***
When Charlotte makes her way back down the stairs she finds the kitchen empty, the record player silent. Her brow creases as she follows the sounds of voices out into the hall and finds everyone congregated in the living room again. Billie and Sadie are sitting on the couch next to Lynn and Paul, cups of coffee in their hands and chatting easily. Trace is sitting in an overstuffed chair with Ginger leaning against his legs, his fingers combing through her coppery hair as he talks to Justin who is settled next to Amelia on the love seat, Brennan laying across his feet. Brad and Rachel are sitting next to the tree on the floor, watching Hannah as she holds a small present, shaking it furiously in her tiny hands as Buckley watches, snorting as his tail wags happily.
“Bout time you got down here!” Justin exclaims when he sees her and Charlotte looks at him perplexed, curling her legs underneath her as she sits on the floor near Ginger. Buckley trots over, sitting down next to her and nuzzling her ear which causes her to jump. She giggles as she rubs his ears. Justin smiles. “We were waiting on you to open presents.”
“See Charlotte he’s not impatient at all,” Lynn deadpans and Justin scowls playfully at his mother before grinning widely.
“You didn’t have to wait,” Charlotte says shaking her head, her hand moving methodically over Buckley’s back. “It’s not like I have any-”
“This one’s for you,” Rachel says, waddling over on her knees and handing Charlotte a brightly wrapped package that is flat and square. Charlotte looks around bewildered.
“Come on you didn’t think you wouldn’t have anything to open on Christmas Eve!” Justin exclaims as he rips into his own package joyously, Amelia watching in light amusement as she peels the wrapping off of one of hers.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Charlotte says softly, feeling bad that she didn’t think to get them all anything.
The tag reads “From the family” and Charlotte fights the sting of tears, grateful that they included her. Buckley sniffs the package interestedly and she nudges him a little with her shoulder, causing him to pull back and watch, his tail still swishing across the carpet happily. She grins widely as she rips open the paper, gasping as she uncovers a gray cardboard sleeve wrapped in shrink wrap. A man with dark tussled hair and small glasses gazes back at her stoically from the cover and the words “Imagine, John Lennon” are written in lowercase block letters.
“That’s a first edition LP press,” Justin says as he pulls a dark brown sweater from a box and grins over at his mother. “Thanks Mom!”
“Wow this is…” Charlotte says, running her fingers over the record, not even able to form words.
Her parents used to listen to this record on the weekends, just letting it play as they went about their business. Her mother loved the Beatles. She guessed that’s where her penchant for pop music came from. She remembered her mother saying that the day that John Lennon died was one of the saddest of her life, how she’d felt so lost and despondent, almost as if she had known him. She remembered how her mother had laughed then and said she guessed, in a way, she had.
“Justin said you liked John Lennon,” Lynn says smirking at her son. “Because he’s John Lennon…he said.”
“Well yes of course,” Charlotte replies absently still marveling. “This is too much you guys.” Charlotte says hugging the record to her chest and Lynn waves a hand.
“We’re just glad you could spend the holiday with us,” she says dismissively as she tries to rip the paper off the large box in her lap. “Justin! Oh honey this is great!” she exclaims as she tilts the box, looking at the picture of the mixer on the front.
“The guy at Williams Sonoma told me that that thing would be perfect.” Justin says as Amelia hands him a long rectangular gift, wrapped in gold with a pretty silver bow. “If it’s not I’m gonna chuck it through their store window.”
“Well if it doesn’t work I can use one of the many other mixers you’ve gotten me,” Lynn teases and Justin waves a hand dismissively.
“The one is too big and the other one flings batter. It’s a piece of shit.”
“Oh hush and open your present,” Amelia says and Justin grins at her.
“Is this one from you?” he asks and Amelia nods, smiling smugly as he tears into the wrapping paper.
“Should I open it in front of all these people?” Justin asks smirking at her and Amelia rolls her eyes. “There are children present mind you.”
He unearths a black and white box Charlotte immediately recognizes as one of the boxes she picked up from Saks a few weeks ago and if memory serves her right Justin was about to be very disappointed. He’s grinning widely as he pulls the top off and as he flicks away the tissue paper he has to force his brow from creasing as he pulls out a cream pajama shirt made of fine silk.
“Wow!” Justin says, looking into the box and finding matching pants inside. “Thanks baby these are great.”
“They match mine,” Amelia says smiling and as she reaches over to run her finger over the breast pocket she adds, “Except yours have a J.”
