Page 182 of Say Yes to the Nemesis

“I was in love. There’s a difference.”

“Are you still? In love, I mean.”

He shifts so he can look down at me. His expression is so tender it makes my chest ache. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re stuck with me.”

“Good. Because I already bought groceries for two for the rest of the week.”

I hit his chest playfully. “Romantic as always.”

“I have my moments.”

He does. Last week he surprised me with takeout from my favorite Thai place because I’d had a rough day at work. The week before that, he drove an hour out of his way to get me a specific kind of donut that I mentioned liking once. Small thingsthat show he pays attention, that he cares about the details that make me happy.

“Do you ever miss it?” I ask. “The show, I mean. The drama and the cameras and everyone watching your every move.”

“Hell no. Do you?”

I consider this. “I miss some of the people. Jennifer still texts me pictures of whatever outrageous outfit she’s putting together. Hana and I have lunch once a month. Even some of the other women and I keep in touch.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“No, I don’t miss it. I liked parts of it, but I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad we get to be normal now.”

“Is this normal?” He gestures around the room, at us tangled up in bed.

“This is better than normal.”

“Yeah. It is.”

My phone buzzes on the dresser. I ignore it. It’s probably another interview request or someone wanting to know if we’re planning a TV wedding or some other ridiculous question about our relationship.

“Ellie called me yesterday,” Ryan says.

“Oh yeah? How’s the wedding planning going?”

“She’s stress-eating cake samples and making Jake try on seventeen different tuxedos.”

“Sounds about right.”

“She wants you to be in the wedding.”

I lift my head to look at him. “Really?”

“Really. She said you’re basically her sister now anyway, so you might as well make it official.”

The thought makes me unexpectedly emotional. I’ve never had a sister. Ellie has become one of my favorite people in the world. She’s funny and smart and completely unimpressed by Ryan’s fame, which I find endlessly entertaining.

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her to ask you herself, but that I thought you’d probably say yes.”

“I would. I will. I love weddings.”

“Good. Because we’ll probably have our own to plan eventually.”

The casual way he says it makes my heart skip. We’ve talked about the future in vague terms, but never anything this concrete. Never anything that sounds like a promise.