Chapter 193
Ellie's POV
The timer hit 00:00:09:00.
"Lily." I made her look at me. "This year—was it worth it? The waiting?"
She stared at the relentless countdown. "I deleted his photos forty-three times. Added them back forty-four. Cried through my entire birthday. At Thanksgiving, I nearly called his company just to hear someone confirm he existed."
"But you didn't."
"No. Because he asked me to wait. And I needed to know if I could. If he was worth that kind of faith."
"And?" I asked gently. "Is he?"
"I think so," she whispered. "God help me, I think he is."
We sat in silence, watching seconds slip away. I thought about Jackson alone in that Barcelona townhouse, the exhaustion in his voice, the way he dodged questions about his safety.
"Would you take it back?" I'd asked him once during a brutal full moon. "Would you refuse the Alpha heir position?"
His answer had been immediate: "Would you take back the network?"
Never.
"Then you have my answer too."
"Do you think a year of separation makes people strangers?" Lily asked. "Or more certain?"
I thought about Jackson's face on my screen, the way he mouthed I love you before every call ended, even when we'd fought. The random photos—street musicians, cafe cats, bookshop windows—captioned thought you'd like this.
"I think," I said slowly, "it could go either way. Or—it can make you realize exactly how much they mean. Whether you can build happiness without them, or if they're actually necessary for it."
"What if I was wrong?" Lily whispered. "What if I've wasted—"
The phone rang. Colorado area code.
Lily froze.
I grabbed the phone, steadied it, wrapped my fingers over hers. "You're ready. Whatever happens, you're ready."
She hit accept, lifting it with trembling hands. "Hello?"
"Lily." Ryan's voice crackled across the speaker, warm and real. "It's me."
"Ryan." Her voice broke on his name.
"I kept my promise—I waited until today. But I'm on a plane right now, and I—" He paused, breathing audible. "I've been counting down every single day. Three hundred sixty-five days. And Lily, I meant every word I said a year ago. I know this sounds insane. I know we haven't seen each other. But I need to ask you something before I land, because if I wait three more hours I might lose my nerve."
Lily's grip on the phone tightened. "What is it?"
Another pause. Longer this time. Then: "Lily Parker, will you marry me?"
The phone nearly slipped.
I caught her wrist, heart hammering. Had he just—?
"I'm on a plane. Three hours until Cedar View." Ryan's words tumbled out. "I have the ring—my grandmother's. But I couldn't wait three more hours. I've waited three hundred sixty-five days. I'm done waiting. Marry me."
Lily stared at me, stunned. Shock, disbelief, joy, terror—all fighting for dominance.
"I know this is sudden," Ryan's voice grew uncertain. "I know a year is long and maybe you've—"
"Yes."
One word that shattered everything.
"Yes," Lily repeated, stronger. "Yes, I will marry you."
The sound through the speaker was half-laugh, half-sob. "You mean it?"
"I mean it. Get here safe. Three hours."
"I love you," Ryan promised. "Every single day. I'm never leaving you that long again."
"I love you too. Come home."
The call ended.
Lily lowered the phone slowly, shell-shocked. "Did that just—"
"Happen? Yeah." I grinned despite my brain screaming this is insane, they haven't seen each other in a year—
"I'M GETTING MARRIED!" Lily tackled me in a hug.
Then, because I couldn't help it: "Lily, are you sure?" The words came sharper than intended. "You haven't seen him in a year. People change. To jump straight to marriage—"
Her expression shifted, joy fading. "Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Don't logic your way out of being happy for me." She pulled back. "I know what you're thinking. That I'm impulsive. That we're strangers now. That I should be cautious."
"Lily—"
She stood, walking to the window. "I know you're trying to protect me. But I need you to understand something."
I waited.
She turned, certainty making her voice steady. "This year taught me one thing. I cannot live the rest of my life without Ryan Carter."
"That sounds like—"
"Dependence?" She smiled, sad and knowing. "I thought that too. But it's not about falling apart. Every good thing, my first thought was 'I wish Ryan was here.' Every bad thing, I reached for my phone before remembering I couldn't. I saw something funny and knew exactly what joke he'd make."
I thought about Jackson texting Barcelona rain photos and felt something crack.
"I was happy," Lily continued. "I built a life I'm proud of. But my life feels incomplete without him. Like I'm missing a limb I don't strictly need, but God, I want it back."
"Lily..."
"He's not my whole identity. But he's part of how I experience the world now. This year proved I can survive without him. I just don't want to. And life's too short to pretend otherwise."
Tears streamed down our faces.
"So yes, I'm marrying a man I haven't seen in a year. Because that year proved I don't want to be the version of myself without him."
I pulled her into a hug. "Okay. Then I'm going to be the best damn maid of honor ever."
She laughed through tears. "You mean it?"
"Of course. You're my sister." I pulled back. "But I reserve the right to say 'I told you so' if it goes sideways."
"Deal."
We sat in morning light, holding hands. Outside, Cedar View carried on—unaware that in Room 304, everything had changed.
I thought about the ring Jackson had shown me over video call. About his promise: "Not yet. Not until I can put this on your finger in person."
About my answer: "When you're ready. I'll be here."
Maybe Lily was right. Maybe real love wasn't about logic or timelines. Maybe it was about realizing someone had become part of your DNA. Essential. Irreplaceable.
Not because you couldn't live without them.
But because you'd found the one person you didn't want to.
"She's braver than you," Thalia murmured.
I know, I thought back, squeezing Lily's hand. But I'm learning.
The End.
Author's Note:
Hello, dear readers! Thank you so much for your support and companionship! This book ends here. I wanted the entire story to focus on the campus, so I decided not to write about Jackson’s pack or about Ellie moving to the pack after graduation. Rest assured, they will live happily ever after. I have other books that feature more traditional stories set in the pack, so if you’re interested, please check them out! Lily and Ryan’s story isn’t over yet—they will be the main characters in my next book, and I hope you’ll enjoy it!