Page 77 of Keeping Score

Scared.

“I know,” I told her, cupping her face.

She was scared. Of losing Liam. Of losing Cassie. Maybe even of losing me.

And that was something that would never happen. I had to prove it to her, now more than ever.

That I was going to stand by her side, no matter who or what we faced. I needed to show her that she could finally let herself relax because I wasn’t going anywhere.

It had to be now. I couldn’t afford to wait for the perfect moment. Not when Maggie was already retreating into her shell, trying to hide somewhere I couldn’t find her.

For both of our peace of minds, it had to be now.

I slid my hand into my pocket, reassuring myself of the ring that I knew I’d find there.

My hands were sweating. What if I grabbed it and dropped it and ruined the whole moment? What if it slipped right out from my hands and into the harbor?

I pulled Maggie an inch back from the railing, just in case.

“What are you doing?” she asked, staring down at our feet, watching my hand that still had a grip on her arm.

“I, uh—” I started.

How did people do this?

How did Liam do this?

I felt like I was on the verge of blacking out.

“Brody, what’s wrong?” Her voice turned anxious. “You don’t look so good.”

“Thanks, Mags,” I attempted to joke, but my breath was quickening.

She watched me cautiously, and I figured the best way to go about it was to just start.

“You know I love you,” I said, pathetic as hell.

“I do,” she smirked, the night wind blowing back her dark hair.

Damn it, why’d she have to be so pretty?

It made me nervous. I could never think straight when I was looking at her.

“And I know you love me,” I told her, “which is why this sort of feels like it’s been a long time coming.”

She stilled. “What is?”

“But you were so busy before. We both were. And the timing just never seemed right for us.”

“What timing?”

“But you know what I realized?” I continued, before I could lose my nerve. “The timing is never going to be right. You have to make it right.”

“Brody.” Her face was pale as the moonlight, but that was normal, wasn’t it? Girls got just as nervous about this moment as guys did.

Right?

“Maggie,” I said, dropping to one knee, pulling the ring out of my pocket with a death grip around the box. “Will you marry me?”