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“Yeah, really.” I all but yanked open the nearby drawer, making the cutlery rattle, and then retrieved a small spoon. “Wouldn’t he have encouraged me to stay if he wanted something serious with me at some point?”

“Not necessarily. I mean, he could still be dancing around the idea in his head. Or maybe he’s unsure where you’re at—that might make him hesitant to fess up. There’s one way to find out for certain. When he gets back, you could tell him that you want more and ask if it’s a one-way thing.”

Stirring my tea, I snorted. “Yeah, no.” She was bloody mental if she thought I’d go down that road.

“You might as well get it out into the open.”

“No, I might as well not.”

“Oh come on, don’t be a chicken.”

“I’m not scared to give it to him straight, I just don’t believe he’s ready to hear it yet.” I tossed my spoon into the sink and then closed the cutlery drawer. “I’d rather not send him packing by—”

She squawked down the phone.

“I’m pretty sure chickens don’t make that noise, if that’s what you were aiming for.” I took a sip of my tea. “Sounded more like a crow or something.”

“First of all, that was an excellent imitation of a chicken. Second of all, you’re just trying to derail the conversation and I’m not allowing it.”

Knuckles wrapped on the front door.

I frowned. “Is that you?”

“Me, what?”

“At the door.”

“No. Ooh, he’s back. Okay, go jump in with both feet and see what happens. Oh, and call me afterwards.” She hung up.

Snorting again, I set both my cup and phone down on the counter. The woman was genuinely high if she thought I’d follow that advice. Scaring off Cole was nowhere on my list of things to do.

More eager to see him than I’d like, I made my way through the apartment. If he gave me any indication that he did truly want more, I’d be all over it. But unless or until that happened, I’d keep my own wants private. The last thing I wanted him to feel was pressured.

Reaching the front door, I opened it wide.

And Ryland barged inside.

I gaped, my brows snapping together. “What in the bloody fresh hell are you doing here?”

He jutted out his chin. “I told you we needed to talk.”

My blood boiling, I fisted my hands. “You do not get to come here uninvited—and just to note, you’ll never be invited.More, you definitely don’t get to force your way inside.” I pointed at the open door. “Out. Now.” Or I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions.

Instead, he backed into the living area, almost bumping into the sofa, and held up his hands. “I know I probably shouldn’t have gone about it this way, but there are things I need to say to you, and you wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

I felt my frown deepen as I stalked toward him. “I can’t understand how that would surprise you. Or why you thought this would ever be a good idea.”

“I left you alone for weeks so you could calm down enough to hear me out.”

“I don’t want to hear you out, I just want … Oh my God,” I whispered, coming to an abrupt halt. Because he’d dropped to one knee and was pulling something out of his pocket.

He opened a jewelry box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. Oh this wasn’t happening. It wasn’t. It absolutely wasn’t.

“Izzy, you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, inside and out. I didn’t expect to grow to care for you this much. I didn’t even realize how much you meant to me until you left my life.”

My blood pressure undoubtedly rising, I scrunched up my face. “Ryland, don’t do this.” I couldn’t quite get my head around the fact that hewasdoing it.

“All I’ve done during the time we spent apart is miss you like hell. Giving you space over the past few weeks was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But I have no one to blame other than myself for how you pushed me away—I know that.”

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