Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 69: Rooftop Goodbye

Chapter 69: Rooftop Goodbye

The hotel rooftop had become Ava and Ryan’s unofficial sanctuary over the course of the convention. It was where they escaped from Harold’s snoring, Mei’s chaos, and the nonstop whirlwind of matchmaking challenges. Tonight, under the inky New York sky speckled with stars, it felt more significant. This wasn’t just another escape. It was their last night before heading home, and the air carried the bittersweet weight of endings—and beginnings.

Ava leaned against the railing, staring out at the twinkling skyline. The distant hum of traffic and laughter from late-night revelers below filled the air. She took a deep breath, letting the cool breeze soothe her frayed nerves. "Well, we survived," she said finally, her voice quiet but tinged with amusement.

"Barely," Ryan replied, stepping up beside her. He rested his elbows on the railing, his shoulder brushing hers. "I think Mei’s popcorn fire alone knocked a few years off my life."

Ava smirked. "And Harold’s snoring didn’t help."

"Or Ethan’s sabotage. Or Julian’s algorithm. Or the dessert cart collision that, for the record, was not my fault," Ryan added, shooting her a playful look.

"You tripped over your own feet, Ryan," Ava said, raising an eyebrow.

"I was distracted," Ryan protested, feigning indignation.

"By what? A particularly shiny éclair?"

Ryan laughed, the sound warm and unguarded. "By you, Matchmaker. Obviously."

Ava rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched into a reluctant smile. She turned back to the skyline, hiding the faint blush creeping up her neck. Ryan had a way of disarming her with his casual charm, and it annoyed her how easily he could make her forget her carefully constructed defenses.

---

For a while, they stood in companionable silence, the kind that had become so easy between them. The chaos of the past week felt distant now, like a story they’d laugh about one day. Ava let herself enjoy the rare moment of peace.

"You know," Ryan said after a while, his tone softer now, "you’ve come a long way."

Ava glanced at him, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

Ryan tilted his head, his gaze steady. "When we got here, you were second-guessing everything—your instincts, your decisions, your place in all of this. But look at you now. You went toe-to-toe with billionaires, psychics, and Ethan, and you came out on top."

Ava’s chest tightened at the sincerity in his voice. "I had a lot of help," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Sure," Ryan said, shrugging. "But at the end of the day, it was you who trusted your gut, who made the calls. You didn’t just survive, Ava. You crushed it."

She swallowed hard, her eyes darting away to the skyline. Compliments from Ryan always hit differently, like they carried more weight than anyone else’s words. "You’re annoyingly good at pep talks, you know that?" she said, trying to keep her tone light.

"It’s a gift," Ryan said, his lips twitching into a smirk.

---

Ava’s gaze softened as she stared out at the city. "It’s funny," she said after a moment. "When Mei first handed me that envelope, I thought this whole thing was going to be a disaster. And it was, in a lot of ways. But it was also... kind of amazing."

Ryan chuckled. "Amazing, huh? Even with the water balloons and the fake compatibility scores?"

"Even with that," Ava said, smiling. "I mean, don’t get me wrong. I could’ve done without Julian’s smug face and Ethan’s... well, everything. But we helped people. Real people. And I think... I think I started to believe in what I do again."

Ryan turned to her, his expression softening. "I never doubted you, Matchmaker. Not for a second."

Ava met his gaze, her breath catching at the intensity in his eyes. For a moment, the world seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of them standing under the stars.

"So," Ryan said, his voice dropping to a teasing lilt, "what do you think Mei has planned for us next? A matchmaking challenge on the moon?"

Ava snorted, the tension breaking. "Don’t give her ideas. She’d find a way to make it happen."

"She probably already has a folder marked ’Lunar Love Connections,’" Ryan said, grinning.

Ava laughed, shaking her head. "I wouldn’t put it past her."

The laughter faded, leaving behind a comfortable silence. Ava leaned her head against the railing, her thoughts swirling. "Do you think we’ll ever have a normal day again? No chaos, no schemes, no... whatever this week was?"

Ryan tilted his head, pretending to think. "Normal? With Mei around? Not a chance."

Ava sighed dramatically. "Figures."

"But," Ryan added, his tone softening, "I don’t think you’d like normal anyway. You thrive in chaos, remember?"

"Do not," Ava said, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Do too," Ryan said, nudging her back.

Ava shook her head, but her smile lingered. He wasn’t wrong. As much as she complained about the chaos, a part of her had grown to embrace it. Maybe because it kept her on her toes. Or maybe because it meant she’d always have people like Mei, Harold, and Ryan by her side.

"Hey," Ryan said, his voice pulling her from her thoughts. "You ready for whatever’s next?"

Ava turned to him, her lips curving into a small, determined smile. "I think I am."

"Good," Ryan said, grinning. "Because knowing Mei, it’s going to be bigger, crazier, and somehow involve international espionage."

Ava laughed, the sound light and genuine. "If that happens, you’re in charge of disguises."

"Deal," Ryan said, his grin widening.

---

The wind picked up, ruffling Ava’s hair as the distant sound of a car horn echoed from the streets below. She shivered slightly, and before she could react, Ryan slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Thanks," she murmured, pulling it tighter around herself.

