Page 68 of Platinum Pressure

Exhale.

My eyelids lifted. When my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, my vision focused on the spotlight on the stage a few feet in front of me. My jaw would have hit the floor if it wasn’t attached to my body as my gaze landed on the one and only Lilac Embers.

She was the ethereal. Her skin shimmered under the spotlight. Her hair flowed down her back with a flower crown headband and a beautiful flowing dress.

Lilac Embers winked at me as she began a live melody of my favorite songs. I clung to her every word. I was stuck in place as she serenaded me. My hips swayed to the rhythm of the upbeat dance song. Then she transitioned into a beautiful ballad about love. She went through four of my favorite songs before the music faded.

“Meadow, I heard you were a huge fan of my work,” she spoke directly to me.

Bitch! Lilac knows my name. Ahhhh!

“Girl, yes. I put anybody with ears on to your music. Mostly my patients, but still. Your music speaks to my soul!”

She stepped off the stage and grinned. With each step she took, my heart thumped faster. We were inches away from each other, and her gorgeousness mesmerized me. I didn’t idolize her, but I admired her a lot. Celebrities were people, but it was something about Lilac’s music that transcended the physical realm.

“I appreciate the support for real. Fans like you make it all worthwhile, my flower.”

I squealed. “Ah! I appreciate you, girl! Your voice is perfect. That pen of yours is so fire!”

“You’re so sweet. You know I’m on tour right now, but I always love coming home. When my manager told me about the request from a hometown athlete, it took a lot of work around, but I wanted to be here for your special moment because I’m a hopeless romantic and love seeing other people loved out loud.”

My eyebrows knitted together. “Special moment?”

She sang one of her slow ballads as she pointed behind me. I turned around and there he was. I wouldn’t tell anybody that I almost forgot Porter was in the room because Lilac held my attention. It would be my little secret to hold close to my heart when I recalled this moment in the future.

Down on one knee, my man held up a beautiful rose-gold banded diamond leaf engagement ring. The center stone was huge. Each surrounding flower held a smaller diamond as well. The diamonds danced even under the dim lighting of the room. He had to have spent someone’s annual salary on a ring that size.

“P-Porter! No, you didn’t surprise me with a proposal!” My voice was in a permanent scream as my hands shook.

“Meadow, you are my rose—beautiful when bloomed and dangerous if handled wrong. From the moment we met, you challenged everything I knew about women and how to treat them. You made me a better man. You are my answered prayer.”

As he spoke, tears poured from my eyes.

“You are the type of woman who adds value to everyone she meets. You bring out the best in everyone you’re around. You make even the stormy days feel like a perfect summer day. I want to spend forever with you. I want to jump into the deep end with you. I want to build a legacy with you by my side. Even if we only have one child or sixteen kids, our family will be perfect. I want to share my life with you, grow old together, and sit on the porch reminiscing about the memories we’ve shared in our lifetime. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”

“Yes. In every fucking lifetime, do you hear me?” I waited impatiently as he slid the ring on my finger. When he stood up, he pulled me into his arms.

I felt like a princess in a movie because I was in the arms of a big, strong prince charming, and had a soulful yet angelic voice serenading us now.

We ended up having dinner with Lilac, and she followed me on social media. We had a lot in common, and she said she would love to come to the baby shower and meet my family. By the time we made it to the car, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

“How did you pull this off?” I asked when Porter trapped me between the passenger side of the SUV.

“A lot of communication. Seddrick is the realest on my team because he made sure everything worked out perfectly. Without him, I would have been lost as fuck.”

“We should do something nice for Seddrick before you get too deep into the season and the baby arrives.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I’ll figure something out, but he deserves to be celebrated. I’ll plan it and have you circulate the invites and stuff, or I’ll just do it on your phone.”

“You can do it on my phone. I ain’t hiding nothing.”

“Love that for me. Let’s go home and make a sex tape.”

“You are playing, and I’ll prop that tripod up soon as we get home. You are so damn fine. I’d beat my dick to it when I’m on the road away from you.”

“Porter!”