“Those are nice man,” Trace sniggers as he pulls a gift bag into his lap. Ginger is on her knees in front of him, her palms on his denim clad thighs, watching his face eagerly. “Hey!” Trace exclaims joyously as he pulls out a stainless steel hip flask with the Jack Daniels logo etched into it. “Cool!”
“Keep going!” Ginger says, bouncing on her knees and Trace grins digging his arm further into the bag.
“Shot glasses!” Trace exclaims as he pull out three stainless steel shot glasses also etched with the Jack Daniels logo.
“One more!” Ginger grins and Charlotte fears the girl’s face is going to split open from smiling so hard.
Trace reaches down into the depths of the bag and comes back with an index card. Charlotte can barely make out the loopy scroll written in hot pink gel pen. “Good for one…” His eyes widen as his voice cuts off, his eyes going to Ginger who’s smirking at him sexily and he grins widely. “Well…if that’s not a good present I don’t know what is.” He wiggles his eyebrows, reaching out to snatch her into his lap and she squeals girlishly.
Justin looks down at the pajamas in his lap and frowns for a moment before sighing and setting them aside. He shouldn’t be ungrateful. Amelia doesn’t give racy presents. That’s just not who she is. But he loves her and whatever she deems to get him he loves automatically. He really does.
“Hey you want yours,” Justin grins excitedly, poking Amelia in the ribs and she swats at his hands nodding, turning to Rachel awaiting her package. “Come on,” Justin says taking her hand and hauling her off the love seat, Brennan scurrying over to lay at Lynn’s feet where she won’t be disturbed again.
The room quiets slightly as Justin pulls her over to the piano and sits down on the bench. Amelia looks down at him perplexed before he pats the open space beside him and she sighs sitting next to him, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I heard this on the radio a month or so ago,” he says softly, leaning so that his arm is touching hers as his fingers dance down the keys, coaxing out a familiar melody “remember?” he asks softly and Amelia’s eyes tighten as she listens and then a smile tugs at her lips as she recognizes it. Justin grins widely. “It always reminded me of you when we were first dating. Remember?”
“That’s nice dea-” Amelia starts but is cut off as Justin lets the piano swell and she sighs, waiting as patiently as she can as he starts to sing.
“She can kill with a smile / She can wound with her eyes / She can ruin your faith with her casual lies,” Justin sings, gazing at her fondly and she watches him, her blue eyes mildly amused. He grins looking down at the keys. He knew she’d like it. “And she only reveals what she wants you to see / She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me…”
Charlotte watches in awe as Justin lets the music flow through him, a tenderness in his voice she hadn’t heard before. His blue eyes dance happily as he watches Amelia’s face, her smile soft as her eyes flit from his face to his hands and she almost looks as if she’s enjoying it. Charlotte has never seen them like this, never seen them look so…together. She’s seen them fight and she’s seen Justin fighting for her attention and she’s seen Amelia fighting his personality but it’s always been a fight, a struggle. But now, this moment as Justin sings to her and she listens she can almost envision the way they were three years ago when they first got together. She can almost see them happy. Almost.
“…She is frequently kind / And she's suddenly cruel,” Justin smirks at her and she narrows her eyes at him in a playful way. “She can do as she pleases / She's nobody's fool / And she can't be convicted she's earned her degree / And the most she will do is throw shadows at you / But she's always a woman to me.”
Charlotte relishes in the shiver that runs through her as he begins to hum the melody, his fingers coaxing the last of the song from the instrument and his head bows as he presses the last cord. Amelia smiles softly at him as his eyes meet hers again and he grins widely, pleased with himself for not just getting her something but thinking about her, about them. He reaches onto the piano and hands her a slim CD case.
“I recorded it,” he says and she looks at the silver CD through the clear case, his untidy scrawl marking it with his name and hers and the name of the song along with the date.
“Thank you,” Amelia says stiffly, curling her fingers around the case and holding it in her lap, smiling tightly at him. “That’s…wonderful, Justin. Thank you.”
He sighs, his chest tightening in disappointment, as he leans back on the bench, reaching under the tree and pulling out a small square box wrapped in bright paper.
“Yeah yeah,” Justin responds dryly, handing Amelia the package and her face lights up, tearing into the paper.
“Oh Justin!” she grins as her fingers brush over the velvet box, prying it open eagerly. “Oh darling they’re beautiful!” She exclaims, examining the large diamond earrings inside before snapping the box shut and holding it to her chest. “Thank you!” she exclaims her arms going around her neck.
