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I step towards her, my heart pounding. This is it. No turning back now.
"Avery Bennett," I say, dropping to one knee. "Will you marry me?"
The microphone slips from my hand, but I don't care. The world narrows to just us as I wait, breathless, for her answer.
Chapter Sixty-Two
Avery
The chillof the ice rink seeps through my jeans, but it's nothing compared to the jolt that zaps through me when Victor, center ice and spotlight-grabbing, drops to one knee. The murmurs of the crowd crescendo into a stunned silence. I blink hard, certain I'm hallucinating from the cold.
"Victor... what are you..." I trail off, words failing me.
"Avery Bennett, will you marry me?" His voice echoes through the stadium speakers, clear, confident, and oh so public.
"Is he serious?" Emily whispers next to me, her eyes as wide as the hockey pucks skidding below.
"Girl, this is nuts," Jessica mutters, her hand flying to hermouth.
"Shh!" Samantha shushes them both, gripping my arm. "Answer him!"
I can't move, can't think. My heart races like it's trying to win a marathon, and I'm stuck, frozen in place. This isn't how I pictured a proposal – not that I've been doing much picturing lately. But then again, with Victor, everything's been unexpected.
"Say something, Avery!" Samantha nudges me, her excitement a palpable force.
The crowd seems to inhale one collective breath, and then, it's like someone hit play on their voices—the chant starts small but swells until it fills every corner of the rink.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
I glance around at the sea of faces—strangers who suddenly act like they're invested in my love life. And despite the absurdity of it all, a laugh bubbles up from my chest. It's wild and a little hysterical, but it's real.
"Mommy, say yes!" That's Olivia’s voice piercing through the cacophony, and that does it for me.
"Okay, okay!" I stand, heart still pounding out of control, and throw my hands up, thumbs pointing skyward. "Yes! I agree, alright?"
The roar that follows is deafening, a tidal wave of cheers and applause. Victor stands, the relief on his face melting into that rare, heart-stopping smile that first made me look past his frosty exterior. It's the same smile that eventually thawed my own wariness.
Samantha's voice cuts through the noise, "Go to him, Avery! Don't keep the man waiting!"
I laugh breathlessly, feeling every eye on me as I stumble toward the stairs leading down to the ice. My feet hit the slick surface, and suddenly, it's like a newborn deer trying to find its legs. The crowd's cheers turn into a low murmur of anticipation. Are they expecting a fall? Because I sure am.
"Mom!" Olivia's voice is my anchor, and she's at my side in a flash, her small hand gripping mine. With surprising strength for a ten-year-old, she steadies me, her skates carving confident arcs on the ice.
"Thanks, Liv," I pant, half skating, half sliding toward Victor, whose eyes are locked on mine with a mixture of amusement and adoration.
"Gotcha, Mom!" Olivia giggles, pulling me forward while the crowd surges with excitement.
As we near him, Victor opens his arms, and soon we're wrapped up in a group hug that feels like home. Olivia squeezes us both before popping out of our embrace with a grin, darting off to high-five the opposing team's players.
Victor chuckles, his warm breath tickling my ear. "She's got your spirit," he says, guiding me to the edge of the rink. There's a tenderness in his touch that still surprises me sometimes, considering the walls he's built over the years.
Victor's fingers brush against mine, and I look up to findhim holding a ring—a simple band with a glinting stone that catches the dimming lights of the stadium. Without a word, he slips it onto my finger, and the fit is perfect. It feels like another piece of the puzzle falling into place.
"Wow, Victor..." Words fail me, but maybe that's okay, because what we have goes beyond words. His blue eyes reflect the same promise that now rests on my finger—steady, unyielding, and shining with hope for our future together.
I'm holding my hand out in front of me, the ring catching the light in a way that makes the whole world around us seem to fade. The stone is like a tiny galaxy—endless and mesmerizing. Victor watches me, his eyes full of something vulnerable and raw.
"It's beautiful," I breathe, almost afraid to blink as if the moment might shatter.