Ryan shrugged, but his gaze lingered on her for a beat too long. "Anytime."

They stood there for a while longer, the city stretching out before them like a promise. Ava felt a sense of calm settle over her, the kind that only came from knowing she wasn’t alone in whatever came next.

As they turned to head back inside, Ryan’s voice cut through the quiet. "Hey, Ava?"

She looked up at him, her brows lifting in question.

"You’re really bad at taking compliments," he said, his tone teasing but his eyes warm.

Ava rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "And you’re really bad at staying serious."

"Guess we balance each other out," Ryan said with a wink.

"Guess we do," Ava replied softly.

The silence stretched again, but this time it was different. It felt heavier, charged with something neither of them dared to name. Ryan reached out, his fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from Ava’s face. She froze, her breath catching, but she didn’t pull away.

"Hey," he said softly, his hand lingering for just a moment before he let it fall. "You’re allowed to let someone else take care of you once in a while."

Ava blinked, surprised by the tenderness in his voice. "I’m not used to it," she admitted, her voice barely audible.

"Maybe you should be," Ryan said, his lips quirking into a small smile.

Ava didn’t respond, but she didn’t move away when he reached for her hand, his fingers curling around hers. They stood like that for a while, the world narrowing to just the two of them under the stars.

Finally, Ryan broke the silence. "It’s getting late."

"Yeah," Ava said, though she made no move to pull her hand from his.

"I’ll walk you to your room," Ryan offered, his voice steady but soft, as though he were trying to project the perfect image of a gentleman escorting a lady at the end of a romantic evening. His hands slid casually into his pockets, his posture relaxed, but Ava caught the flicker of a grin tugging at his lips.

Ava stopped, her eyebrow arching. "You do remember that we’re sharing the same room, right? Along with Mei and Harold?"

Ryan’s cool demeanor cracked slightly, his grin turning sheepish. "Details," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I’m still walking you there. It’s about the journey, not the destination."

"Uh-huh," Ava said, her tone skeptical but amused. "Very smooth."

Ryan smirked, falling into step beside her as they made their way toward the elevator. The short walk was quiet, their footsteps soft against the carpeted hallways. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable—it carried the weight of all the things they didn’t need to say out loud.

When they reached the door to their room, Ryan paused, turning to Ava with a slightly exaggerated flourish. "Here we are. Delivered safe and sound."

"Such a gentleman," Ava teased, folding her arms across her chest.

"Always," Ryan replied, his grin widening.

For a moment, they stood there, the air between them crackling with unspoken energy. Ava shifted slightly, her hand still clutching the lapel of his jacket, which she hadn’t returned yet. Ryan noticed, his gaze flicking down to her hands before meeting her eyes again.

"You planning to keep that?" he asked, nodding toward the jacket.

"It’s warm," Ava said with a shrug, pulling it tighter around her. "And it smells like you."

Ryan tilted his head, a playful glint in his eye. "That’s either a compliment or an insult. Which one is it?"

Ava rolled her eyes, but her smile softened. "A compliment. Don’t let it go to your head."

"Too late," Ryan said, leaning slightly closer. "You’re really bad at keeping me humble, you know."

Before Ava could respond, Ryan reached out, his hand brushing lightly against her arm. The gesture was subtle, almost tentative, but it sent a small jolt through her. She looked up at him, her breath catching when she realized how close he was. His grin had softened, his teasing tone replaced with something quieter, more deliberate.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice dipping lower. "Do I get a goodnight kiss, or is that asking too much?"

Ava blinked, her lips parting slightly in surprise. "Goodnight kiss?" she repeated, her tone caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

"Yeah," Ryan said, his grin returning, though there was a nervous edge to it now. "You know, as a reward for all my gentlemanly efforts."

Ava huffed a laugh, shaking her head. "You’re unbelievable."

"And yet," Ryan said, his voice dropping to a playful whisper, "here we are."

Ava rolled her eyes again, but before she could overthink it, she leaned up, brushing her lips lightly against his. The kiss was brief, almost teasing, but it sent a wave of warmth rushing through her all the same.

"There," she said, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze.

Ryan blinked, clearly caught off guard by how quickly she’d taken control of the moment. Then his grin widened, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "That’s it? That’s all I get?"

Ava smirked, turning toward the door and slipping her keycard into the lock. "Goodnight, Ryan," she said firmly, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Ryan followed, chuckling under his breath as he shut the door behind them. "You know, for someone who complains about me being insufferable, you’re not much better."

"And yet," Ava said, draping his jacket over the back of a chair, "here we are."

Mei’s voice suddenly rang out from her corner of the room. "If you two are done flirting, can someone turn off the hallway light? Harold keeps muttering about moths."

Ava groaned, burying her face in her hands as Ryan burst into laughter. "Welcome back to reality," he said, his grin not fading for a second.

"Goodnight," Ava mumbled, kicking off her shoes and making her way to her bed.

"Goodnight, Matchmaker," Ryan whispered, the warmth in his voice making her smile, even as she rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that night.