Chapter 99: Settling Into a New Normal
The first morning back in town, Ava woke up warm.
Too warm.
She blinked blearily, only to find herself wrapped in a solid, steady embrace—Ryan’s. His arm was draped lazily around her waist, his breath soft against the back of her neck.
Oh.
Ava didn’t move at first, absorbing the moment. How quickly this had become normal. How easily she had adjusted to waking up beside him, despite her insistence that nothing had changed.
She let out a small sigh, shifting slightly, but that only caused Ryan to tighten his hold, mumbling something incoherent against her hair.
Ava smirked. "What was that, Romeo?"
Ryan groaned. "Five more minutes..."
Ava rolled her eyes. "You’re not even awake."
"Am too," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.
Ava turned slightly to face him, and even half-asleep, Ryan managed to crack one eye open, smirking. "Morning, Matchmaker."