Page 114 of Say Yes to the Nemesis
The way he says my name makes my stomach flip. Soft and rough at the same time, like he’s been holding it in his mouth too long.
I can’t stop thinking about when he told me that love don’t mean anything.Just because they say it, doesn’t mean they stay.His voice went flat, but I could hear the hurt in it. I don’t think he’s ever said that out loud before.
My heart aches for him. I want to be the one to change that for him. To make him whole. I smile and tilt my head, taking him in.
“We shouldn’t be here,” I whisper.
“I know.”
“Someone will notice we’re both missing.”
“I know.”
I flush under Ryan’s gaze. I used to fade into the background. Now people look. I’m not ready… but I’m not hiding, either.
He reaches up and brushes a strand of hair away from my face. His fingers linger against my cheek, and I lean into the touch before I can stop myself.
“I can’t stop thinking about the hotel,” he says quietly.
My breath catches. “Ryan…”
“You’ve been avoiding me all day.”
“I haven’t been avoiding you.”
He raises an eyebrow and I flush, caught in the lie.
“Okay, maybe I have been. But you know why.”
“Actually, I don’t. Everything was perfect and then we came back here and you turned into ice.”
I look away, but there’s nowhere to go in this tiny space. The light from my phone casts strange shadows on the walls, making everything feel surreal.
“It wasn’t real,” I say finally.
“What?”
“The hotel. The weekend. It was like… like playing house. But this is real life, Ryan. This is your job and my job and cameras are everywhere and my brother who would literally murder you if he found out.”
Ryan’s jaw tightens. “So what, we just pretend it never happened?”
“Yes.”
“Bullshit.”
The word comes out sharp and I flinch. He immediately softens, stepping even closer until I can smell his cologne mixed with something that’s just him.
“You’re…” I search for the right word. “You’re dangerous.”
“Dangerous how?”
“You make me forget things. Important things. Like the fact that this is temporary and you’re Ryan Haart and I’m nobody.”
His expression darkens. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s true.”
“It’s not.” He cups my face in both hands, forcing me to look at him. “You’re not nobody, Wren. You’re everything.”
