Page 166 of Say Yes to the Nemesis
“Reddit’s going to lose its collective mind.”
We’re joking, but there’s an edge to it. A nervous energy that comes from doing something completely insane and not knowing what the consequences will be. Ryan just chose me over everything else. He walked away from his finale, from his proposal, from everything he was supposed to do.
For me.
The weight of that hits me all over again. My teasing smile fades into something more serious. I take a step closer to him, searching his face.
“So,” I say quietly. “What now?”
His expression shifts too, becoming more serious, more real. “You tell me, Rustin. You gonna wake up tomorrow and pretend none of this happened?”
I look at him, really look at him. This man who just turned his entire world upside down for me. I take a breath, feeling the magnitude of this moment settle between us.
I hesitate. Not because I doubt him, not because I’m not sure about my feelings, but because I’m scared to hope. Because hoping for things with Ryan has hurt me before. I’m not sure I can survive it happening again.
“Wren,” he says, and his voice is gentler now. “Talk to me.”
“I just…” I pause, trying to find the right words. “When you didn’t reach out after the elimination, I thought… I mean, I assumed you’d moved on. That maybe everything between us wasn’t as real as I thought it was.”
His face falls. “Shit. Wren, they took my phone.”
“What?”
“The producers. They confiscated it right after the elimination ceremony. Told me I wasn’t allowed to contact you until after the finale aired.”
I stare at him. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. That’s why I had to send Calla and Jennifer. It was the only loophole they couldn’t block.” His jaw tightens. “I should have found a way sooner. Should have fought harder to get to you.”
“The mysterious text,” I say, the pieces clicking into place. “The one with just question marks. I wasn’t sure who it was. I thought maybe it was a producer messing with me.”
“That was me. I borrowed someone’s phone for about thirty seconds before they caught me and took that one, too.”
Relief floods through me, followed immediately by anger. “Those bastards.”
“Yeah. They are.” He steps closer, his hands finding mine. “I came so close to just walking away from the whole thing. From the show, from the money, from everything. But I stayed because I needed this. Tonight. The chance to say it on my terms, in front of everyone.”
I look up at him, this man who just sacrificed everything for me. I feel my chest get tight with emotion.
A few weeks ago, I was the woman who felt invisible. Who thought she wasn’t worth choosing. Now I’m standing here with the most visible man in the world telling me I’m the only one who matters.
“You’re insufferable,” I say, half laughing, half crying.
“Wren.”
“I love you, Ryan. Once you push past the cocky bad boy image, you’re gentle and honest and endlessly kind. You makeme feel brave. You treat me like I matter. And most of all, when I’m with you, I feel…” I gulp. “Seen.”
His smile is instant and brilliant. “You deserve to be seen, Chirp. You’re so fucking beautiful, inside and out.”
We’re standing close now, our hands brushing. I can feel the energy in the room shifting again. Less frantic, more intimate.
“You never ask me to be different. And you’re loyal.”
“Not to your brother.”
“Yeah, and it all but killed you.” I spread my hand over his heart. “I’m so glad you chose me.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Ryan takes my hand and brushes a kiss against my knuckles. “You see me, too. Even the parts that aren’t pretty. And you stay anyway.”
