Page 103 of More Than Friends

Eventually, we pull away, but I keep my fingers tangled in her hair as our gazes meet once again. “So is that a yes?” I ask, my heart hammering in my chest at the question. I know she’s pretty much already said yes, but I need to hear the words to make sure I got it right the first time.

Charlotte nods. “Of course it’s a yes.”

My mouth slams against hers as happiness takes over my entire body. I woke up this morning worried about what the future held for Charlotte and me, and now I’m ending the night with her as my girlfriend.

I don’t know how long we stay that way, but I love that nothing is rushed, and we kiss as if we have all the time in the world. In a way, we do. There’s no fear of what happens in the morning, and there are no barriers between us. It’s perfect.

FIFTY-SIX

CHARLOTTE

“Ready?”Jude asks me, holding his hand out as he holds open the passenger door to his SUV. I place my hand in his and nod, carefully stepping out of the car, making sure I don’t step on the skirt of my dress.

“Why am I so nervous?” I whisper, giving him a hesitant smile as he shuts my passenger door.

We stand in the busy Pembroke parking lot. People walk by us, all of them dressed up for the welcome party tonight. All day, I was excited to finally experience a Pembroke party from the vantage point of a member—at least the guest of one—but now that we’re here, I’m so nervous I feel like I might actually throw up.

“Don’t be nervous, sweetheart. Tonight will be fun.” Jude gives me an encouraging smile before leaning in and pressing a kiss to my forehead. He’s careful not to kiss me on the lips, per my own request. He complained about not being able to kiss me for five minutes before he finally accepted that I wanted to at least make it to the party before he messed up my makeup.

I watch Jude as he opens the back door of the SUV and pulls Ava out of her car seat. She wears a baby pink dress and a giant bow on top of her head. My heart melts at the sight.It’s absolutely adorable. I ordered the outfit the moment Jude agreed to come to the event, and I’m happy it made it here in time for Ava to wear it.

“Hi, sweet girl,” I get out, loving that she immediately smiles when her eyes meet mine.

“There you are!” Florence calls from a few cars down. She and Nathaniel close the distance to us, the two of them dressed up for the party tonight.

Florence gives me a warm smile, and it helps loosen the knot I felt in my stomach at seeing her for the first time since I ran out of Jude’s house on Monday. “You look radiant this evening,” Florence tells me. She surprises me by pulling me in for a hug and giving me a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, keeping her voice low enough that only I hear it.

I hadn’t realized how badly I needed the hug and apology from her until now. When Jude went to pick up Ava from his parents’ house this morning, he had a talk with his mom about everything. Eventually, I think it’ll be a good idea for me and Florence to speak again and finish the conversation we started earlier in the week, but I’m not rushing it. The apology, paired with the warm smile and Jude’s adamance that their talk went great, gives me the reassurance I need for now.

I give her a tight squeeze back before we both pull away. I make sure my smile matches hers. While I was nervous to see her again, I understand why she said the things she said to me. She cares about her son and granddaughter, and I appreciate the way she was looking out for all of us.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” I tell her, my eyes traveling over the gown she wears.

“She does, doesn’t she?” Nathaniel chimes in, putting his arm around his wife’s waist.

“Charlotte,” a familiar voice calls. I turn around and find Lucy and Cal making their way in our direction.

“Oh my God, you look hot,” I tell Lucy, taking in her outfit. She wears a long black dress and a pair of black gloves that help show off her diamond engagement ring.

She smiles and looks down at the ground for a moment before returning my stare. “Right back at you. I love the pink.”

I smile and do a quick spin for her. “Thank you. I somehow was able to find a dress last minute that matched Ava’s almost perfectly.”

Lucy’s eyes soften as she looks behind me, where Jude holds Ava. “Stop it,” she mutters, closing the distance so she can walk up to Ava. “Look how cute you are.”

Jude smiles before pressing a kiss to his daughter’s cheek. “I have a feeling she’s going to be stealing everyone’s heart tonight.”

I can’t help but smile and nod my head. “As she should.”

Mini conversations break out between the small group before Jude finally clears his throat and talks over everyone. “Should we get inside?” Jude asks, his eyes find mine, and he holds out his free hand for me to take.

I gladly close the distance between us and put my hand in his. Butterflies take flight in my stomach at the thought of arriving hand in hand with him. He’s asked me countless times today if I was sure that I was okay with us telling everyone about our relationship, but I’ve never been more sure about something in my life. I want everyone to know that he’s mine, but it’s still a little nerve-racking.

“Let’s get in there,” I answer, both nerves and excitement making my voice shake ever so slightly.

There are echoes of agreement before we walk toward the club. There’s a long line of cars waiting in the valet line that we walk past to get inside.

The moment we step through the doors, I can’t help but gasp. I worked this morning, but when my shift ended in theafternoon, Pembroke still looked the same as it always did. Now, it’s been completely transformed. There are green and cream elements everywhere, making the club feel even more elegant and classy than it already is.