Jake's POV:
I walk in front of Ariana to open the car door for her, she gets in and I close the door, I walk to the other side of the car and I get in, I turn on the car and I back up and I'm out of the parking lot, we get on the highway towards Ryan's house, at that moment Ariana asks me a question, a question I'll never forget, she says, "Jake.... I want your honest opinion..... Your my brother, right?" I nod, keeping my eyes on the road, and I say, "Did you cut off signal. from Wes?" she nods and she takes a deep breath and says, "Should I be with Ryan, or Wes?" I look down, I hit my hand against the steering wheel, I sigh and I look up, and I look at Ariana and I say, "Ariana, I don't know, that's up to you, if i had the choice still and I'm guessing I don't, but, it's up the mating rule and riting, I love you, in a brotherly way, don't get me wrong, but Ariana, just, follow your heart." She looks me in the eyes and says, "Do you really mean it? Can I just have a deep conversation with you, I always do, but, I just want a one on one talk, I need you to clear your mind about everything you know about both of them, okay?" I nod, and I say, "Okay." she takes a deep breath, and says, "I'm going to give you the positives and the negatives of both, okay." we stop at a stop sign, and I drive forward keeping my eyes on the road, I nod my head and she continues, "The negatives of Ryan: He's overly protective, also Wes is too, they're both loving.... you knwo what they're like the same person... it's just, I love Wes, and I love Ryan, I've had more experience with Wes, I mean, we had a child, but me and Ryan, why did I ever say he never said he loved me, he did, more than once, how? Wes and I love each other, but I don't know, something about Wes is fishy, but I just want to live in a nice place with him, but with Ryan we've had this communication thing wronged, and when I was in danger where was he? Nowhere. Who shoudl I pick Jake?" I pull over to the side of the road, I wrap my arm around the back of Ari's seat, I look her in the eyes and I say, "On my professional opinion, you should stay with Wes, he's only doing what he needs for you to be happy, I mean that guy gets on my nerves too, but Ryan, he just needs a friend, someone he can love, not like "things" love, but have somebody to depend on, to talk to, between you and me, he doesn't have a brother, he doesn't have a sister, and his parents clearly look like they don't give a crap about him, He's been through a lot already, and he's been there for you when you had to deliver, even though he couldn't to anything to help you, he was there for you, now it's time for you to be there for him, he needs you, and he needs me, could you talk to Wes and ask him if Ryan could join his pack? and live with you so we can have at least some death watch on him." She nods and says, "I think that can be arranged, if Wes will have him, or I'll make Wes do it." She laughs, I start up the car and we race to Ryan's house.
Ryan's POV:
I yell louder, "I'LL NEVER LET YOU HAVE HER!" I hear foot steps coming up the stairs, I see Jake? ARIANA! I run to her, I hug her and spin her around, I go in for a kiss, she puts her hand up and shakes her head, I put her down and she says, "I....I....." Jake steps infront of her, and says, "I'm sorry buddy, she made up her mind, and you can't be close to her.... she has a few words to say to you though..." She tapps on his shoulder and he moves out of the way, she says, "Ryan, I love Wes, but I realized that when he was out of my life I had you, you were there for me during the tough times, and when I got kidnapped by Alex, where were you was all I could think of, and when I was delivering there you were, even though you knew it wasn't yours you were there for me, and now, it's time for me to be there for you, would you like to come live with us, I mean in a seprate place, but with us?" I shake my head and I look at her, her face is motionless, and then, she cries, she says, "Where's Bunny Ryan? WHERE'S BUNNY?" I look down, Jake and Ariana are in the doorway, I walk past her, I can feel her being angry and sad at me at the same time, she still loves me, she's embarrassed, she looks at me, she's holding her arm with her other hand, looking at me, I feel broken, I look broken, when I got home I grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels, I only had like two shots, even a couple more, just I stopped when I felt numb, I don't drink ever, so it wasn't so bad that I had two shots, I wasn't woozy, I wasn't slurring or falling over, I look at Ariana in the eyes, she takes another deep breathe and in a calm voice she says, "Ryan.... Where is she.....?......" I open the closet and Bunny lays there, sleeping on an old jacket, I pat bunny on the head to wake her up, she gets off and runs to Ari, I pick up the coat, I remember this coat.... I wore this at Ariana's birthday party and when she was in the hospital, I look in the pockets frantically, she looks at me puzzled, I found it, I hold it in my hand, an I say, "Ari, when you were in the hospital I made my vows..... Would you like to hear them?" She looks at me, she comes over to me and hugs me, pats my back, and says, "let's take a walk, Jake can you get Bunny's stuff and get her into the car with her in her little kennel." He nods, she grabs my hand and leads me downstairs, and outside.
Ariana's POV:
I....I...I... I still love him.... But..... I love Wes even more.... And it's just...... So hard to let go of someone you actually love..... I hold his hand and I walk with him into the woods, I smell something.... I say, "Ryan.... You smell like alcohol...." He doesn't hear me..... He doesn't want to let go, and he just doesn't want me, to, go, he doesn't want me to let go either... We walk far until we see some water, a lake with many rocks on the shore, I sit and I lay down on the grass near the rocks, behind me are some trees, Ryan doesn't the same and he lays down next to me, he's really close, he says, "Can I tell you them now?" I nod, he starts up by saying, "Ariana, since the day I met you, I have always loved you, even though we've had our ups and downs, you've continued to love me, and even though I wasn't there for a moment of your life when you were in need, I tried my hardest to be there for you, I always have, when I found out you were pregnant I was happy as could be, even though we never did anything... I was still happy to know that I was in your life, and when the baby was born that I could be a father, I know I'm not the best, I know I've let you down, but I also you that my love will continue to grow for you, I love you Ariana." I cry at the sight if his eyes looking at me, the beautiful brown eyes, staring and smiling at me, his hand comes up to my face, he strokes it, softly and gently, I roll over somewhat on top of him, and I cascade my arm over his body, I grab his shirt, and I cry even harder, what have I done? I say in a moaning voice, "I still love you." I move my hand up to his head and I stroke his hair, and then I hug him. I don't want to let him go, I get on top of Ryan, my lower body is still on the ground, but my top half is on his chest, I grab his face with both of my hands and I say, "Ryan, I don't want this to end, but sooner or later it has to." I lay my head on his chest, his arms wrap over me, and he says, "It doesn't have to." I grab his hand and I say, "Ryan, in going to be truthful with you, the only reason why I picked Wes was because my dad wanted me to pick Wes, my dad likes you Ryan, but my dad wants the american dream." Ryan shakes his head and says, "You're 18 now, You have a fiancée, you've had a baby, why would you even listen to your Dad? He has no more control over you, only your alpha does, and technically speaking I haven't taken you out if my pack, which means I'm your alpha." I smile, he can see that, he says, "Even though we aren't mated, could we still just be regular people who have fallen madly in love with each other?" I nod, I get up and I look Ryan in the eyes, and I say, "I think I've fallen madly in love with you, I think I'm ready to get married." He smiles, I kiss him, we get up and he takes something out of his pocket, and he says, "Here's your ring..." I smile and I take off Wes's necklace, and I throw it into the body of water, I take Ryan's ring and I put it on, we walk up to the house together hand and hand, I stop him at the door and I ask, "How about Wes? Won't he kill you?" He shakes his head and says, "leave it to me." I smile and I say, "when do you want to get married?" He smiles and says, "Tomorrow."
