Page 53

The ocean stretches wide and endless before us, the waves rolling gently onto the shore, their steady rhythm grounding me. The night air is warm, thick with salt and something else—anticipation. I can feel it vibrating in my bones, rattling through me in a way I’ve never experienced before. Not in a wrestling ring, not in front of a screaming crowd. This is different. This is bigger than any match I’ve ever fought.

Natalie leans against my side, wrapped in my hoodie, her bare legs stretched out in front of her on the tailgate of my truck. The sleeves of the hoodie are too long, covering most of her hands, and she pulls them over her fingers, holding onto the fabric like a safety blanket. She’s staring out at the water, her profile soft under the glow of the moon, completely unaware that in a few seconds, I’m going to change both of our lives forever.

I swallow hard, my pulse hammering in my ears.

I’ve taken chair shots to the head. I’ve fought men twice my size. I’ve bled, sweat, broken bones for this career. And none of that—not a single match, not a single moment—has ever made me as nervous as I am right now.

Because this isn’t scripted. This isn’t planned. This is real.

I shift, reaching into the pocket of my jeans, my fingers wrapping around the small velvet box like a lifeline.

She sighs, a peaceful little sound, and tilts her head up at me. Those aqua-blue eyes—fuck, they kill me. “You’re quiet,” she says, nudging me with her knee. “What are you thinking about?”

I let out a breathless laugh. You. Always you.

“You remember the last time we were here?” I ask instead, my voice lower than usual, thick with something I can’t contain.

She smiles instantly, the kind of smile that lights up my whole goddamn world. “Of course. It was the night you told me I had you. That I’d never need anyone else.”

My throat tightens, but I nod. “Yeah. And I meant it. But now…” I take a deep breath, gripping the box a little tighter. No turning back now.

I slip off the tailgate, landing on my feet in the soft sand.

Natalie watches me, her expression shifting from curiosity to something else—understanding.

I sink down onto one knee, and everything slows. The ocean disappears. The sky vanishes. The only thing that exists is her.

Her hands fly to her mouth. Her breath catches.

I open the box, and the diamond catches the soft glow of the moon, gleaming just for her. Just like she deserves.

“Natalie.” My voice is rough, raw, stripped of all the walls I’ve spent my whole life building. “I’ve spent my entire career chasing something. A title. A legacy. I thought that was all that mattered, that nothing else could ever compare. But then I met you.”

A tear slips down her cheek, and I reach for her, because I don’t ever want her to cry unless it’s for something good. Unless it’s because she’s so damn happy, she can’t hold it in.

I take her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You are my heart. My home. The only thing I’ve ever wanted that has nothing to do with wrestling.” I shake my head, letting the truth pour out of me like a confession. “And I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”

She lets out a shaky breath, her fingers trembling against mine.

“Marry me, baby,” I whisper. “Be mine forever.”

She doesn’t hesitate.

“Yes.” It’s a breath, a sob, a fucking victory. She nods frantically, like she can’t get the word out fast enough. “Yes, Ryan. A thousand times, yes.”

Relief crashes over me, stronger than any win I’ve ever had, stronger than any title belt I’ve ever held. This is the moment that matters. Not the championships, not the career milestones—this. Her. Us.

I slip the ring onto her finger, my hands steady despite the storm of emotions inside me. The second it’s in place, she lunges at me, throwing her arms around my neck, kissing me so hard I forget how to breathe.

I wrap my arms around her, lifting her off the ground, spinning her in the air like an idiot in a romance movie, because she’s mine now. Forever.

And nothing—not my past, not my fears, not this business—is ever going to come between us again.