My Best Friend’s Sister Ran Up Beside Me… Then Grinned, “You Always Make Girls Chase You?”
Chapter 7
Ethan accepted the position.
He moved to San Francisco.
Olivia remained in New York.
The distance became harder.
They loved each other.
But love didn’t eliminate logistics.
Flights were expensive.
Schedules were chaotic.
Time zones became annoying.
Some weeks, they barely spoke.
Olivia’s career was accelerating.
Ethan’s was too.
Neither wanted the other to sacrifice.
But both were becoming exhausted.
One night, they argued.
“You always say we’ll figure it out.”
“Because we will.”
“When?”
Ethan went quiet.
“I don’t know.”
She sighed.
“That’s the problem.”
They ended the call.
Neither slept.
The next morning, Ethan bought a ticket to New York.
He appeared outside Olivia’s office.
She stared.
“You came.”
“I couldn’t let that conversation be our last word.”
She looked at him.
“What do you want?”
“I want a plan.”
“Meaning?”
“I want us to choose where we’re going.”
She thought.
“I want New York eventually.”
“I want California eventually.”
They laughed despite themselves.
“Great.”
“What do we do?”
“We compromise.”
They began discussing possibilities.
Remote work.
Transfers.
New cities.
One idea remained.
Build a life in Chicago.
Closer to both families.
Better for both careers.
Olivia could open a regional event office.
Ethan could lead a new operations division.
They would both compromise.
Neither would sacrifice.
Six months later, they moved.
Their relationship became easier.
They rented a small apartment.
Then bought a townhouse.
They learned what it meant to live together.
Ethan left socks everywhere.
Olivia left coffee cups on every surface.
They fought about dishes.
Who forgot groceries.
Who worked too late.
It wasn’t glamorous.
It was real.
Ryan visited.
He walked through the house.
“You’re both insane.”
Olivia laughed.
“You approved.”
Ryan pointed at Ethan.
“I tolerate you.”
“Progress.”
One evening, Ryan and Ethan sat outside.
Ryan said:
“I was wrong.”
Ethan looked at him.
“About what?”
“I thought you’d hurt her.”
“And?”
“You didn’t.”
Ethan smiled.
“Not planning to.”
Ryan nodded.
“Good.”
Their friendship became stronger.
The three of them joked more.
They traveled together.
The old warning became family humor.
But Ethan and Olivia knew something was still missing.
They were building a life.
They wanted to make it permanent.
Ethan started planning a proposal.
Ryan found out accidentally.
“You’re proposing?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Don’t tell her.”
Ryan smiled.
“I won’t.”
“Seriously.”
“I won’t.”
“Promise.”
“Yes.”
Ryan paused.
“Can I approve the ring?”
Ethan laughed.
“No.”
“Then you’re on your own.”
The proposal happened at the park where Ethan and Olivia had their first serious conversation.
He brought her there at sunset.
She noticed the flowers.
“What’s this?”
“I wanted to show you something.”
He led her to a bench.
“I spent a long time thinking I shouldn’t fall for you.”
She smiled.
“Because of Ryan.”
“Because of everything.”
He knelt.
“But I realized something.”
“Love doesn’t become less real because it’s inconvenient.”
“It becomes real when you choose it anyway.”
He held out the ring.
“Will you marry me?”
Olivia cried.
“Yes.”
They hugged.
Then kissed.
And from behind a tree, Ryan shouted:
“FINALLY!”
They burst out laughing.
The engagement was official.
The wedding would come later.
But first, life had another lesson waiting.
