charlie
I led him through the living room and kitchen, pointing out the quirks of the old house—the stubborn cabinet hinge, the dent in the fridge from when I tripped carrying groceries. He didn’t say much but took it all in like he was committing every detail to memory.
When we ended up back in the living room, he leaned against the doorway, arms folded casually over his chest.
“So,” I said, crossing my arms too, mirroring him. “When do you want to do this?”
His grin spread slow and easy, telling me I was about to regret asking. “Today.”
When I agreed to this whole getting-married thing, I didn’t think it was going to be today.
There was a knock at my door, and when I opened it, Jennie’s familiar face greeted me. “No way.Thisis where you live?” She glanced around the room, her mouth falling open.
“My parents are wealthy, but surprise.” I waved at her. “Also, I’m getting married in a couple hours. I need you to be there.”
Jennie’s eyes widened before she burst into laughter, practically collapsing onto the floor. “This is going to bethebest gossip at Monday’s lunch. Please tell me you’re one-hundred-percent serious.”
“Yes. I don’t have anyone from my family here, and his mom, stepdad, and sister are going to be there, so I need you to be there for me.” I pointed to a few dresses on the bed. “I need you to help me pick something white.”
“This is a joke.” Jennie stopped laughing. “This has to be a joke.”
I collapsed onto the floor next to her and sighed as I fell, lying flat on my back and staring up at the ceiling. “I wish I was joking. Can you keep a secret? I’m not ready to tell the other girls yet.”
She flopped down beside me, and we both lay there, eyes fixed on the ceiling above. The silence stretched between us.
“Of course.” She reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Her hand was warm, but it didn’t chase away the chill that had settled in my bones. Everything felt so surreal, and as I lay there, the quiet sadness crept in, the realization that I was teetering on the edge of something life-changing and irreversible.
“You have to promise me that when it’s time to break the news, I get to be the one to tell the girls.”
I exhaled a quiet laugh. “You got it.”
“I assume it’s to the hottie brother?”
“He’s coming to pick us up in a couple hours.”
“Dare I ask why?” Jennie turned her head to look at me.
I met her gaze and told her the truth, omitting what exactly Austin needed the medication for and making it more abstract.
She listened to me intently, nodding along as she continued to squeeze my hand.
When I was done, she let out a deep breath. “That was a lot.”
“It is,” I agreed. Everything felt so heavy, yet at the same time, I felt so free. “I feel like the last of my chains to my family are coming undone, and as wild and big as this decision is, there’s also a lightness to it.”
“And that’s making it heavy?”
I shrugged. “I guess I’m more so nervous. I’ve never been roommates with a guy before. I’ve never even been friends with a guy. I barely know him, which should probably scare me more than it does, but it doesn’t. Somehow, it just feels like I’m doing something good for Austin, and in turn he’s helping me out.”
“You don’t think your mom will be so mad that she’ll pull your inheritance?”
“Nah.” My mother was old school, but she was also a romantic at heart. “She fell in love and got married for love. She may threaten me with it, but if I told her I was in love, she’d never think about pulling it. I also work so I can survive.”
Jennie gestured around us. “Not in a house like this. This is a lakefront property, babe.”
“Okay, so maybe not this, but this house is already purchased, so she wouldn’t do that.”
