Page 180 of Colliding with Ten

Ayla was at the perimeter of the group, watching where AJ had gone into the tunnel, her pom-poms dangling by her sides. The trophy presentation was converging at midfield, and the cameras were searching for me. I dropped my helmet and crossed the field, hoping she wouldn’t reject me. Her surprise changed to concern as she realized I was coming toward her.

"Lennox, what are you doing? You just won. Go celebrate with your⁠—"

I cut her off. "Not without you."

"The cameras are right there. If you're seen on this sideline⁠—"

"I don't care."

Confetti was in her hair. Faint streaks of glitter shone on her cheeks, reminiscent of the first time I laid eyes on her. She looked beautiful yet conflicted, and I wanted to kiss every one of those doubts off her face.

"The trophy can wait. I've been looking at you for four quarters, and I’m done waiting."

"Lennox, people are watching."

"I know. I want them to see. I'm tired of hiding. That's over. I'm standing right here, and I'm not moving."

"You're on the wrong side."

"No. I'm on yours. That makes it the right one."

Her lips parted, but I wasn’t done. She needed to know how much I wanted this. I didn’t care what our teams thought. I had my lawyers on speed dial. If she decided to stay in New York, I would be okay with that and prepared for it.

“You thought loving me meant you had to give your life up.”

Her eyes searched mine.

“But I don’t want you following me or planning your life around my schedule. I want you wherever you need to be to become the woman you’re meant to be.

“Ayla, I fell in love with you while you were figuring yourself out. Why the hell would I ever ask you to stop? I want the doctor and the dancer and the woman who leaves when she knows she needs to, even when it damn near kills me. I want you the way you are.

“You said you might still be in love with me, but I know for sure I’m still in love with you. So if that means I have to wait for you, then I’ll wait. If I have to get on a plane, then I’ll get on a plane. And if we have two homes for a while, then so be it. I’d rather spend the next few years figuring out how to make this work than to keep pretending I can build some great life without you in it.”

She pressed her lips together, trying to hold in her emotions.

“So please tell me there is still a place in that life you went to find. Because I will always have one for you in mine.”

My heart pounded harder than during the game. There was nothing else I could say. If she turned me down, there would be six angles of it online. I didn’t know what I would do if this went badly. I was willing her through my mind.

Please, Ayla.

She held my gaze. "I choose me, Lennox.”

My heart dropped.

Then she smiled. “And I choose you too.”

I stepped close enough to smell her sweet scent. The stadium noise faded, and I blocked the worst camera angles because this was for her, not them. I swiped a piece of confetti off her cheek, letting my thumb linger as she leaned into it.

"I'm yours. And I'm done pretending you’re not the most important thing in my life besides what's waiting for me in two weeks."

She looked up at me, her brown eyes searching. What she found was me telling her the truth.

"I'm going to win that ring, and when I do, I want you there with me."

Her mouth opened in awe, and then she laughed, a joyous, beautiful sound that I knew better than my own name.

"This is the most you thing you've ever done."