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I hug Coach and everyone else, about to pull Ellery from the stage, but when I turn around, she’s still standing there, asking for the microphone.
What is she doing? I look at our friends, and they all shrug. Well, the boys do.
“Sorry, just one more thing,” she says into the microphone.
I think people are confused and don’t know how to react because it gets oddly quiet.
“I’ve known Cooper for a long time, and I selfishly put him in the friend zone because I never wanted to lose him. See, what not everyone knows about Cooper Rice is that he’s a good guy, he’s faithful, and he genuinely has your best interests at heart. He’d run a mile in a snowstorm to save me. I didn’t want to give that up for what could be some fling we’d get out of our system. As many of you are aware, we tried and failed once this year, and that’s on me. But I never dreamed I could live this life with you, Cooper. Every day I’m happier than the last, so…”
She digs into the pocket of her coat, falling to one knee and opening a box with a silver band inside. “Marry me?”
“Elle…” I can’t think of anything else to say—I’m in shock.
“I was a fool, Coop. I want to be your wife and have your babies and grow old with you. What do you say?”
I rush back over to her, ready to pick her up when she shoves the microphone into my mouth. “Yes,” I say with a laugh.
She stands, and I pick her up and swing her around. “You’re still getting the best proposal ever, you know that, right?”
“I can propose to you, it’s not the 1950s.” She takes the ring out and holds it for me, sliding it on my finger. “It looks good on you.”
“Not half as good as your diamond ring is gonna look on you.”
The stadium goes wild, and I take my new fiancée down the stairs to take her to the nearest jewelry store.
* * *
One Month Later…
* * *
All six of us—well, seven, including Clover—stand outside The Den.
Bryce rubs her small belly, and Miles kisses the top of her head. Adeline clings to Clover, and Damon’s arms are around them both. This place holds so many memories for us.
Even Ruby has decided to leave, shutting down Peeper’s Alley. Said she didn’t understand the young customers anymore and wanted to take it easy.
A moving van pulls up, and then another one behind it.
Rowan opens up the gates after coming down from his apartment and stares at all of us. “You all look like you’re about to cry. You can visit anytime you want.”
“No, they can’t,” all the women say in unison, probably thinking of what will happen here now that three bachelors are back to living in the apartments.
Tweetie comes out of one of the moving trucks. His personality is bigger than Damon’s, and I wonder if he’ll ever settle down. There was a time I didn’t think Damon would.
“Who died?” he asks.
“Their single lives.” Rowan laughs.
Tweetie walks over to the gate and pulls down the sign that reads The Den and smacks on another sign. He smirks over his shoulder and follows Rowan through the gates. “Go live your happily ever afters.” He shoos us with his hand. “We’ll take over from here.”
The gate shuts, and we all laugh because Tweetie’s sign reads The Nest.
It’s official, we’ve been replaced by the Chicago Falcons, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we couldn’t be happier.
