Eric tried to find any excuse not to go to work, but I assured him I would be okay and still wanted some alone time to think about what I was going to do next. 

He suggested I could use the time to finish up the last bit of wedding planning too. I agreed that it was an excellent idea since we were about six weeks away from our wedding day.

After Eric finally left, it was almost lunchtime, and my stomach started growling. I was famished after not having eaten much the day before and from having an intense morning sex session with Eric. I figured I'd call Sasha to see if she wanted to meet up to grab a quick bite. I picked up my phone from the kitchen window ledge and turned it on.

Once it loaded, my notifications went wild. I had several voicemail notifications and texts. It was almost overwhelming, but I checked the text messages first. There were the texts from Eric, mentioning he heard about me getting fired and that he would come over after work. Then more texts from him after he came over asking me if I was okay and why wasn't I answering his calls or responding to his messages. I couldn't help but shake my head at Eric's eagerness to be a knight in shining armor.

Then there was a text from Sasha. She apologized for what happened and mentioned she was there if I needed to talk or cry. Her text made me smile.

Then there were a few texts from Adam. In his first one, he apologized for not coming in early enough to stop his father from firing me. Then he texted that he had exciting news and that he was coming over to see me. Then his last text said the security guard told him I wasn't home and that he would wait in the lounge area until he saw me because his news couldn't wait.

After I checked all my texts, I dialed into my voicemail. I had four new messages. The first one was from my mother, just wanting to check on me and that she couldn't wait to see me in just over a week from then to attend my bachelorette party. The second and third messages were from Eric, saying the same thing he already told me and mentioned in his text messages. I couldn't help but shake my head again, but I smiled at how concerned he sounded.

Then the last message was left last night at 10:12 p.m., which was around the time Adam was leaving my place. "Hey, Vicky. It's Ryan. Hopefully, you could already tell that it was me from when I said, hey. If you don't know my voice by now, then you don't know me at all." I couldn't help but laugh at how he said that so confidently. Only he could say something like that, and it didn't sound cheesy.

"Anyway," his message continued. "I know you probably want to be left alone right now, so I won't come and see you. Even though it's taking every inch of restraint to stop myself from drinking until I don't care anymore and just come over. But I told you I accepted your challenge and I have.

"For starters, I haven't had a drop of alcohol since the night at the club. I didn't even drink when we were at Belhemans Bar. Not even a little. I had the bartender give me only Coke all night. So I can't even use that as an excuse for losing my shit with Eric.

"After you left, Adam ran after Mr. Gima to explain away what I did, but it didn't work, and he and Peter were so beyond pissed with me. It was so embarrassing! They practically dragged me into the car like I was a troubled child being taken home by an angry parent. They even left Ashlee and Bruce to find their own way home, they were that pissed.

"They assumed I attacked Eric because I was drunk and told me I was an embarrassment to the company and the family. Peter immediately called my dad and told him what had happened and that the deal was off because of it. Anyway, long story short, when I found out my dad fired you and not me for what occurred, I was fed up.

"So I did the only logical thing I could think of. I went to talk to Mr. Gima. I explained what had happened and why it happened. He respected me for being so honest. I told him he should take the contract with us, but only if you were part of it. He thought that was a marvelous idea anyway because he said he was highly impressed with everything you did to make him and his team feel welcome and special.

"He also agreed when I suggested it wouldn't be smart to have me be a part of the build. So I had Bruce draft up the new contract, and within an hour, I walked into my dad's office. When I showed him the new conditions Mr. Gima set, he knew he couldn't refuse. Then my dad said he was sorry he had such an ungrateful and disrespectful son. He said he was ashamed of me and didn't think I deserved the title of Senior Partner or Lead Architect.

"That's when I agreed with him for once and quit. But before I left, I told him he shouldn't just let you come back to your original position. I told him you were too good to be just an assistant or an apprentice. I told him if he didn't give you my position, then he was a fool.

"I would have preferred to tell you all this in person, but I don't even know if you really want to see me ever again. Even if you go back to work for the company. Anyway, that's about it, really. I'm sure your ears are bleeding, just listening to me ramble. That or you deleted this message when you heard me say 'Hey,' and I'm just going on and on because I don't know how else to tell you with a sober mind that I love you.