“I know what my girl likes,” Justin grins, patting her back lightly, nuzzling her neck with his nose and she giggles, pulling back to open the box again.
“Oh these are just perfect,” she says, standing from the piano bench to move back to the love seat, reaching to undo the earrings already in her ears.
“Glad you like them,” Justin says, picking up the CD from where it’d fallen from her lap to the floor and Charlotte thinks her heart may break as he sits it on the music stand on the piano before sighing and moving to sit next to his fiancé again.
“Justin!” Rachel says, fake cheeriness in her voice and the room seems to animate again, everyone smiling although Charlotte can’t help but notice the tension in it. “Another one for you. From Charlotte.”
“Aw Charlie you didn’t have to get me a gift,” Justin grins grabbing the package eagerly.
“Yeah, yeah,” Charlotte replies dryly, grinning at the elated look on his face as he rips open the paper. He looks confused as he surveys the picture on the box. “It’s a weather tracker.”
He looks up at her and they both burst out laughing at their little inside joke, Sadie and Lynn sharing a look that doesn’t go unnoticed by Trace and Rachel who share one of their own. Justin grins widely, flipping the box over to read the specs. His eyebrows rise in amusement.
“Oh I see how it is,” Justin says smarmily eyeing her from across the room. “You just wanna get out of doing your job by getting me something that will tell me the weather. Slacker.”
“Well I can try. There’s no guarantee you’ll figure out how to use it,” Charlotte shoots back and Justin narrows his eyes at her.
“You know, I forget how to put a person on hold one time and I’m branded as a technological idiot.”
“It wouldn’t have been so bad if there wasn’t a large red button with the word “HOLD” in big white letters at the top of your phone,” Charlotte muses, a look of mock contemplation on her face before she smirks at Justin. He just grins
“Thanks Charlie,” he says, setting the box gingerly on the floor next to his feet.
“There should be something under there for Amelia too,” Charlotte says, watching Amelia eye Justin’s present suspiciously.
“Yep here it is,” Rachel says, handing Amelia a flat red box about the size of a candy bar with a big red bow.
Charlotte’s palms are sweating as Amelia takes the package, looking at it appraisingly. Charlotte had been at a loss as to what to get Amelia for Christmas but she couldn’t just not get her something, especially when she had found the perfect gift for Justin. So in a moment of panic she had spent her entire Christmas bonus on a spa package from the fancy salon Amelia frequented. Thinking back on it, it was probably kind of ridiculous to spend that kind of money on something that Amelia probably wouldn’t even like. Amelia’s face is perfectly blank as she undoes the bow and Charlotte holds her breath. The small flaps of the box open and Charlotte is not even sure if he heart is beating anymore as she waits for her reaction. Amelia’s ice blue eyes flit to Charlotte’s face and she does something that Charlotte really hadn’t been expecting. She smiles.
“Thank you, Charlotte,” she says, her voice genuine and Justin peers over her shoulder, reading the certificate inside.
“Oooo good call,” Justin says, nodding his head in approval and Charlotte grins, her body untensing finally. Buckley rests his mammoth head on her shoulder and she jumps, looking over at him and she pats his head.
“And one more for Charlotte!” Rachel says giggling as she hands Charlotte a large box and Charlotte looks perplexed.
“That’s from Justin and I,” Amelia says, leaning against Justin who looks up from the present in his hands and his eyes widen at her. His face is grave as he points to himself and shakes his head at her as if to say “not me.”
Charlotte eyes the gift in her hands cautiously, tearing into the paper and her fingers swipe across a brown box, the words “Louis Vuitton” stamped in large black san serif type. Buckley leans in to get a good sniff and she has to push at him with her elbow until he sits back again. Charlotte looks up slightly baffled and Amelia smiles widely, nodding her head. Charlotte’s eyes flit to Justin who gives her an apologetic smile as she pulls the top off the box, brushing aside the tissue paper.
Charlotte’s eyes widen as she pulls out a brown leather handbag embossed with “LOUIS VUITTON PARIS” over and over again all over the bag. Her fingers run through the pompom charm attached, seemingly at random near the bottom right portion of the bag. It is the single most hideous thing Charlotte has ever seen. Buckley sniffs at it and snorts, backing away to sit next to Justin who rubs his ears amusedly.
“Wow,” is all she can muster, holding the bag in her hands, the leather soft against her palms and she really has no idea what to say.
