Page 74 of About That Pact

Yes, they were serious.

No, she wasn’t pregnant.

Yes, this had been a long time coming.

“Wait, we didn’t see them get married!” Elena shrieked.

Patrick smiled at Charlotte, giving her reassurance he supported her matrimony.

Charlotte touched her dad’s shoulder. “I know everyone missed it, but it was right for Rafe and me.”

“I have always just wanted my children happy,” her dad said. “Rafe has always given you that spark of energy. Us parents, we all knew you two were meant for each other. It was only a matter of time before you two realized it. We are in a city meant for celebration. Let’s get some champagne.”

The rest of the night was overflowing with drinks, toasts, and Rafe kissing his wife.

It was the best night of his life.

Epilogue

THEIR WEDDING VIDEO played at the Terra Gallery where Charlotte and Rafe were having a reception with all their family and friends. They had been married for a month already, but the honeymoon phase wasn’t over yet. They were blissfully in love, and he couldn’t believe he was going to spend the rest of his life with her.

She stood next to Rachel and Jada, laughing about something. Wherever she was, he always wanted to be next to her—especially when she was giggling. He loved her laugh.

He walked to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Kissing the side of her neck, he asked, “What’s so funny over here?”

“I can’t believe Charlotte, who has probably been planning her wedding since she was a kid, got married in Vegas.” Rachel’s mouth was still agape over the unplanned wedding.

Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder. “You aren’t going to believe this, but of all things I obsessed over, I never planned my wedding. I would like to think, since he first proposed to me when I was eight, I knew I didn’t have to plan. It was just going to happen because we made a pact.”

“Stop, you two are going to make me cry,” Jada said, blotting the corner of her eye with a napkin.

After the fifteen-minute wedding video, their fifty guests clapped. “And now, I would like to ask Mr. and Mrs. Bianchi to come to the dance floor for their first dance,” the deejay announced.

Charlotte and Rafe moved to the dance floor, swaying to Conversations in the Dark by John Legend. Her arms were draped around his waist, and his hands held her face gently.

“Ten-year-old me was a badass to make the marriage pact,” Rafe told her right before kissing her.

Ever since they’d gotten married, Rafe had realized how much he loved kissing her and how much she loved kissing him. If they were near each other, they were most likely touching in some way. They were a magnetic force.

Charlotte leaned her head back to catch his eyes. “I don’t know, I’d like to think my kissing pact was a pivotal moment.”

Rafe turned her to the beat of the music. He whispered in her ear, “I will always be thankful for your virginity pact.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are.”

They both laughed, and he held her tighter. “I was your first, and I will be your last.”

“Which I am thankful for,” she said, holding him tighter.

“While I could talk about fucking you all day,” he started.

“What a romantic conversation to have during our first dance,” Charlotte deadpanned.

He gave a quick kiss to her forehead. “Please. We have danced enough in our house in the past month, this sham of a dance shouldn’t count.”

This made them hum with a touch of contentment because it was true. Friday nights had become drinks, music, and dancing, which always turned into hot, sweaty sex somewhere in their home.

“I was only going to point out Samantha has been acting weird,” Rafe admitted.

“I noticed that too. Today, she barely cracked a smile.”

Rafe looked around the room and finally spotted her. She was sitting at a table alone, downing champagne. From the bottle. When Nate joined her, Samantha immediately stood up and walked away.

“Do you think something is going on with them?” Charlotte asked.

“I hope not,” Rafe admitted. “I can’t imagine the mess those two would create. Hey, do you want to make another pact?”

“About our friends? Absolutely not.”

He grinned. He had no intention of making a pact about them. It was all about Rafe and Charlotte. And maybe another addition to the family.