Chapter 64: Rooftop Bonding
The convention center was quiet now, save for the hum of cleaning crews and the faint rustle of programs being swept into bins. Ava leaned against the wall near the elevator, her heels dangling from one hand and her hair falling loose from its earlier updo. The day had been a whirlwind of matchmaking mayhem, Julian’s smug superiority, and Ethan’s chocolate fountain disaster. She’d survived—barely—but at what cost? Her sanity was hanging by a thread, and her patience for Ryan’s constant teasing wasn’t far behind.
Ryan strolled up, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking far too relaxed for soone who had just survived a war zone of romance. "You look like you’ve been through a blender," he said, eyeing her rumpled dress and the faint chocolate sar on her hemline.
"Thanks for the observation, Captain Obvious," Ava muttered, too tired to even glare at him.
He leaned casually against the wall beside her, his shoulder brushing hers. "Hey, at least we didn’t get kicked out after the chocolate fountain thing. That’s a win."
Ava sighed, closing her eyes. "Barely. I’m surprised Ethan didn’t demand that we be escorted out of the building."
"Trust ," Ryan said, his grin audible in his tone. "His ego took a bigger hit than his dry-cleaning bill."
Despite herself, Ava smiled. "Small victories."
They stood there in comfortable silence for a mont, the chaos of the day finally receding into the background. But Ava’s mind, ever restless, wouldn’t let her relax. There was still Julian to deal with, more challenges to navigate, and the creeping feeling that she wasn’t enough—that her instincts, no matter how sharp, might not be enough to win this.
Ryan, as always, seed to sense her inner turmoil. "Co on," he said, nudging her with his elbow. "Let’s get so air."
---
The Rooftop Escape
The rooftop of the Manhattan Regal was just as breathtaking as Ava rembered it. String lights crisscrossed the open space, casting a soft, golden glow over the seating area. The New York City skyline stretched out before them, a glittering tapestry of light and life.
Ava walked to the edge, setting her heels down and gripping the railing. The cool night air kissed her skin, and for the first ti all day, she felt like she could breathe.
Ryan joined her, leaning against the railing with a casual ease that made her both envious and irritated. "You know," he said, tilting his head toward the skyline, "you should probably stop worrying for five seconds and just look at this."
"I’m not worrying," Ava lied, her gaze fixed on the distant glow of the Empire State Building.
Ryan shot her a knowing look. "Right. Because you always furrow your brow like that when you’re completely relaxed."
She rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. Instead, she let the quiet hum of the city fill the space between them.
"You’re doing fine, you know," Ryan said after a mont, his voice softer now. "Better than fine, actually."
Ava turned to him, surprised. "You think so?"
"I know so," Ryan said, eting her gaze. "You’ve dealt with Julian, Ethan, Astrid, and a literal flood of chocolate today, and you’re still standing. That’s more than most people could handle."
Ava huffed a quiet laugh. "Barely standing."
"But still standing," Ryan said, his tone firm. "You’re tougher than you give yourself credit for, Lee."
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard, and she felt her defenses falter. "It just... it feels like too much sotis," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Julian’s got his algorithms, Astrid’s got her star charts, and I’m over here trying to convince people to trust their instincts. What if it’s not enough?"
Ryan straightened, turning to face her fully. "It is enough. You’re enough. And honestly? You’ve got sothing none of them have."
Ava raised an eyebrow. "What’s that? A tendency to spill champagne on myself?"
Ryan smirked. "Charm."
Ava blinked. "Charm?"
"Yep," Ryan said, leaning closer. "You’ve got this way of making people feel seen, like they matter. Julian’s got his data, but he can’t connect with people the way you can. And Astrid? Let’s be real—she’s too busy consulting the stars to notice what’s right in front of her."
Ava stared at him, her heart doing that annoying flip-flop thing again. She wanted to brush off his words, to deflect with sarcasm like she always did, but sothing in his expression stopped her. He wasn’t teasing. He ant it.
"Thanks," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion.
Ryan’s smirk softened into a small, genuine smile. "Anyti."
---
# The Kiss
The city lights sparkled below them like scattered diamonds on black velvet, a perfect backdrop for this mont that seed to hover between reality and dream. The warm sumr breeze carried the faint scent of jasmine from the rooftop garden, mingling with the subtle notes of Ryan’s cologne—sothing woodsy and warm that made Ava’s heart skip in a way she’d never admit out loud.
For a mont, they just stood there, the city lights casting an ethereal glow over their faces. The noise of the world below seed to fade away, leaving only the sound of their breathing and the faint rustle of the breeze through Ava’s loose hair. Ryan’s eyes caught the golden light of the string lights above them, turning them into pools of amber that held her gaze with an intensity that made her breath catch.