“It’s fabulous isn’t it?” Amelia gushes and Justin has to bite back his laugh. Only Amelia would mistake Charlotte’s horror for elation.
“Is it real?” Charlotte asks dumbly, turning it over and over in her hands, wondering if she was really going to have to wear this ridiculous thing that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe.
Amelia scoffs. “Of course it’s real! Honestly Charlotte!” Amelia chuckles, shaking her head. “After I saw that horrendous tote bag you had on the plane…” she shudders and Charlotte bites her lip, thinking of the bag her mother had made her, sitting innocuously upstairs.
“Amelia,” Justin scolds quietly but she waves him off dismissively.
“Every girl needs a nice bag,” Amelia says nodding assuredly. “And you definitely do. I mean it will completely dress up your entire wardrobe.”
“Amelia,” Justin says again and she looks at him annoyed.
“What?” she says and then turning back to Charlotte smiling. “It will! Look inside.”
Charlotte is almost afraid to undo the zipper but she does as she’s told and inside is a white leather wallet. Charlotte pulls it out, the light glinting off the tiny “PRADA” emblem on the front.
“I know I know, it doesn’t match,” Amelia says with a sigh but then she smiles brilliantly. “But it’s Christmas and you need Prada.”
“Thank…thank you,” Charlotte stutters quietly, not really knowing what else to say.
“You’re welcome,” Amelia says nodding and looking very pleased with herself.
“That’s all Hannah,” Rachel says, looking at her daughter who is happily shredding all the wrapping paper within her reach, her new toys laying forgotten next to her. “No more presents.”
“Wait!” Trace says, holding up a hand as he reaches around the side of his chair, pulling out a crudely wrapped package. “This is for Amelia.”
Justin and Amelia both look slightly horrified as Trace hands the gift to Ginger who in turn waddles her way over to Amelia, handing it to her shyly. Justin gives his friend a searching look and Trace winks back at him, grinning cheekily. Justin swallows hard. This can only end badly.
“Oh Trace I feel bad. I didn’t get you anything,” Amelia says but her tone suggests otherwise. She pokes at the wrapping paper wearily.
“You don’t have to open that now,” Justin says nervously and Trace shakes his head.
“Nah J she’s gonna like it,” Trace says nodding and Amelia eyes him in a way that says she thinks this is highly unlikely.
Amelia peels back the wrapping paper and her eyes widen as she uncovers a bottle of wine. The cork is covered in red wax that extends down to where the neck expands into the body and the label is a simple eggshell color written entirely in French.
“Justin told me you liked Pinot Noir,” Trace says and Amelia looks up at him dumbfounded.
“I…I do,” Amelia says still blinking at his slowly.
“That’s a 1990 vintage too which was a great year.”
“Yes…I…I know,” she says looking at him, her eyes narrowing in wonder and everyone can practically hear her thinking but how the hell do you know that?
“And Domaine de la Romanee Conti is the best.”
The entire room turns to look at him amazed as he rolls off the name with a flawless French accent. Even Justin is too impressed to laugh. Trace smiles, trying very hard to not look too pleased with himself. Amelia is, possibly for the first time in her entire life, speechless.
“Thank you, Trace,” she says her voice thin as her eyes rove over the bottle one more time. “This is…”
“Don’t mention it,” Trace says grinning widely and Charlotte looks back at him in wonder. He glances down at her giving her a quick wink and she smiles. She knows better than most that nothing is more satisfying than proving Amelia wrong.
“Well would you look at this mess?” Lynn says with a sigh and Charlotte looks around finding the floor hidden by piles of wrapping paper.
“I’ll help you honey,” Sadie says patting her daughter’s leg as she reaches for the coffee mugs on the table.
“I got that,” Justin says suddenly and his mother and grandmother look at him as if he’s just spoken in tongues. “Charlie you wanna help me with these?” he asks gathering a few mugs and Lynn and Sadie share a look.
“Sure,” Charlotte says standing and taking the cups in his hands as he retrieves the other two from the coffee table. Amelia’s eyes narrow watching the two of them for half a second before chuckling a little to herself and shrugging it off.
Justin follows her out of the living room, stepping carefully over the paper strewn floor and into the hallway towards the kitchen. It seems so quiet without the rustle of paper and the raucous noise of laughter and chatter that Charlotte feels slightly awkward, placing the cups in the sink and turning to take the mugs in Justin’s hands.
“Hey, I’m sorry about what Amelia said in there,” Justin says quietly and Charlotte shakes her head.
