As the car hummed softly beneath them, Ryan Hayes gripped the steering wheel a little tighter than usual. Avery sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring out of the window as the city lights blurred past. The earlier warmth of their evening had been disrupted, and Ryan knew he needed to address the unspoken tension hanging in the air.
“I should probably explain about Ji-Yeon,” Ryan began, his tone measured.
Avery turned her head slightly, her gray eyes unreadable. “You don’t have to.”
“No, I think I should,” he insisted, glancing at her briefly before focusing back on the road. “Ji-Yeon and I had a thing back in college. It wasn’t anything dramatic, but it lasted a few months. We clicked at first, but it became clear pretty quickly that we wanted different things.”
“What do you mean?” Avery asked, her voice even.
Ryan sighed, as if remembering something complicated. “She’s ambitious—brilliant, really—but her career always came first, and I respected that. The problem was that our futures didn’t align. I wanted to settle down eventually, and she… didn’t. She had big plans to move around the world and chase opportunities wherever they led her. It wasn’t something I could see myself being part of, so we ended things.”
Avery nodded slowly, though her mind was still elsewhere. She didn’t know why Ji-Yeon’s appearance had unsettled her so much. Maybe it was how effortlessly poised and stunning she had been, or maybe it was the way she had spoken to Ryan with a familiarity that made Avery feel like an outsider.
“You okay?” Ryan asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“I’m fine,” Avery said quickly, though her tone lacked conviction.
Ryan wasn’t convinced. He glanced at her again, noticing the way her posture had stiffened and the distracted look in her eyes. Wanting to bring back some of the lightness from earlier, he decided to shift the mood.
“So,” he began, a playful smile tugging at his lips, “I think we can both agree that Ji-Yeon has a knack for making an entrance. But can we also agree that the chocolate soufflé was a solid 10 out of 10?”
Avery couldn’t help but smile faintly, though she kept her gaze on the road ahead. “It was good. Probably the highlight of the evening.”
“Ouch,” Ryan said, feigning offense. “What about my coat rack story? That didn’t make the top three?”
Avery chuckled softly, finally meeting his gaze. “Alright, maybe the coat rack story comes in second.”
“Second?” Ryan exclaimed in mock outrage. “I spilled my soul for that story! What’s first, then?”
Avery smirked. “The soufflé. Obviously.”
Ryan laughed, and the sound was warm and unguarded. Avery felt herself relax slightly, the earlier tension beginning to dissipate.
The car slowed as they pulled up in front of Avery’s apartment building. Ryan shifted into park but didn’t immediately reach for his door. Instead, he turned toward Avery, his expression thoughtful.
“Wait here a second,” he said, unbuckling his seatbelt and reaching into the back seat.
Before Avery could ask what he was doing, Ryan leaned forward with a bouquet of fresh white lilies wrapped in simple brown paper.
“Thought you might like these,” he said, holding them out to her with a small, sheepish smile. “I was going to give them to you earlier, but the timing didn’t feel right after everything with Ji-Yeon.”
Avery’s breath caught as she took the bouquet, her fingers brushing against the paper. The flowers were beautiful, their subtle fragrance filling the car.
“Thank you,” she said softly, her heart warming despite herself.
Ryan shrugged, though his smile was genuine. “I just wanted to make sure you ended the night on a good note.”
Avery looked at him, her gray eyes softening. “You didn’t have to do that. But… it means a lot.”
Ryan stepped out of the car and walked around to open Avery’s door, another small gesture that didn’t go unnoticed. She climbed out carefully, still holding the bouquet.
As they stood under the glow of the streetlamp, Avery turned to him with a faint smile. “Goodnight, Ryan. I had a fun evening.”
Ryan returned her smile, his hazel eyes warm. “Goodnight, Avery. I’m glad you came out tonight.”
She nodded, clutching the flowers a little tighter as she made her way to the building’s entrance. Ryan waited until she disappeared inside before getting back into the car.