Page 57 of Pretty When It Burns (When The Lights Go Down #1)

Chapter fifty-two

"Anyone" - American Avenue

Grayson

The final notes of Collapse Into You ring out into the crowd like the universe has finally aligned.

We’re all still catching our breath, but I know I only have about ten seconds before the next wave of chaos hits.

I step back from the mic, heart hammering, hands sweating, the ring box burning a hole in my jacket pocket.

The lights drop right as the last chord rings out.

The only thing I can hear is the quiet, confused murmurs of the crowd.

Then—one spotlight.

Center stage.

And there’s Mia.

She looks unreal, the light wrapping around her like it’s been waiting just for her. She’s soft, strong, and breathtaking—and for a second, I can’t move. Everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve survived… all of it has led to this.

I walk toward her, and the second our eyes lock, I know what I need to say.

I close the distance between us and hold her hands in mine.

“Mia Michele Alexander,” I say, my voice full of more emotion than I’ve ever felt.

“You are my rock. My guiding light. Everything I never knew I needed. But I know now. I’ve known since you reappeared back into my life at this very venue with your camera in one hand and my heart in the other. You’ve loved me through everything.”

I let go of one hand and reach into my jacket pocket, pulling out the ring box. I flip it open as I sink to one knee.

The noise in the crowd becomes a deafening roar, but in my head, it’s quiet.

All I need is to hear her say yes.

“I promise you, I’ll spend the rest of my life making your dreams come true—because you’ve already made all of mine,” I say. “Marry me, sweetheart. I love you. I’ve got you. Marry me.”

One hand flies to her face—not to hide her shock, but to wipe her tears.

She doesn’t run. She doesn’t freeze. She smiles through the tears like she’s been waiting for this moment her entire life.

There’s nothing about this moment that feels the way it had in the hospital. This is raw. Honest. Real. Us.

By the grace of God, this time, she nods.

Still crying. Still glowing.

Finally, she whispers, “Yes.”

I stand too fast, nearly dropping the box on the stage before I can slide the ring where it’s always belonged. Then she’s in my arms, her arms locked tight around my neck, face buried in my chest like she never wants to let go.

The guys drop their instruments and rush forward. Rylee, Johanna, and Jake run out from the wings. A thousand flashes go off from cameras and phones, the roar thunders from the crowd, and still—all I can feel is her.

I hold her face in my hands, brushing away tears with my thumbs, memorizing every detail of her—because this moment is ours.

“I love you so much,” I whisper.

She nods again, her voice catching.

“I love you, too. More than anything.”

We stand there, wrapped in each other, as the lights rise and the crowd loses its mind. My band, my family, my future—everything that matters—is standing out here with us.

Cheering. Laughing. Crying. Living.

And it isn’t perfect because of the timing.

It’s perfect because she said yes.

Because she’s still mine, and I’ve always been hers.