12. Ryan

After a rough post-game press conference, Ryan admits his focus slipped because Indy was driving rideshares during the game and hadn’t replied. In the locker room, Zanders arrives and reveals he visited Nashville to speak with Ryan and Stevie’s dad, then asks for Ryan’s blessing to propose to Stevie. Ryan approves, and they part with jokes about Ryan’s bad game.

In the parking lot, Ryan probes Zanders about Indy’s safety and whether teammates pursue her. Zanders assures she’s fine, though often hit on, and seems happier now. Ryan warns him to keep teammates in check, exposing his protective streak.

Home alone, Ryan anxiously calls Indy and Stevie until Indy finally texts she’s still working late. He waits up until nearly 3 a.m. When Indy returns, he struggles to express that he was worried. She teases him, and he declares she will no longer pay rent, hoping to end her late-night rideshare shifts. He also mentions they’ll stay overnight after dinner with the Morgans.

Indy notices Ryan’s sore shoulder and gives him a massage. Physical closeness turns intimate as they talk: Ryan asks if she did this for Alex, and Indy admits her ex didn’t need her attention; she confesses feeling broken and disloyal about moving on. Ryan reassures her that she shouldn’t shrink for someone who thought she was “too much.”

As the moment tips toward a kiss, Indy quietly asks him to stay. Ryan, aware he couldn’t handle a casual encounter with her, pulls away and retreats to his room. He acknowledges to himself that Indy is the kind of woman you keep, and one night would change everything.