Chapter 97

Emma's POV

Ryan didn’t look surprised, but there was a flash of something in his eyes—relief, maybe, or understanding. He nodded slowly, his hand still lingering near my face as if he wasn’t sure whether to pull away or cup my cheek again. “We don’t have to figure it all out right now, Emma,” he said softly. “We can take it one step at a time.”

“I know,” I whispered, though the thought of moving at a snail’s pace made me feel like I was suffocating. “It’s just… I’m not used to this.”

“Used to what?”

“To feel this way,” I admitted, my voice trembling slightly.

To want something so badly, but not knowing if I can actually handle it...

I thought in my mind as I could not say this aloud

And then, just as the protagonist confessed his love in the most heart-wrenching scene, Ryan paused the film and turned to me, his face earnest.

"Emma," he began softly, his voice full of an emotion I couldn’t quite identify, "There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you."

My heart skipped a beat, and