“Its fine,” Charlotte says, rinsing the glasses and refusing to meet his eyes.
“Hey, I got something for you,” he says after a moment and she turns to find him pulling a square blue box from his pocket. “I know you love the purse we got you…” he chuckles, “but…” he trails not knowing exactly what to say so instead he shoves the box into her hands.
She laughs slightly, her face heating a little as she looks at the box, the words “TIFFANY & CO” stamped in black. She looks up at him skeptically and he just nods his head at her, urging her to continue. She opens the box, setting the lid on the counter and inside is a small velvet bag the same blue color with the same logo stamped on it. Charlotte’s brow creases thinking this is a little redundant as she dips her hand in the bag and her fingers close around something hard and cold. When she pulls her hand out, in between her fingers is a small pendant on a chain. She runs her thumb over the small circular shape of it, the antiqued silver glinting in the dim light. She can make out the small letters on the four spikes around the center circle, an “N” on the top, an “S” on the bottom, a “W” on the left, and an “E” on the right.
“It’s a compass,” he says and she looks up at him, his blue eyes shining in the semidarkness. “For when you feel lost.”
Her breath catches in her throat as the memory hits her full force.
“Alright all your phone calls have been made, your emails have been sent, your appointments are set and everything is ready for Felicity on Monday,” Charlotte says, glancing quickly over the portfolio in her hand as she walks through Justin’s office door. “It’s Friday. It’s 5 o’clock. Let’s get the hell outta…”
Her voice trails as she looks up and finds Justin standing in front of the large window, his body silhouetted by the New York skyline. The sun is setting over Central Park, painting the city orange, pink, and gold and the light dances across the dark walls of his office in a beautiful waltz of color and light. Justin’s arms are crossed over his chest, his shoulders broad underneath the stark white of his dress shirt, his dark gray slacks tailored perfectly to his slim waist. He turns his head and a smile tugs at his lips as Charlotte moves to stand beside him, staring out over the city in awe.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” he asks, his voice hushed in reverence and Charlotte nods.
She’d never really felt one way or the other about New York. So many people moved there and loved it or lived there all their lives and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. She moved casually from day to day with a particular ambivalence to the city itself, sometimes crossing into annoyance at the crowds, sometimes hating the noise and rudeness of the people but she never really loved it. Until now.
“You know sometimes I really hate this fucking city,” Justin says with a sigh and Charlotte can’t help the smile that tugs at her lips. “And then I see this…” He sighs again.
“Its beautiful,” Charlotte says with a quiet nod.
She remembers the first time she ever came to this city, the hustle and bustle as she drug her bags out of Grand Central Station and onto the bright city street, the skyscrapers climbing for miles over her head. She was knocked around and bumped into and she was scared and alone. Even after four years of living here she still felt that way sometimes.
“Doesn’t it just make you feel…” he trails searching for the proper word and before Charlotte can stop herself she says:
“Lost.”
Her eyes widen at her accidental confession and her eyes meet his before immediately looking at the floor. There goes her mouth again.
“Big city,” Justin says with a nod, watching her and enjoying the pinkness of her cheeks. “Easy to feel lost here.”
She feels his hand on her shoulder, warm and heavy and it’s gone just as quickly as it was there, not even giving her a chance to cringe. She shifts awkwardly.
“If only I had a compass,” she deadpans with a sigh and he lets his head fall back in a laugh. “A little guidance. That’s all I need.”
Justin turns to her smiling. “Don’t we all.”
Charlotte blinks hard, trying to clear the memory from her mind and looks up to find Justin looking at her a little uncertainly, wondering if she even knows what he’s talking about. She smiles brilliantly up at him and his uncertainty melts away, returning her smile.
“This is great, Justin,” Charlotte says running her fingers over the tiny pendant and he smiles.
“Yeah I was gonna have it inscribed with that on it,” he says rubbing a hand over the back of his neck and shifting. “But I thought that would be gay.”
Charlotte chuckles. “I wouldn’t have minded,” she says setting the box and bag down on the counter, fumbling to unhook the clasp.
“I can drop it back off at Tiffany of you want,” he says reaching to take it from her and she looks up at him, her green eyes wide.
“No!” she exclaims, pulling it back towards her chest and he raises an eyebrow at her amused. Her cheeks redden. “I mean its fine the way it is.”
She shifts as she finally gets the clasp open, dipping her head as she reaches behind her to clasp it.
“Here,” Justin says softly, taking the necklace from her and motioning for her to turn around.
