Page 54 of More Than Friends

I don’t know how long we stand there and stare at one another. We both wear the biggest smiles, and my hands are still on the small of her waist. Our shoulders rise and fall in quick succession, her inhales happening at the same time as my exhales.

Time seems to stand still, and not for the first time, all I can think about is kissing Charlotte. I don’t know if I’m relieved thatAva is between us or not. If she weren’t in the middle, I don’t know if I’d be able to resist leaning in and pressing my lips to Charlotte’s.

It’s harder and harder to fight my attraction to her, especially after a moment like this. A moment where I’m so grateful to be going through this season of life with her. My feelings for her grow deeper by the day, and it’s getting harder to not want more.

I don’t want to ruin the friendship Charlotte and I share. It’s important to me. One of the most important relationships I’ve ever had. But I also can’t imagine just being her friend for the rest of my life. Not when the smile she gives me lights up my entire world. Not when it seems like all I can think about these days is her.

“It was me who made her laugh,” Charlotte points out, tearing me from my thoughts. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as she looks up at me through her eyelashes. If only she knew what she was doing by looking at me like that. How could I not develop feelings for her?

I shake my head. “Not a chance. She wasn’t laughing until I joined in. It was all me.”

“Sure it was.”

I lift a brow at her sassy tone. “Sure it was?” My grip on her waist gets tighter as I mock the way she talks to me. I squeeze her sides, my heart soaring at the loud laugh she lets out.

“Jude! I’m holding your daughter. Don’t tickle me.”

I lean in, causing my nose to brush against Charlotte’s cheek as I continue to squeeze her sides. “Hold on tight, Char.”

Charlotte’s laughter is so loud that I can’t help but laugh along with her. She squirms to avoid me, but it’s no use. She can’t get away from me.

I don’t know if it’s my laugh or Charlotte’s laugh, or maybe it’s a combination of the two, but Ava lets out another deep belly laugh.

The three of us fall into a fit of laughter in the middle of my kitchen, and it’s one of those moments I never want to forget.

Me.

Ava.

Charlotte.

Just the three of us.

The perfect moment with my perfect girls.

THIRTY-TWO

CHARLOTTE

Jude needsto get out of the house.

It’s been over three weeks since Ava came into his life, and while it’s been incredible to get so much one-on-one time with the two of them, he’s got to leave the house eventually. Lucy and Cal have come over a few times in the last week, which has made it so he sees someone other than me, and as happy as I am that he’s seeing friends, I still think he needs to get out more. Every time I’m at Pembroke, it feels like all I do is dodge questions about Jude and where he’s been. Even the always-quiet Tyson Bishop has started asking about Jude’s whereabouts.

Today was another day of making up lies about where Jude has been while working my cart shift at Pembroke. Now that the busy season in the Hamptons has officially begun, we’ve been slammed at work. It’s nice because I’m making more money off tips than I could ever dream of, but after working my three-day shift every week, I’m exhausted. It’s Sunday evening after another long weekend of work and I’m so excited for a low-key night in with Jude and Ava.

But Jude’s about to find out that hisnights inare done for. This Friday, Pembroke is throwing its annual party to kick offthe season, and if I have anything to say about it, Jude will be attending with Ava.

I’m walking into the house, thinking about how I can convince Jude to finally go to Pembroke, when I notice how quiet it is. Jude normally spends most of his time with Ava in the living room if she’s awake. A glance at my phone in my hand to check the time tells me that Ava should be awake right now. We’ve been doing our best to get her on a schedule so she sleeps better at night. I’ve read way more about wake windows than I ever thought I would, and where it’s been great during the day to have her sleep on a strict schedule, we’re still waiting for that to translate into nighttime sleep. We’ve only been on the new schedule for a week, so it’s still a work in progress. Some nights, she’s slept great; other nights, Jude and I have spent a few hours driving around the Hamptons while she slept peacefully in the back. I haven’t said this out loud, but I haven’t minded the late-night rides.

It lets me spend more time with Jude. There’s something about driving around with him in the dark of night that makes it feel like it’s okay to let down my walls with him. We’re able to tell each other secrets and get to know one another on a personal level without physically crossing any lines we shouldn’t. He has to keep his focus on driving, and a center console and a seat belt prevent me from doing anything crazy…like leaning in and kissing him.

I walk through the quiet house, wondering where Jude and Ava could be. There are still toys strewn across Ava’s playmat in the living room, and a glimpse into Jude’s room tells me they aren’t in there either.

I frown as I continue to search for them. If his car weren’t sitting in the driveway, I’d wonder if maybe he did finally decide to go out with Ava during the day. But since it was still parked in the same spot it always is when I got home from work, I knowthat he’s got to be here somewhere. I almost give up looking and call him when I sneak a peek into Jude’s office.

I don’t come in here often. If Jude has to work, he typically shuts the door and doesn’t have time to chat. It’s at the very end of the hallway and isn’t a room I ever visit. If I could find him anywhere else, I wouldn’t even think about trying his office, but I take a glimpse into the room, stopping in my tracks at what I see.

Before I can think better of it, a smile spreads across my cheeks. I cross my arms over my chest and take in the view.