Chapter 6
I didn’t care whether they believed me or not. I didn’t even look back–I just walked away.
Because of that little scene, I ended up running a bit late for dinner.
When I arrived, Ryan was folding a napkin into a flower.
The moment he saw me walk in, he adjusted the shape, then held it up in front of me. “Ta–da! Pretty?”
I blinked.
“It’s beautiful. So detailed. You’re amazing!
“Sorry, I’m late. Something came up. Did I keep you waiting?”
At my apology, Ryan lowered his gaze and gently set the napkin rose down. A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. Then, after a short pause, like he couldn’t hold back, he added, “I heard from the driver you ran into a friend.”
I froze.
I’d openly chased Timothy for so long–anyone who paid attention would know. Ryan didn’t even need to ask–he probably knew everything.
But we hadn’t brought it up at all these past few days.
Now that he mentioned it… he probably did mind.
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I rushed to explain. “I don’t even consider that guy a friend.”
He looked at me, gently probing. “An old friend, then?”
“Not even.” I thought for a second. “At most… a past mistake.”
The tension on Ryan’s face cracked–he laughed.
Seeing him smile, I quickly handed him the gift. “I was late because I couldn’t decide what to get you.
“See if you like it.”
He blinked, then his eyes lit up. “For me?”
I nodded. He looked like a kid who just got a trophy from the teacher, completely delighted as he carefully took the bag.
He opened the box and gently ran his fingers over the tie, eyes sparkling.
“Thank you, Odie.
“I really like it.”
Realizing he might’ve crossed a line, he looked up, cautious. “Is it okay if I call you that?”
I blinked back. “Of course.”
Ryan beamed–so much so that he immediately reached up and pulled off his current tie.
I blinked. “You’re not going back to the office?”
“No,” he shook his head. “I just want to wear the one you gave me.”
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Then he looked at me with starry eyes. “Would you help me put it on?”
I glanced at the suit he was wearing today–navy blue.
After a long inner struggle, I finally couldn’t help but say, “Of course I’d love to help…
“But a navy suit with a black and white tie… doesn’t that look a little weird?”
But Ryan didn’t think so at all. In fact, he lifted his chin proudly.
“That’s the point–so people will ask me why my tie’s so special today.
“Then I can tell them it’s the tie you gave me.
“And you helped me put it on.”
4
He was fully lost in the moment, swaying a little as he spoke, looking more and more pleased with himself.
I imagined if he had a tail, it’d be wagging wildly behind him by now. Kind of adorable.
But still… Even though we’d been spending a lot of time together lately, we hadn’t made anything official.
I hesitated.
“Tying someone’s tie like that… usually only couples do that, right?
“If you go around telling people, won’t they get the wrong idea?”
He froze mid–daydream. He lowered his eyes, thought for a second, and then spoke.
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“I said from the start–I want to marry you, Odie.
“I hope it’s not a misunderstanding.
“I want it to be true.”
He glanced at me, then quickly looked away, almost like he was afraid.
“What about… you?”
Ryan always spoke his mind so directly that it left my brain lagging.
“I…”
Maybe it was because I’d been stuck in a one–sided crush for so long. In my head, it still felt like we hadn’t known each other that long.
And with such little time, it didn’t feel realistic to confirm something this serious–even if, deep down, he already meant a lot to me.
While I hesitated in silence, he had already looked away, his eyes falling.
“It’s okay, Odie. I’m not trying to pressure you.”