The air between them felt charged, electric with possibility. Ava could feel her pulse quickening, her body hyper-aware of every point where they almost touched—his shoulder near hers, his hand just centiters from her waist, the warmth radiating from him in the cool night air. The universe seed to hold its breath, waiting.
She noticed the small details about him she’d never allowed herself to truly see before: the slight curl at the nape of his neck, the faint dimple in his left cheek, the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when he looked at her. His usual smirk had softened into sothing more vulnerable, more real, and it made her heart flutter in her chest like a trapped butterfly.
Ava didn’t know who moved first—maybe they both did, drawn together like magnets finally released from their restraints. Ryan’s hand ca up to brush her cheek, his touch feather-light and reverent, as if she might disappear if he pressed too hard. His thumb traced the line of her cheekbone, sending shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the evening breeze.
And then his lips were on hers—gentle at first, barely there, like he was asking a question. The kiss was soft, tentative, a whispered possibility rather than a declaration. But when Ava responded, leaning into him with a sigh that felt like surrender, it deepened into sothing more. Sothing that felt like coming ho and stepping off a cliff all at once.
The world tilted on its axis as Ryan’s other hand found her waist, pulling her closer. Ava’s fingers gripped the railing behind her for support, even as her free hand slid up to tangle in the soft hair at the nape of his neck. The kiss was everything she didn’t know she needed—steadying and exhilarating all at once, grounding her even as it sent her heart soaring into the star-studded sky above them.
Ti seed to lose all aning. The kiss could have lasted seconds or centuries; Ava couldn’t tell anymore. All she knew was the warmth of Ryan’s lips against hers, the solid strength of his arms around her, the way their hearts seed to beat in perfect synchronization. This wasn’t the frenzied, passionate kiss of romance novels—it was better. It was real, tender, and full of unspoken words and promises.
When they finally pulled apart, Ryan rested his forehead against hers, his breath mingling with hers in the small space between them. His eyes remained closed for a mont, as if he too was trying to morize every detail of this mont. When they opened, they held a warmth that made Ava’s knees weak.
"Been wanting to do that for a while," he murmured, his voice low and slightly rough around the edges. His thumb traced lazy circles on her waist, sending little sparks of electricity through her body.
Ava’s lips curved into a smile she couldn’t contain. "Really? I couldn’t tell from all the arguing and teasing."
Ryan’s signature grin returned, but it was softer now, tinged with sothing that looked suspiciously like affection. "What can I say? You’re cute when you’re annoyed."
She rolled her eyes, but didn’t pull away. "Careful, or I might start to think you actually like ."
"More than you know," he whispered, and the sincerity in his voice made her heart stutter. His hand moved from her cheek to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the gesture so tender it almost hurt.
"I like you too," she admitted, the words falling from her lips before she could stop them. "Even when you’re being impossible."
"Especially when I’m being impossible," he corrected, his grin widening. Then, more seriously, "You make
want to be better, you know that? Less impossible, maybe. But only slightly."
Ava laughed softly, the sound carrying on the night breeze. "Don’t change too much. I might miss arguing with you."
"Never fear," Ryan said, pressing another quick kiss to her lips that sohow felt both playful and profound. "I’ll always find sothing to argue about with you, Lee. It’s part of my charm."
Their quiet laughter mingled in the space between them, a private lody carried away by the wind. For just a mont, everything else fell away—the convention, Julian’s sches, Ethan’s drama, all of it. There was only this: the two of them, the starlit sky, and the promise of sothing beautiful beginning.
The spell was broken by a crash from below, yanking them back to reality with all the subtlety of a foghorn. Ava groaned, dropping her head to Ryan’s shoulder as he chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest.
"What now?"
Ryan sighed, already heading for the stairs. "If I had to guess? i."
"Of course," Ava muttered, grabbing her heels and following him.
Sure enough, when they reached the lobby, they found i standing next to an overturned display of brochures, Harold holding an empty tray that had clearly once contained hors d’oeuvres.
"What happened?" Ava asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Oh, nothing," i said breezily. "Just a minor misunderstanding with the catering staff. Did you know they charge extra for extra shrimp? Outrageous!"
Ryan chuckled, pulling Ava back toward the elevator. "You were saying sothing about chaos?"
Ava shook her head, laughing despite herself. "Remind
why I let you people into my life?"
"Because you love us," Ryan said, his grin teasing but his tone warm.
Ava rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. As exhausting as it all was, she couldn’t imagine facing it without them.
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