Slide (40 page)

I looked around at the group I was with, trying to work out whether they knew anything about what was going on. The girls were all holding back smiles, while Derek threw me a wink. Okay, they were all in on this.

“…Which I will, in a matter of moments but first I have a special announcement to make to the one and only special lady in my life.” The crowd began cheering again, and then suddenly their cheers turned into wolf whistles and gasps as the giant screens lit up with a live image of me.
Shit.

I felt my stomach drop. He was
not
about to do what I thought he was, was he? Down on the field, Ryan looked straight up at me, playing with the tiny item he held in his hands. I felt a hand slip into mine and looked over to see Serafina’s proud face beaming down.
Double shit.

“Evangeline, my breath caught the very first moment I laid eyes on you, and the way you resisted my charms meant I wasn’t going to stop until I had you; but little did I know what I was in for. Day by day I fell more and more in love with you, and with everything about you, from your beauty to your huge heart and even your stubbornness. But it was the moment you opened up and let me in that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. The last two years have been an incredible journey for both you and I, a journey that no one else could ever come to understand. My dear sweet, Bella, you have been my clarity, the light in the darkness and my salvation…”

My eyes widened watching Ryan drop down to one knee and hold up the tiny thing he had in his hands. The silent crowd I’d suddenly forgotten until now, burst into another round of loud applauses and wolf whistles.
Ohgodohgodohgod.

“Yay! My brother is so romantic,” I heard Annabelle shriek but I couldn’t look at her, I couldn’t turn away from the man down on one knee with a giant grin across his face.
I am going to kill him when we get home!

“Baby, you have already made me the happiest man on earth, so I simply ask: will you marry me?”

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding in. The crowd was going absolutely crazy; I couldn’t even hear the words the girls or Derek were shouting at me. All I could feel were many hands touching me, while I continued to start blankly at the guy I loved on the field; the guy that was slowly getting to his feet and… making his way towards the stands??
No way…

Ryan climbed up and over the grandstand, and then continued making his way through the crowd to get closer to me.
This couldn’t be happening. Is this airing on national TV right now?

Before I could move, Ryan’s smiling face was beaming down in front of me. I swallowed the lump firmly trapped in my throat. He lowered the microphone away from his mouth. “Baby, I think you’re supposed to give me an answer.”

“Ryan… All these people…” I managed to get out.

“All these people now know where my heart belongs. I love you, Bella. I’m not afraid to show it and I am damn not afraid to share it with the world.”

A tiny smile tugged at my mouth. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Was that a
yes
?” he said arching an eyebrow.

“Have I ever been able to say no?”

Watching his face light up was irreplaceable.

Just when I thought he was about to kiss me, he lifted the microphone to his lips and shouted, “She said yes!” The crowd screamed even louder than they had before.

I burst out laughing, trying to cover my ears but was stopped when Ryan handed the microphone to his mom and grabbed my face, smashing his lips against mine.

Everything around me faded away; soon it was just the two of us wrapped up in each other’s arms with our mouths greedy for one another…that was until the familiar deep, soulful voice of Barry White suddenly filled the air.

I pulled away just enough to see the impish grin on his face. The loud cheers suddenly filled my ears as I remembered where we were.

“Get a room you two!” I heard Gabby tease.

“Right in front of his mother, nice work Evan!” Derek added.

“I’m dying, I’m literally dying over how romantic this is!” Annie’s voice called out.

Ignoring all of them, I concentrated on the guy inches away from my face. A grin that matched Ryan’s spread across my face. “What’s this, Mr. Fox?”

“My song to you, Mrs. Fox.” I blushed upon hearing my new name and then again as Ryan began singing the words to the song playing through the speakers, ‘You’re the First, My Last, My Everything’.

I laughed and buried my face in his chest. How was it possible to ever get enough of this man?

THE END

Or is it?

Read Slide in Ryan’s POV

COMING SOON.