Page 353

Instead, his sapphire eyes soften before he says, “We’ll have to get closer so they can hear me.”

This was as close as he was willing to get, but I don’t dare point that out as I follow close behind him. Everyone moves out of the way for his six-foot-five frame, allowing us to get right up to, and then past, the gates.

That’s strange. Those shouldn’t be open.

“Um, Khaos? We’re not supposed to be down here.”

He doesn’t stop, just tugs me along.

When I swing a look behind us, I see a guy closing the gate. He let us through?

Maybe he recognized me. Not sure how with Khaos blocking me but why else would he open the gate for us?

“What are we…” My voice gets drowned out as the buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the second quarter.

We stop at the fifty-yard line and watch as my team takes the field.

Tears fill my eyes. In all black for blackout night, with cameras flashing behind them, they look so good.

“I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by YUNGBLUD starts, and I frown. We never performed to this song before. It’s long and has too many slow parts. Are they doing a mashup of songs?

“About this song…” Khaos says, and when I look over, he’s staring at me.

“Weird choice, right?” I ask, my attention divided between him and my teammates. Baskets have improved. Tumbling, too. Wesley’s on fire.

“It was on my playlist.”

“The one labeled ‘Cloud’?” I half joke. I know that playlist was for me. Now. I finally got around to asking him and he admitted it was. They all were.

He turns to face me, taking my hands in his to do the same.

“You’re my silver lining to my every dark cloud, Kota.”

“Okay…” I appreciate that. I do. But why is he saying it right this second? I’m trying to watch…

I sneak a glance at the field, where the team is posed in a pyramid, holding signs up that spell out: “Will you marry me?”

Oh my God. A grand gesture.

My eyes fly back to Khaos, except he’s not there. Not vertically anyway. He’s a few feet shorter because he’s on one knee. With an open ring box.

It’s Khaos’s grand gesture.

Wait, we can afford a ring?

“Dakota Lynsi—”

“Yes.”

“Will you—”

“Yes.”

He chuckles. “Can I get through the whole question?”

Biting my lips together, I nod.

“Do you want to marry me, Silver?”