Cruel Trust

Thirty-Nine

We hopped out of the pool and dried off, throwing our clothes on and running to the lobby of the resort. When we got there, it was 5:15 and Julia wasn't there yet.

We sat down in two of the rocking chairs at the entrance to the lobby and waited. A few minutes later, a red sedan pulled up in front of the building, the driver's blonde hair tied into a messy bun. I grinned at Andrew and jumped up to meet Julia at her door. She swung it open as I rounded the back of the car and she greeted me just like her old self.

"Charlotte, love! You look beautiful! Damnit if you don't already have a tan!" 

"They're freckles; they just give the illusion of a tan," I reminded her.

"Well, it's a damn good illusion." She slammed her door, opened the back hatch, and pulled out her bright floral duffel bag and a garment bag with what I assumed might be a dress inside. Andrew came around the side of the car and took the bags from her. She smiled at him gratefully. "Hey, Emerson."

"Did you have a good flight?" he asked her as we walked into the lobby so she could check in.

"Yeah, that's got to be the shortest flight I've ever taken."

"I know, right? We barely even had time to get comfortable," I agreed.

Julia stepped up to the front desk, checked in to her room (a few doors down from ours), and handed over her keys for valet parking as she bent over to pick up her bags.

Andrew swatted her away, throwing the bags over his shoulder. "You ought to know I'd never let either of you carry bags when my hands were empty. What room are you in?"

Julia looked at me and rolled her eyes. "2117. Why is he so perfect?"

I laughed. "I ask him that all the time."

Andrew shook his head and walked in front of us to the elevator.

I linked my arm through Julia's as we followed him and stepped into the elevator. "You hungry?" I asked.

She looked at me and smirked. "When am I not?"

"Right. Go get changed and we will go to Pineapple Willy's. It's right across the street so we can walk over," I said, stopping when we reached her door.

"All right, I'll meet you in the hallway in ten minutes," she said, opening the door and letting Andrew set the bags inside.

I nodded. "Okay."

Andrew and I walked down to our room and freshened up a bit from where we had been in the pool for so long. I put on cut off jean shorts—which I noticed were getting a little tight on my stomach—and a bright pink tank top. I pulled my curls up into a bun on top of my head.

I turned around and Andrew was looking incredibly handsome in plaid shorts and a turquoise Polo that made his eyes even bluer. His chestnut hair was wavy from the water and wind; I couldn't take my eyes off him.

"What?" he asked, looking down at his clothes. "Does this not match?"

I laughed and stepped toward him. "No, no. The opposite, actually." I put my hand around his waist and grabbed his ass firmly. "You look hot," I growled.

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Well then," he said, flexing his biceps. "We could just stay here..." he trailed off, gesturing toward the bed.

I pursed my lips and considered it for a moment. Then I shook my head. "We have to meet Julia. There's always later," I said, kissing his neck in the exact place I knew would drive him crazy, leaving my lips and tongue against his skin for the perfect amount of time. He shifted and adjusted himself. Smiling smugly, I raised an eyebrow.

"You're insatiable, you little tease," he murmured, nibbling my earlobe. I shrugged nonchalantly, and right then, Julia knocked at the door.

"Damn y'all, what's taking so long?" she called.

"This isn't over," he joked, slapping me on the ass as we walked toward the door.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Emerson," I said, opening the door to see Julia on the other side.

"Hold him to what?" she asked.

We looked at each other, and I snorted. "You really don't want to know."

She chortled. "I guess it's true; being pregnant really does make you horny."

I shoved her playfully and felt my heart warm. This was the most normal I had felt with Julia in weeks. It wasn't perfect, and it probably never would be, but right now, this was enough.

The wait at Pineapple Willy's wasn't terrible, but it was long enough for Julia to go to the Daiquiri Bar and get her and Andrew strawberry daiquiris and a virgin Piña Colada for me. Andrew and I were leaning against the wood railing when she came back out, drinks in hand. She doled them out to us, and we sipped in silence, gazing out at the gulf. Andrew glanced at me a couple times, and I knew he was wondering when I planned on telling Julia I wanted her in the wedding. 

Our name was called ten minutes later, and we were led out to the patio to our table. The view was magnificent, and after we ordered, we all just stared at the water.

I broke the silence soon after we sat down. "Julia?"

"Yeah, Char?" she responded, looking away from the water and over to me.

"I've been trying to think of how to tell you this all day, but I haven't been able to—"

She cut me off, and her eyes were sad. "It's okay, Charlotte. I had no hope that you'd want me in your wedding after everything that happened. I'm just glad you let me come at all."

"Julia, you're not listening," I said, and she closed her mouth and looked at me quizzically. "I was trying to decide how to tell you that I want you to be my maid of honor!"

"Y-You do?" she stammered. "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Andrew and I talked about it, and I just can't imagine you not being up there with me, even after everything," I said, squeezing her hand. Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head.

"Charlotte, you're too good. I don't deserve any mercy after what I did to you."

I sighed. "You know what? You did screw up—big time—but you weren't yourself, Jules. And you had a psychopath whispering in your ear the entire time. Julia, I won't pretend that everything is just back to normal. But your mental break wasn't your fault. It was no more your fault than Liam's attack on me was mine."

"Thank you, Charlotte. Thank you for not just pushing me out of your life. You wouldn't have been wrong to do so," she said, taking a sip of her daiquiri.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But as we've said a million times: I have a perfect fiancé who makes sure I always do what's right," I said, bumping my shoulder against Andrew's.

We laughed. And damn, did that feel good.