Sofía, before he shakes his head and plasters on a plastic smile.
“Thank you,” I say, though the words don’t feel like enough. “For all of it. Approving two graduate students to advise you. For pushing me to go for what I wanted. For being a good friend.”
I didn’t expect to grow so close to Jett on the trip, but he’s surprised me with his humor, kindness, and outlook on life.
“Just invite me to the wedding, okay?” He laughs, but I nod.
He can stand right beside me as Charlie walks down the aisle if she decides to privilege me with a lifelong commitment like marriage.
We’ll probably start with smaller steps, like meeting each other’s families, but it’s a goal—getting her in a white dress and walking down the aisle.
One day, she’ll be mine forever—legally binding, of course.
Charlie lingers at the front entrance of her apartment building, her hands twitching as she glances between the building and me. She’s working herself up to ask something, and I’m not going to push her.
“I was…well, I thought maybe—” She stops, adorably nervous. This is new and unexplored outside of our bubble, so I understand the nerves, but clearly she still doesn’t realize how loopy I am for her. I would follow her anywhere.
“Yes, bruja?”
I take a step, closing the space between us and claiming her mouth until she’s melting into me while I steal the small little moans she makes.
She’s flushed and a bit disheveled when we part, but her smile illuminates her face, and joy peeks through the cracks of her earlier melancholy.