"There, I said it. And I'll say it again. I love you. And know that I would travel into the depths of Hell and never return if I knew that you'd live a happy and full life. Even if it isn't with me.

"Okay, I'm going to go now. Good night and sweet dreams, Ms. Ashcroft."

***********

I couldn't make my way to Ryan's fast enough. I thought the universe was really testing me, to make sure I was certain of my decision, because when I was on the subway, there were so many delays. It turned out that several stations were closed for track repair, which caused the trains to sit idle in the middle of the tunnels for what seemed like forever. It drove me crazy.

When I finally got out at my destination, I still had four blocks to go to get to Ryan's. I didn't mind the walk as it gave me time to play his voicemail for the umpteenth time. I absorbed every word. While the words I love you made my heart skip, the part where he mentioned that he knew I wanted to be left alone, made my heart stop.

How could someone who had only known me for less than a year, not including our moments together during college, already know me enough to see I needed to be alone? But Eric was with me for four years and he didn't know that, and had to be told by Sasha. What did Eric love about me anyway? Or did he really love me at all?

As I walked up to his building entrance, my nerves were making my legs feel like Jell-O. The doorman greeted me so warmly, adding that he missed seeing me around. He didn't even buzz Ryan to confirm it was okay that I go up to see him. He just said, "I think he's been waiting for you for a while now." And gave me a friendly wink.

When I got off the elevator and walked towards Ryan's door, I had flashbacks of the last time I had been there. Recalling the moment when I charged in and tried to get him to convince me not to be with Eric. Only to find out that there was another woman in his place and he told me I should marry Eric. But that flashback was quickly replaced with his voice in my head, repeating the keywords from his message.

I pressed the doorbell and didn't wait long before his door opened. There he stood, in front of me, in a simple pair of jeans and nothing else. I couldn't help but inhale deeply at the sight of his perfect torso, with every muscle clearly defined. His hair was gel-free too, which made his mystical eyes look even more magical at that moment. My eyes rested on his firm jaw, clenched like he wanted to smile at seeing me but wasn't sure if he should.

I could see he was about to say something, but I didn't give him a chance. Without any hesitation, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. He wrapped his arms and carried me into his apartment, kicking his door closed along the way. The feeling from his lips was more loving than anything I ever felt from Eric's. Ryan's kiss was full of meaning, and I could tell it wasn't just lust anymore. I realized this was true love's kiss.

When we finally separated, I smiled at him and said, "I love you too."

He beamed, held me tighter against his protective frame, and kissed me again. When we finally came back up for air, he rested his forehead against mine and locked eyes with me. "So, you listened to the entire message I take it?"

I gave a shy glance, but confidently proclaimed, "More than once."

"I love you, Ms. Ashcroft." He kissed me again, but lightly, before leading me over to sit on his couch. Though his couch was long, he had me snuggle close. I curled up my knees and rested them against him.

He draped one arm around the back of the couch and played with the end of my braid, while his other hand rested on my knee. He looked at me seriously. "Vicky, I want to be a better man for you. I've been thinking over everything that's happened since we met. And I mean all the way back in college until now, and I want to say how sorry I am for all the shitty things I've ever done to you."

I cupped his face in my hand and made sure he was really looking at me. "It's okay. Really. That's all in the past now."

He sighed. "I hope it is. I'm just really good at destroying everything I love. Like I can't let anyone get close to me because I don't want my heart broken, like it had before."

"I will never break your heart."

"But you're getting married to someone else."

I was thoughtful for a moment, really contemplating his very valid point. Thinking of my history with both men in an instant and realizing there was only one solution. "All you have to do is say the word, and I'm all yours."

He looked excited for a moment and then completely freaked out. "Are you sure about this? What if I fuck up and break your heart?"

I contemplated that, especially with Ryan's track record of me catching him with other women. But then again, he and I weren't together.

Looking calmly into his dreamy eyes, all I could see was someone who had nothing but complete devotion for me. "Because we're meant to be. It was always meant to be us. And only us. I know nothing can come between that. No matter how hard some may try, I am yours, and you are mine."

"Just when I thought I was about to lose you forever. I don't know how I got so lucky." He paused and looked down at my hand. He played with my engagement band, spinning it around my finger. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I think we both know the answer to that question."