“Because I realized I’ve been lying to myself,” Emma said, her voice low but firm. She looked up, meeting Ryan’s gaze. “About Matt. About us. About everything.”
Ryan closed the door behind her, his face unreadable, though his eyes searched hers as if trying to make sense of her words. “Emma…”
She held up her hand to stop him, taking a steadying breath. “Let me finish, Ryan. I’ve spent so much time trying to do what’s right, trying to make everyone happy. But in the process, I forgot about myself. About what I want. And…” She hesitated, her heart pounding. “What I want is you.”
Ryan’s breath hitched, and for a moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched between them, filled with all the words that had gone unspoken over the years.
“You mean that?” Ryan finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Emma nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. “I do. You’re the one who’s always been there for me, even when it hurt. You’ve never stopped believing in me, even when I doubted myself. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering ‘what if.’ I’m tired of pretending.”
Ryan took a step closer, his movements careful, almost hesitant, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “Emma… I never stopped loving you. Not for a second. But I need to know—are you sure about this? This isn’t just because of what happened with Matt?”
Emma shook her head, a small, determined smile breaking through her tears. “No. This is about me finally choosing what’s real. What’s always been real. I’m sure, Ryan.”
His expression softened, and before she could say another word, he closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. The weight of the past—their history, their missed chances—melted away as he kissed her, his touch tender and filled with all the love they’d been holding back.
When they finally broke apart, Emma rested her forehead against his, her smile radiant. “So, do you think you can plan one more wedding? This time, for us?”
Ryan laughed, his eyes sparkling with joy. “Only if we make it simple. How do you feel about eloping?”
Emma grinned. “You’re on.”
Leave a Reply