Page 142 of The Most Perfect Wrong

He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he fights back the tears welling in his eyes. “But then, in Austin, when I found out how unhappy you were… I told myself right then and there, I’ll fight for her. I’ll wait. I won’t give up.”

I laugh through my tears. “Of course you did.”

“But then something incredible happened.” His smile softens, his gaze steady as he searches my face, waiting.

I blink. “What?” I whisper, barely audible.

“You didn’t give up either,” he says, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Not on yourself. Not on me. Not on us.”

“God,” I cry out, my voice cracking as I swipe at the tears streaming down my face.

He chuckles softly. “I love you, Cooper Bradley,” he says, pausing before adding with a grin, “Not to be confused with Bradley Cooper.”

I tip my head back, laugh-crying. “Shut up. You’re so…awesome,” I choke out, my laughter mixing with sobs.

Ryan picks up the ring box, flipping it open with care. The sparkle of the diamond catches in the light as his eyes lock on mine, his smile growing. “Will you marry me?”

I nod, frantically, the lump in my throat too big to speak.

His grin grows. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” I cry out. “Yes.”

He takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto my trembling finger. It’s gorgeous—perfect—just like him.

He kisses my hand, and I tug him to his feet. Before he can fully stand, I smash my lips against his, nearly knocking him off balance. “I love you,” I whisper between kisses, my arms wrapping tightly around his neck.

He laughs softly, lifting me and spinning us in a circle. “I love you too, babe,” he murmurs. His lips find mine again, this time slower, deeper. His hands cradle my face, his thumbs brushing away tears I didn’t realize were still falling.

I pull back, breathless, needing to see him, to memorize every detail of this moment. Pure, unapologetic joy courses through me, lighting me up from the inside out. I cup his cheek, my thumb gliding over the damp trail of his tears. “Thank you for loving me when no one else did… when I couldn’t even love myself.”

His eyes glisten, and instead of answering, he kisses me again—fierce, devoted, endless. Then he lifts me, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carries me toward my dad’s house. The ocean waves crash behind us, and all I can think is that nothing about this has ever felt wrong.

With Ryan, it’s always felt right—like this was exactly where I was meant to be.

Perfect.