^CHARLOTTE
His single word hit me like a physical blow, stealing the air from my lungs. I swallowed the lump that had suddenly taken up permanent residence in my throat. My emotions were doing a wild, confusing jig, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint what his simple, direct answer had unleashed within me. It was a mix of disbelief, a spark of hope, and a deep, unsettling fear of what that 'yes' truly meant.
“You look rather stunning, by the way, Charlotte,” he said, his voice a low rumble, when my silence stretched. Mutant butterflies with gigantic, fluttering wings began a frantic ballet in my stomach, doing acrobatic flips.
“Umm, thanks. I guess that makes one of us, then,” I mumbled, trying to inject some much-needed levity into the suddenly heavy, charged air. My own joke felt flat, but
