"What do you expect?": Breona asks tough questions to Carde and Darius on Ready to Love about their connection with Ashley

Ready to Love, Season 11, Episode 8, titled "Meet the Detroit Friends," which premiered on Friday, December 26, 2025, was all about accountability, intention, and emotional honesty, as close friends step in to ask the questions the women may not want to ask themselves.

Ashley brought her friend Breona, who faced two very different connections, Carde and Darius. Breona asked men, "What do you expect?" and challenged them to explain what they truly see in Ashley, and whether they’re capable of going beyond surface-level charm.

Carde got called out for keeping things too surface-level, admitting the show's pace made it tough to dive deeper, but promising to step up with more calls and texts if it's reciprocated.

Darius came off stronger, praising Ashley's beauty and smarts while wanting her to stay real and align on end goals, though Breona pushed him on any "shaping or molding."

Ashley saw Darius as her top connection but wanted more vulnerability from both, and Breona leaned toward liking him best after the chat.

Here's how Carde and Darius' meeting with Ashley's friend goes in Ready to Love season 11

The meeting in Ready to Love begins warmly as Breona welcomes everyone in. Ashley introduces her friend Brianne. Carde comes in polished and confident, immediately offering a rose. Ashley watches closely,

“Carde was definitely one of my connections because of how smart he is.”

Carde leans into that praise, stopping himself mid-sentence to say,

“Not to cut you off, just complimenting my intelligence, but you are very smart. Very to yourself.”

He explains that he wants more opportunities to talk deeply, both inside and outside of the experience. Ashley jumps in, honestly,

“That’s what I told you with him. We have surface conversations. We never really gotten deep.” Breona follows up directly, asking, “So would you say going into those deep conversations, would you say that’s a problem getting deeper?”

Carde tries to explain himself.

“Through this process, it was hard to go as deep as you would want to with the amount of time and stuff. So I welcome that with Ashley.”

Ashley presses further:

“But can you get deep in the relationship? Romantically?”

Carde responds that he can and goes on to describe what depth looks like to him:

“You gotta know what you like, what you love, what makes you smile, how you like to be touched.”

In a confessional moment, Carde admits that when Breona calls him for ot opening up more, he acknowledges that " fact based off of communication.”

He adds that he wants to be more intentional about calling and texting Ashley: “I need to make sure that it’s reciprocated. Then I know for sure, like, it’s real.”

Breona gently but firmly reminds Carde, “That representative, it’ll leave in about six months.” She makes it clear what she values:

“I like for people to be themselves. You don’t have to put up a facade. I know when somebody’s being fake with me.” Carde apologizes for interrupting and admits, “All of those things are important, and they come in time, and they come through deep conversation.”

Ashley, however, isn’t fully convinced. She tells Breona, “With Carde, it’s very flatline with us. I feel like I have to just be in his face to get to know him.”

The energy in Ready to Love shifts when Breona turns her attention to Darius, asking him about what he saw in Ashley and why he was here. Darius doesn’t hesitate, noting,

“First of all, it’s a very, very beautiful and amazing woman.” Breona cuts to the core with the question that frames the entire scene: “What do you expect out of Ashley?”

Darius takes a moment before answering. “As far as some of the changes that she could probably work on, I don’t quite understand or know yet.”

Ashley steps in to clarify,

“What she’s saying is, what do you expect out of me in the relationship?” Darius responds clearly: “I want you to be real at all times on what you want. From what we’re speaking so far, we do align in a lot of different areas, and I just want to make sure our endgame goal is the same.”

Breona asks if he sees any need to shape or mold Ashley. Darius answers thoughtfully, “I don’t see any shaping or molding, but I do say we all have to pivot.” He explains,

“How Ashley dated the last person that didn’t work out. So I want to learn every variation of you. How you think, the way you sleep, the breaths you take, how much you snore in your sleep.”

Ashley admits her hesitation in a confessional that she likes Darius but still feels that he has not revealed his vulnerable side yet, adding,

“I just think that he is still putting on a representative just a little bit. I want the vulnerable side of him, not the flashy, charismatic flirter. I want to see, are you really nurturing and catering to your woman?”

As the conversation wraps in Ready to Love, Darius reassures everyone and then reflects in a confessional, 

“As far as Ashley changing no, that should not happen. But as far as her changing to be a better version of herself, she naturally will.” 

After the men leave, Breona and Ashley debrief honestly. She expressed her liking for Carde; however, "the surface thing"  was a red tag and did not sit well. When she turns to Darius, her tone softens.

“Y’all have a real strong connection. I can see that. He was on you. That tells me he’s really interested in you with an open heart.” She smiles and adds, “And that’s a turn-on. That’s a good thing. I like him for you. I ain’t gonna lie.”

Stay tuned for more updates.