Page 156 of The Right Move

Alex leans in and says something in her ear as her arm is politely wrapped around his, but she doesn’t respond with words. She only wears a smile for the crowd to see. Her perfectly happy mask.

But I’m privileged enough to know what’s underneath the polished girl, and I get one final glance from her before she exits the room.

The time between the ceremony and the reception is agonizing, knowing she’s here somewhere, taking pictures and not with me. I want to speak with her, hold her, hide away from the rest of these people who haven’t left me alone.

I’ve signed countless autographs and worn my professional smile, answering their probing questions diplomatically.

I’ll be back on the court soon.

My knee is feeling great.

And my roommate is in the wedding party when asked how I know the bride and groom. Truthfully, I know we aren’t just fucking roommates, but I have no idea what Indy wants me to introduce myself as.

These are her people, were her people, and I’m not sure what she wants them to believe.

She and I, we aren’t as different as I once believed us to be. We both put on a facade for the rest of the world, knowing what people want to hear and see, but at home, we’re ourselves, and I love that I have that piece of her.

After thirty minutes of being “on,” I find a small hidden cove outside of the reception area to hide away in. It’s hard to live up to fans’ expectations of the real-life Ryan Shay when all I can focus on is finding out if Indy wants to be with me.

With my hands in my pockets and my head low, I take a few moments to center myself, knowing I need to be a professional when I go back out there. When I go anywhere.

There are so many strangers, it makes my skin crawl, knowing my every move is being watched, but I’d do it a hundred times over and be here today if Indy needed me to.

“You hiding, Shay?”

Looking up, Indy’s neck is craned, peeking into the isolated cove, bouquet of white flowers dangling in her hand. Beautiful as ever. Happy too. And I can only hope I’m the reason for that.

“You know me too well, Ivers.”

“Can I hide with you?”

Head leaning back on the wall, I take a deep breath thanks to her proximity. “You can hide with me forever, baby.”

Ducking into the small cove, she tucks away with me for no one else to see. “You’ve been avoiding my calls.”

“I know.”

“I have something I need to tell you.”

“Me first.”

“Ryan—”

“I’ve got to say some things, Ind. I need you to know where I stand and what I want, in case I haven’t made it clear. I need to throw my hat in the ring.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

But I do. With a room full of her previous life, there are things she needs to know.

I take her hand, intertwining our fingers, memorizing the way we look molded together.

“I want you, Indy. I want us. I want our little life we’ve built even when we thought we were pretending. I want you in our house because you’ve made it a home. I want your mess and your chaos. I want your genuine smiles, the ones you wear when you’re around my sister, the hockey team, and me. I want you happy, and I want to be the reason you are. I want you to choose me.”

“Ry—”

“I understand what I’m competing against. I know I don’t have your history, but I want your future.”

“Ryan—”

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