Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,117

learn how this damn movie ended. An hour later, she showered and changed and drove to Gabriella’s beneath the stars with the windows open, allowing her hair to dry in the night air, speakers blaring as one must on such an evening.

Only when she arrived at the cottage, Gabriella was nowhere to be found.

A little disappointed, she let the music continue to play through the open windows as she sat on the steps in front of the cottage, content to wait forever if she had to. This was the love of her life, and she wasn’t about to sell her short for another moment in this lifetime. Gabriella Russo deserved the sun, the moon, and the stars, and Ryan was hell-bent on giving them to her.

It was around forty minutes later that she heard the trickle of overlapping voices coming up the walk. When she saw the four of them approach, Ryan stood, nervous as hell but determined to be brave no matter how terrified. She focused fully on her love for Gabriella and refused to let herself think about all that could go wrong in the next thirty minutes. She’d imagined every last one of those scenarios on the drive over, hearing Gabriella’s voice explain away that kiss in a million different ways.

It was the excitement from the game. Doesn’t mean anything’s changed.

It was a really nice moment, Ryan, but I’m afraid that’s all it can be.

Oh, the kiss? That was just to distract you at first base. I’m sorry if it confused you. That one was Ryan’s second least favorite, next to Madison and I are still giving it a shot. I’m sorry.

She heard them all in a jumble as Gabriella and her friends approached, still laughing and talking over each other.

“I’m just saying”—Joey’s voice was immediately recognizable—“that if you’d listen to me, you’d understand the importance of a fleeting glance across a crowded room.”

“Mine always come off as stalker-like.” Madison.

Gabriella laughed. “Only eight women have said that. Don’t worry.”

Was the group heading to Gabriella’s to continue their evening and Ryan had just completely crashed? She panicked and glanced behind her for a hidden door to escape through. Nothing. Instead she shifted her weight uneasily and raised a hand. “Hey,” she said to the group, but her eyes were trained on only one person. “You weren’t home, so I thought I’d wait.”

Joey and Madison exchanged looks, and Madison gestured with a head to her cottage back down the path. They’d picked a new gathering spot.

“We’ll let you talk,” Becca said and gave Gabriella’s shoulder a squeeze. Gabriella nodded, but her gaze hadn’t moved from where Ryan stood on the steps. Ryan searched her face for answers, but her features gave nothing away.

“Hey,” Gabriella said once they were alone. “Didn’t expect to see you.”

Ryan nodded and swallowed. “Yeah, well, pretty sure I wouldn’t sleep tonight if we didn’t talk.” She lifted a hand as Gabriella ascended the steps and took a seat. “Sorry about the blurting on base.”

“Sorry about the kissing on base.”

“Yeah,” Ryan said with a half smile and rapidly heating cheeks.

A pause. “No, I’m not,” Gabriella said with determination. She turned and looked at Ryan head-on, that stare unwavering and mirroring her delivery.

Ryan exhaled. “I was worried you’d regret every second. I haven’t made things easy.”

“You think?” Gabriella asked. Her mouth turned up on one side and her eyes went wide. She shook her head. “What are we going to do with ourselves?”

“Beware of the self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Gabriella turned to her. “Is that what got you? You decided we were doomed, so we were?”

Ryan looked out at the darkened fields in front of them, highlighted partially by a dusting of porch light castoff. “I’m about to confess everything.” She leaned back on her hands and stretched out her legs. “Are you ready?”

“I think so.”

“I thought I was sent to you so you could figure out your feelings for Madison. I decided she was everything you ever wanted, and I never would be. In doing so, I proceeded to act like the asshole of the century, which did what?”

“Pushed me straight to Madison, who’s entirely wrong for me, who doesn’t have my heart.”

Ryan held out a hand. “Self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Gabriella walked down the steps and turned back to her, thoughtful. “The problem is you didn’t account for the other variables.”

“Like?”

“That I’m a human being with free will, and I get to decide what I feel and what I want.”

“Right,” Ryan sighed, as dread descended. She’d taken all of those liberties