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Every person in the entire arena had gone utterly silent.
Where the hell was Farrow?
Dammit. I’m going to burn all your credit cards, Frankie.
“Excuse me?” An official tapped on my shoulder, shuffling from foot to foot. She toyed with the end of her ponytail. “We have a match right now.”
“Postpone it.”
“But—”
I glared at her until she scurried away.
Alone again, I swung to the other half of the stadium, adjusting my grip on the mic. “Farrow, I tried to fight the spell you put me under. I lied to myself. I lied toyou. Life is messy. Love is risky. And I was perfectly safe in my sterile bubble.”
I didn’t care that I had a faceless audience. Didn’t care that I was pouring my heart out.
For once, I needed to be courageous with my heart.
I sucked in a breath.
“I didn’t want to admit that I didn’t have total control over myself. But it’s true. I don’t.” I gestured down at my unkempt state as proof. “I am so uncontrollably mad for you. Since I met you, there hasn’t been a single day that’s passed where every second isn’t consumed by thoughts of you.”
At my words, a single fencer among the row of competitors edged back.
Farrow.
Her shoulders began shaking, rattling her whole frame. She looked so much skinnier in her uniform, so slight, I barely recognized her.
It never occurred to me that her month of soul searching would be so hard on her. Dallas had assured me, over and over again, that she was thriving.
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. The sight of her crying unleashed chaos in me.
I strode to her, snatching up her gloved hand. “I didn’t have the chance to grab the engagement ring from home, but I brought this.”
When I pulled back, her arms crossed over her stomach, shoulders still shaking.
I reached into my inner suit pocket and produced a beatdown, torn-apart sneaker. The one she’d left behind all those months ago.
The crowd began clamoring again, whispers snaking down to us.
“Is that a shoe?”
“Maybe he should find his own shoe first.”
“Ew. That thing belongs in hazmat containment.”
I ignored the noise, got down on one knee, and collected Fae’s hand again, speaking into the microphone to silence the stadium.
“I know the world is awful, and ugly, and tiring. I know it hurt you, betrayed you, and shattered your soul. But if there is any ounce of love left in you, would it be selfish of me to ask for it? I promise I’ll protect it. I promise I’ll protect you.” I squeezed her hand through the heavily padded glove. “I love you, Farrow Ballantine. Will you marry me?”
From the seats, a tiny black dog sprinted to us and snatched the shoe out of my hand, running in circles with it clamped between its molars.
Little shit.
“Did you say love?”
I snapped my head up at the voice, spinning around when I realized it had come from behind me.