She does so slowly, feeling slightly awkward as he lifts the necklace over her head, looping it around her neck. She feels his pinky graze the back of her neck, flicking her pony tail out the way and she reaches around to grab it, holding it over her shoulder as she feels him do the clasp, the coolness of the metal resting at the nape of her neck. She jumps as she feels his warm fingertips smooth across the back of her neck, adjusting the chain just slightly and she reaches for the pendant, tugging it so it falls against her chest. She turns, fingering the tiny compass, her chin tucked against her chest to try and see what it looks like against the pale skin exposed by the v-neck of her sweater.
She looks up and finds Justin staring at it as well and his eyes linger for a beat before meeting hers and she smiles at him.
“Thank you,” she says and before she can fully process the action she’s standing on her tiptoes, her arms reaching to circle around his neck.
His arms slip around her waist automatically as she presses her body to his and he’s surrounded by the smell of mint and clean skin, her body soft and pliable against his own. Her temple is warm, pressed against his ear and he fights the urge to turn his head and press his face into her neck. She gives him a light squeeze before stepping back slightly, her arms sliding from around his neck.
Someone clears their throat loudly from the doorway and Justin cranes his neck, his hands resting on Charlotte’s hips unconsciously as her hands smooth down his chest. Trace is standing in the doorway, looking at them both with a raised eyebrow, hands full of crumpled wrapping paper. Charlotte takes a large step back, reaching up to tuck her hair nervously behind her ear then remembers she put it up.
Trace looks at Justin, questions in his eyes, the same questions he’d seen in his mother’s eyes a few days ago. Questions he didn’t necessarily like or want to think about at the moment. He looks at the floor, shifting uncomfortably and he can feel his best friend’s eyes on him still.
“They need trash bags,” Trace says lightly and Justin nods, scrambling for the cabinet under the sink.
“I’ll take em in there,” Justin says, grabbing the whole box and scurrying from the room leaving Trace and Charlotte alone.
Charlotte gives Trace a weak smile, flicking on the water and rinsing out the coffee mugs even though she’d already done it once before. Trace sidles up next to her, opening the cabinet beneath the sink and cramming the wrapping paper in his hands into the trash can. He closes the cabinet, leaning back against the counter and watching as Charlotte opens the dishwasher to place the mugs inside, avoiding Trace’s gaze until it’s absolutely impossible not to. When she finally looks at him she finds him watching her amusedly, his arms crossed over his chest.
“You fuckin my best friend?” he asks bluntly and Charlotte’s green eyes go so wide he fears they may just fall out of her skull.
“Wha…N-no,” she stutters her cheeks flaming red and Trace nods.
“You guys together in any way at all?” he asks casually and Charlotte shakes her head violently.
“No…no of course not,” she says, gulping in air as if she can’t breathe. She scowls up at Trace as her heart rate slows just a little. “Why do people keep asking me-”
“Because he’s himself with you,” Trace says cutting her off and shrugging. “Or the old him, I guess. He smiles. And he laughs and he seems happy.” Trace says and his eyes soften as he looks at her. “You make him happy.”
Charlotte slams the dishwasher shut, suddenly very flustered. “There’s nothing going on.”
Trace smiles but there’s sadness in his eyes “That’s too bad.”
Charlotte’s jaw drops, her brow creasing as she gawks at him. “You’d want him to cheat on his fiancé?”
“I want him to love his fiancé,” Trace corrects her and his eyes turn serious. “Tell me Charlotte do you really honestly believe that Justin loves Amelia?”
“Yes,” Charlotte says automatically and Trace lets his head fall to the side giving her a dubious look. She shifts. “He must…why else would-” she cuts herself off.
Trace chuckles. “Why else would he put up with her?” Charlotte blushes and Trace sighs. “I’ve been asking myself that for a long time.”
They’re silent then, both just looking at each other and Charlotte isn’t exactly sure what he wants from her. Justin and Amelia seem to have some kind of unbreakable bond that keeps them tethered together. They have to. It’s the only explanation.
“He loves her, Trace,” Charlotte says softly and Trace shrugs.
“Alright,” he says with a sigh. “But my bet’s on you.”
“Me!” Charlotte exclaims scoffing and Trace chuckles. “I am not involved in this at all. There is nothing going on.”
“I know,” Trace says smirking at her as he pushes off the counter and traipsing towards the living room. And under his breath, so no one else can hear, he mutters. “yet.”
Story Tags: fiancej desksex affair love hottubsex
