Page 110 of Use Me

“Like I was saying, Cupcake, from the moment we first met, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You were the light to my darkness, and I wanted to pretend that what we had going on was just you and me using each other to fill the sadness we were both feeling. But the more we spent time together, I realized you’d always held the key to my heart. You make me happy. You make me feel free. You make me feel alive. And while I don’t mind being used, because let’s face it, baby, you can use me anytime, I want to make you mine.”

“I am yours,” I whispered.

He smiled. “Then marry me and make it official.”

I nodded and muttered a “yes” before I flung myself at Rhys. A diamond ring was much better than a jersey. Rhys caught me and stood and then we glided across the ice with my arms wrapped around his neck and my lips pressed to his.

The crowd cheered again, and Brittany spoke into the mic. “I think she said yes.”

Breaking News: Ashtyn Valor said yes!

Ashtyn was going to be my wife.

When I rushed to the arena after my first intermission broadcast, my heart was racing a million miles an hour. Kenny dropped me off at the back loading zone, and I rushed in. Being in the field has it’s perks, especially when I got a discount on a suite for the night so I could have everyone that was important to us there to watch me propose. Everyone knew what was going to go down, and when I took off the mascot’s head, and Ashtyn saw that it was me, I realized that no one had spilled the beans.

She was shocked.

Some might think that getting engaged six months after we met might be a little too soon. But when you know, you fucking know, and I didn’t want another day to go by where she wasn’t mine. Officially mine.

I was nervous because even though we’d bought a house together, I wasn’t sure if Ashtyn wanted to be that committed in such a short amount of time. There was still a chance that in front of nineteen thousand people, she might crush my heart. Luckily for me, she said yes.

I skated off the ice with Ashtyn in my arms, and once we cleared the lip of the rink, I sat her down so I could walk in the skates.

“How did you do all of this?” Ashtyn asked, looking down at the round, pavé halo engagement ring that had a setting with small diamonds encrusted around the larger diamond and along the top of the white gold band. I wasn’t sure if she’d like it, but the guy at the jewelry store said it was called the “Center of My Universe” engagement ring and Ashtyn was definitely the center of my entire galaxy.

“I know a guy who knows a guy.”

Ashtyn laughed. “Pulling that line on me?”

“It’s true.” I smirked and took her hand in mine. “You know what this ring is called?”

She shook her head, still staring down at the sparkling diamond.

“The Center of My Universe.”

She looked up at me. “It is?”

“True story. I had to get it because, Cupcake, you’re the center of my universe.”

Ashtyn smiled warmly. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

I took her lips with mine and kissed her until I had to forcefully make myself stop because we had shit to do and I was in a fucking mascot costume. Taking her hand again, we walked to Tommy Hawk’s dressing room and entered. He was sitting on a couch, watching the intermission show.

“Hey, man.”

“Well?” he asked, standing. Ashtyn walked around me and flashed her hand. “Right on. Congrats!”

“Thanks,” Ashtyn and I both replied.

I started to strip out of the costume and handed each piece to Tommy. That wasn’t his real name, but I didn’t need to know it. I only needed his getup to do my thing.

“Jett seems to be doing a good job without you,” Ashtyn stated, watching the TV.

“He had practice when I got shot, remember?” Tommy’s brows furrowed. “I’m kind of a badass.”

“More like a lucky ass,” Ashtyn corrected.

I chuckled. “I better be getting lucky tonight.”