Wheel You Marry Me?

CHAPTER 25.

A couple of weeks passed, and my relationship with Ryan was blooming like spring roses after a long, cruel winter. I never imagined him to be such a hopeless romantic. From surprise candlelit dinners to impromptu weekend getaways, and tiny, thoughtful gifts that somehow always held deep meaning he kept outdoing himself. He even started spending more time at my place than his own. At this point, it felt like we were living together.

My debut album was performing phenomenally. It had become an unexpected hit, and the demand was overwhelming in the best way. My manager had started organizing a tour,first across the country, then internationally. Life was finally rewarding me for the scars I had endured. And Ryan? He was the cherry on top. He made me feel like I was the only woman in the world.

"Hey babe, do you want me to order something to eat?" Ryan called from the living room, his voice filled with warmth.

This man fed me more than any Italian grandmother. "Yeah, I'm starving!" I called back, towel-wrapping my freshly washed hair.

I dried and oiled it, then walked into the living room where he was glued to his laptop, typing furiously. He was building his app from scratch, and it looked like launch day was fast approaching. I loved seeing him so focused, so determined. We were each other's biggest cheerleaders, and I couldn't have asked for better.

There was a knock at the door.

"That must be the delivery guy," Ryan said without looking up.

I opened the door and took the bag. "Wow, I didn't know you ordered Chinese."

He glanced up, amused. "Uh... Do you want something else?"

"No! No, Chinese is perfect," I said quickly. We sat down and dug in.

As we ate, he casually said, "Douglas is in town. I thought maybe we could grab dinner together, kind of like a double date. What do you think?"

I swallowed, surprised. "I think that's a brilliant idea."

He smiled, visibly relieved. I loved that he cared so much about my opinion, even over something as simple as dinner plans.

After our meal, we snuggled on the couch watching a thriller. Midway through the movie, Ryan got a call from his dad.

"I'll pick you up later for dinner, okay? Love you," he said, kissing me softly before leaving.

I sighed contentedly and laid back, but my phone buzzed. It was Skylar.

"Hey, babes!" she chirped.

"I miss you!" I said. "Ryan told me about tonight. I can't wait to see you."

"Same here. I was just making sure you knew about the double date. Got to go now my client's waiting. Love you!"

"Love you too!" I said before she hung up.

Bored, I checked my Instagram. My notifications were blowing up. People from around the world were tagging me in their stories, dancing to my songs. Some even begged me to come perform in their cities. The love was overwhelming.

Just then another knock.

Still scrolling, I walked to the door, opened it without looking up.

Then someone cleared their throat.

I looked up.

My jaw dropped. "Jeffrey!"

He smiled, arms wide open. "Hey, Aurora. I missed you."

I pulled him into a tight hug. He smelled like home. When I pulled back, I could barely believe my eyes. He had grown so much taller, stronger, more confident. Gone was the boy I knew. Before me stood a young man.