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“What?” I shake my head. “Can I give it to someone else?” I don’t wanna playLucky Pucky.
He shakes his head.
Fucking Camden. I observed the Lakes practice the other day, and he missed a goal by a long shot, which is a rarity, so I gave him a hard time about it the rest ofthe day. I’m sure he set this up to get back at me for trying to have a little fun. I roll my eyes and grudgingly stand from my seat. Randomly selected.Right.
I follow the staff member up the stairs and over to the section with ice access. A peewee team is coming off the rink when I step on. Jesus, I can’t imagine playing with this many people watching, especially when they’re screaming at you the whole time. I have even more respect for Camden and how well he works under pressure.
A thin, narrow carpet is laid from here to center ice, where it’s met with a large rug displaying the Lakes logo. Lucky Pucky is the intermission game where the goals are covered up with boards with three small openings at the bottom. Fans get a chance to shoot a puck and get it into one of the holes to win a shirt or something. I’m halfway to the Lakes rug when Cam skates up alongside the carpeted walkway.
“I’ve got it, Tim. Thanks.” He nods to the guy who was making sure I didn’t fall, and the guy turns around and heads back.
“Hey!” I say, surprised to see him. “Is this because of the other day?”
He laughs. “Yeah.”I knew it.
Cam escorts me the rest of the way to the rug, a hockey stick laid on the ice next to it. He takes my hands and turns me with my back to the goal.
“Jordan.”
I laugh nervously. “I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”
He drops down on both knees, and we’re put under a spotlight. The screaming fans are deafening.
No, that can’t be what he’s doing.There’s something else going on.
“Oh my god . . . Cam. What are?—”
He tugs off his gloves and looks up, grinning. “Don’t worry, I’m not proposing—but I have a few things I want to say to you. I?—”
I look around to see if this is a joke. All I see are camera flashes in the stands. Literally everywhere.
I interrupt. “Why are you doing this?”
When he’s silent, I stop questioning and listen.
He begins again, speaking up so I can hear him over the crowd. “I like being around you when I’m home and I miss you when I’m away. I’ve learned love is more than the butterflies in my stomach when I look at you. It’s more than seeing you in my jersey. More than needing you close to me all the time. Love is a quiet trust. It’s familiarity and knowing someone,really knowingwho they are deep down. You know me better than I know myself, and I think I know you pretty well too. You admit your faults without fear and accept mine without question. I’m in awe of you every day. I want a life with you in it, not just because of how you make me feel, but because of who you are. Jordan, you are my everything.”
My hand covers my mouth as he opens his heart in front of a nearly sold-out arena. Though, I’m thankful he isn’t mic’d up. He’s showing his devotion publicly, but his words are mine alone.
“Someone once said that you know you’ve found that person when you’re willing to put the other person first no matter what. Jordan, you will always come first.” He pauses and winks.
My voice is shaky. “Camden, why are you on your knees?”If this isn’t a proposal, then what the fuck is he doing? Because it sounds like a fucking proposal.
He wraps his palms behind my calves and squeezes. “Because I kneel foryou.” A smile spreads across his face,and I swear I melt into a puddle. “You wanted people to see this side of me, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m leaving my ego at the door. You are my queen, and I will kneel for you every day. You aren’t a quiet girlfriend on the side, you’re center ice.”
Oh my God.
My eyes are swimming with tears. This can’t be real. He pulls out a ring box, and I swipe at the tears on my face. “You said this wasn’t a proposal. What the fuck is going on?”
He opens the ring box, revealing a Ring Pop. I start laughing, and he chuckles along with me. “Come on, Sunshine... When are you finally going to admit I’mexactlyyour type? That day at the coffee shop was the beginning of our journey, and little did I know it would lead to where we are now. But I’m so happy it did.”
I sniffle and nod. “You’resomy type.” He slides the candy ring onto my pinkie, it’s the only finger it fits on, and rests his hands on the sides of my thighs. The memory of Cam removing my old ring in the coffee shop flashes in my mind. I told him I’d rather Bryan had proposed with a Ring Pop than the massive diamond. It makes my heart clench thinking about us exchanging real rings someday.
Tell him.
“I love you,” I say.
The thumb caressing my thigh stops, and he grips my leg, not letting go. The seconds tick by like hours as he stares up at me. I desperately want him to say something. He releases my thigh and blows out a breath.
