Page 90 of Through the Ice

“What… Theo.”

“Audrey Hawthorne, sweetheart.” He got down on one knee and set the flowers and the scrubs on the ground. He opened the box and pulled out a vintage ring, one with a beautiful pink diamond. I gasped, my mind forgetting how to function. Breathing was supposed to be easy, but each pull of oxygen took effort.

He’s proposing to me.

“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You are my best friend, my fucking rock, the most brilliant and sexy and kind woman I’ve ever known. I love you, will always love you, and don’t want to wait another second before putting my ring on you. We’re about to start the next chapter of our lives, and I need you in it. Please be my wife. Be my other half in every way. I’ll promise to take care of you and make you laugh. We can take our time picking a date, but I really just want to be yours, forever.”

I blinked back tears as I stared at the gorgeous man kneeling before me. “How did the b-box show up in the bag?”

He laughed. “That’s your thought right now?”

I nodded.

“You never make it easy, and I love it.” He kissed the back of my hand. “How do you think? I asked your brother for permission to marry you, and he said yes.”

Fuck. I cried fully now. Big, fat, juicy tears. “Oh.”

“Mm, that oh better be oh, yes, I’ll marry you because my knee is hurting right now, and I should probably get up.”

Like he always did, he made me laugh and pulled me out of my head. I grabbed his hands and lifted him up, not that I did much. But he pretended to let me, and I ran my hands over his shoulders, then his strong chest. “You don’t think we’re too young?”

“I honestly don’t fucking care.” He cupped my face, dragging his thumbs over my jawline. “I know what I want, and that’s you baby.”

Nodding, I kissed him hard. “Yes, okay, yes, let’s get married. Holy shit.”

Laughing, he picked me up and swung me around. Peppering me with kisses on my neck, I freaking floated. Engaged? Me? Unreal.

“Okay, I need to put the ring on you now.” He set me down and slid the ring on my fourth finger. His eyes watered as he stared at it. “My mom gave me that ring to give to you.”

“What?” I gasped, the weight of it feeling a thousand pounds. “This is her ring?”

Theo nodded. “Yes. And it looks perfect on you.” He kissed my finger and stared at me with so much love my heart skipped a beat. He was perfect. My fiancé was perfect.

“I love you,” I whispered, hoping he knew all the unsaid things behind those words. “I can’t wait to do life with you. Let’s go.”

“Ah, so the thing is…” He gripped the back of his neck, and his cheeks pinkened at the top. “This was all kind of planned, and well, everyone is waiting for us behind that building.”

I whipped around, and sure enough, his dad, Em, Daniel, Penny, and Quentin all stood there with huge smiles.

“What did she say?” my idiot brother yelled.

“I said yes!” I held up my hand, and they all ran up to us, swarming us in a hug. I had never felt so content in my entire life. As they all took turns eyeing the ring, Theo just stared at me with a small smile on his lips.

I might’ve started college alone, unsure about my life, but now? I had a whole family, and I was about to marry the best man in my life. I couldn’t wait to start that chapter, but it’d have to wait until after our celebratory dinner. I didn’t mind. These were the people I loved most in the world.

Things happened for a reason, and I didn’t spend too much time thinking about how we got to this point, but I was gonna enjoy every second of it. Especially my future husband.

THE END