Page 86 of Light It Up Red

The lights go down, and I return my attention to the window. I pull my phone from my pocket and hold it up, ready to snap a picture the moment Travis’s skates hit the ice.

Epilogue

Ilook up. There’re only two minutes left on the clock. And we’re up by three. One of which is thanks to yours truly. The feeling of being back out here, playing the game, hearing the fans scream my name… it’s euphoric. Knowing that Lili is watching makes it ten times better.

I look over to the bench where she’s seated. I asked her parents to make sure she was down here before the end of the game. They know what I’m planning. I didn’t exactly get her father’s permission but I respect the guy enough to not blindside him either.

Especially after the incident with Lou Monroe and the forced marriage license. It took Liliana a while to recover from that bullshit. She was terrified the whole thing was real, afraid that Lou had sent the paperwork off before she’d stopped him. Her father assured her that none of it was legal and held on to the certificate so Lili could burn it herself.

When the final buzzer sounds out, the whole arena lets out a roar. I wait for everyone to leave the ice before I skate over to the bench where Liliana is clapping and smiling so damn hard. I wrap my arms around her waist and pick her up, carrying her out to the middle of the rink as the lights shine a bright red, with a single spotlight on us.

“What’s going on?” Liliana asks as she looks around.

Everyone in the stands is on their feet as I drop to a knee. And Lili gasps, bringing a hand to her mouth. Reaching inside my jersey, I tug out the chain on my neck and hold up the diamond ring.

“Liliana Valentino, you are more than I ever could have asked for, more than I’ll ever deserve. I promise to love you, to put you above everything else. To always support you in whatever you choose to do throughout our lives. Will you let me give you my last name? Will you marry me?” I ask her.

Lili collapses to her knees in front of me, and I know hitting the ice like that’s gotta hurt. She doesn’t even flinch, though. “Yes.” Her arms fly out and wrap around my neck, knocking me onto my back. “Yes, yes, yes!” she repeats as her lips crash onto mine.

The horns blast through the arena and the crowd whistles and yells out their congratulations.

“Lili, babe, as much as I want to fuck you right now with nothing but this ring on, we’re in the middle of the ice,” I remind her.

Lili pushes off me, sits up, and holds out her left hand. “You forgot the part where you put that ring on my finger, Travis.”

“I didn’t forget. You body-checked me before I got the chance, babe.” I slide the diamond into place and narrow my glare at her. “This never comes off.”

“Never,” she agrees.

Then I push to my skates and scoop her up. Lili’s legs wrap around my waist, and those red lips press against mine as I carry her back over to the bench. Determined to never let her go again.