Chapter 199

Matt

The nerves made me jittery, and I bounced my knee so hard it rattled the bench. Seth gave me a knowing look before bending over to finish tying his skates. I focused on taping my stick, letting muscle memory take over. All the guys knew what I planned to do tonight, and they kept throwing me knowing looks as I tried to stay calm.

It was the last home game before playoffs started. A part of me kept thinking that I should wait, but an even greater part of me didn’t want to wait one more second. If life had taught me anything, it was that we didn’t know how much time we might have. I didn’t want to waste another second of it. I especially didn’t want to waste time just because I was afraid.

“Dude, stop vibrating the bench,” our goalie James called. “I’m trying to focus.”

“Sorry,” I answered. If there was one rule in hockey, it was to not mess with the goalie, especially right before a game. If he needed to focus, then I just needed to find a way to chill the fuck out.

Enzo gave me a sympathetic look. He was the only one who knew what I was feeling. “Alright boys let’s go kick some ass,” he said. We didn’t need to win this game, technically. We were already in the playoffs, but I knew we all wanted to ‘kick some ass,’ as Enzo put it. Especially me. Tonight, was not a night I wanted to lose.

Seth clapped my shoulder as we stood up. “Ready, Captain?”

“No?”

He laughed. “I don’t think you have anything to be nervous about.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to go out there in front of everyone. What if she says no? Maybe this was a bad idea.” God, I was spiraling.

He stopped and gave me a serious look. “Don’t second guess it,” he said, sadness breaking through his usually calm voice. “You don’t know how much time you’ll have with her. I know that better than anyone.”

A pang of sadness swept through me. “I know,” I said.

He gave me a tight smile. “Don’t waste it being scared.”

“Alright.”

He punched my shoulder and started walking. “Come on.”

I forced myself to follow him. We skated onto the ice and started our warm-ups. I glanced around the arena, looking for Celeste. I found her sitting in the home section right in front of the glass, Fiona, and Nina on either side of her. They came to all our games, and they always sat at the front. Jack lounged beside Fiona, and he was looking right at me.

I nodded, and he returned the gesture. He knew what I planned to do tonight, and he somehow thought it was a good idea, too. I’d expected him to protest, but he was surprisingly on board. “I’m happy for you,” he’d said. I refused to admit it now, but tears had filled my eyes when he said those words.

We finished our warm-ups, stood through the national anthem, and then it was time. Everyone but Celeste knew what was coming. My heart fluttered in my throat as I skated across the ice and came to a stop in front of the glass. I met her curious gaze.

I swallowed hard. This was it. “Babe, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” I said, raising my voice just enough so she could hear me through the glass.

She tilted her head. “Right here, right now?”

“No better time.”

She smirked. “Don’t you have a game to win?”

For a moment, I couldn’t help but second-guess myself. Did she know what was coming? Was she trying to deflect? I glanced at Jack and Fiona. Jack gave me a nod, and Fiona gestured for me to go on.

“Every second I’ve spent with you has been the best of my life,” I called. The people close enough to hear me turned to gaze at Celeste.

Her cheeks colored, but she didn’t look away from me. “Same here.”

“Do you mind coming onto the ice for a moment?”

Jack stepped forward and gestured for Celeste to follow him. She looked a little bewildered, but she followed him over to the door. One of the employees opened it for her, and I skated over just as she reached the edge.

“Am I supposed to come onto the ice?” she said, glancing around with wide eyes.

I held out my hand. “Promise I won’t let you fall.”

She looked skeptical, but she took my hand, anyway. I led her into the center of the ice, keeping my grip on both of her hands. She shuffled into place.

“What’s going on?” she whispered, but she was smiling.

I dropped to one knee, and a comically shocked look crossed her face. “Look,” I said, tilting my head toward the stands. She turned and gasped. The crowd of students and parents all held up signs. Together they spelled out a question. The biggest question.

“How did you manage this?” she breathed.

“People wanted to do something nice for you.”

She looked incredulous, but it was true. It was easy to convince people to do this. They wanted to be a part of it, and I wanted to show her that people here could be kind. She hadn’t made much of an effort this year to make new friends. She still thought everyone at school was out to get her. I didn’t blame her, but I wanted her to know that people weren’t all terrible.

“Celeste,” I said, and her gaze strayed back to me. Over on the bench, my teammates watched with bated breath. The visiting team also stood silently, smiles on some of their faces. I looked back at Celeste and took a deep breath.

“I know this is soon, and that we’re still young, but I don’t want to waste another moment with you. And I really don’t want to pretend that we’re not forever. Every day, I’m so grateful that we stumbled into the same bathroom that night. I know it took a lot for us to get here, but it was all worth it for me to have you.”

Tears lined her eyes. “It was worth it for me, too.”

I pulled out the small velvet box and popped open the lid. The ring was inlaid with small diamonds and a gleaming red ruby. It was perfect for her. Unique and beautiful.

“Will you marry me?”

Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Of course.”

I slid the ring onto her finger, and the arena erupted into cheers. The players on both sides of the bench knocked their sticks against the boards. I stood up and pulled her into my arms. She kissed me back with fervor, her hands running into my hair. The cheering continued until we finally broke apart.

“You’re not mad I did this in front of everyone?” I asked, gazing at the ring on her finger. I couldn’t quite believe that this was real.

She shook her head. “It’s actually really nice. They sound excited for us.”

I smiled. “I think they are.” Another tear slipped free, and I wiped it away from her cheek. “You’ve made me so happy,” I said.

Her smile widened, even though tears still pooled in her eyes. “You’ve made me happy too, Matt. Thank God I decided to go to the bathroom that night.”

Just for the hell of it, I kissed her again. I couldn’t wait for us to start our lives together. I couldn’t imagine a person I’d rather spend mine with.