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Emma had really grown into herself over the past couple of months. She’d received top marks on her engineering courses and her future looked bright. I was proud of her.
The show ended and the girls all cheered and went to get another drink. I pushed forward with the guys to watch the action on the field as the teams started playing again. It was an even game, and I clenched my fist as Dallas moved ahead, calling out a play as they moved just like I expected them to. The camera panned around, and I noticed that it was zoomed in on our box as the announcers discussed something. Emma came to stand by me, gasping as Greg kissed Bella for the world to see, pulling her against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I knew it!” I said.
I’d sensed something brewing between them, but they were subtle before this. Maybe it was the booze or the atmosphere, but they were out in the open now. I wrapped an arm around Emma and leaned down to kiss her as she smiled against my lips.
“I love you,” she whispered into my ear as my heart began to pound. We finished watching the game, and I felt something inside as Dallas won and converged in the middle of the field. There was confetti and players everywhere as the coaches met and shook hands while the cameras surrounded them.
“I want it to be us,” I said softly as Emma gave me a smile, kissing my cheek.
“It will be. Just you wait and see.”
She returned her attention to the activity below us, not noticing as I moved slightly away and took a deep breath. I dropped to one knee as the guys moved back to give me room as everything went silent in the box. Emma glanced around to see everyone staring at her before she looked at me.
“Jackson?”
Her voice was soft, and I smiled up at her as I reached my hand into my pocket.
“I want the championship someday, Emma. But now, with you, I feel like I won the best prize of all. I’ve loved you for longer than I should admit to and I’ve watched you grow into a beautiful, vibrant woman. That day you showed up to my apartment, I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I knew that I couldn’t hold back for much longer.” I licked my lips as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I love you, Emma. I want you in my life, so you can see where this road ends. I need you here with me to feel complete. I want to give you everything, baby. Will you be my wife?”
Emma dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around me tightly. “I’ve dreamed of this moment,” she whispered as I breathed in her sweet scent, never wanting her to not be a part of my life.
“So have I,” I promised her as she pulled away to look at me. “Will you marry me, Emma?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” she said before kissing me. I held her tight as our lips crashed together before she seemed to remember where we were and she blushed.
I pulled a ring from deep in my pocket and asked for her hand. Emma gave it to me and I slipped the ring on her finger as her eyes widened. I had picked a ring with a round diamond with smaller ones beside it that had a vintage feel to it. It was perfect for Emma’s old soul and she covered her mouth with her other hand as she stared at the shimmering stones.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Not nearly as beautiful as you are,” I assured her as she blinked at me, sniffling. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Jackson. I can’t wait to be your wife.” Emma kissed me softly, and I finally made my way to my feet and pulled her up. Willow attacked her in a tight hug as she spoke incoherently, and I smiled at them. Bella was jumping up and down and clapping her hands. Greg stepped forward to shake my hand, welcoming me to the family before he said that he recorded the proposal for his parents. The other guys did the same, shaking my hand and clapping me on the back as Emma showed her ring off to the girls. I watched her, knowing now that she was mine forever.
We took the party to a local bar, and I danced with Emma. She was over the moon and pressed her lips to my neck as we moved to the song.
“I’m so happy, Jackson. You’ve made all my dreams come true.”
“We’re going to be happy,” I promised her as I stroked her back gently. We’d bought a house last week, a large three-bedroom that would be a perfect starter home. It offered more space than the apartment and Emma loved planning on how to decorate it. My favorite part about it was the pictures she had already started to frame. They went back into our long shared history and always made me feel good when I looked at them. They made me feel at home. I was looking forward to breaking every room in with her and tonight, I had something special set up in our hotel room.
