Epilogue
Isabelle
Two months later
The roar of the crowd in the football stadium is deafening as Kade gets the ball. The air buzzes with excitement and cheers. Energy vibrates all around me.
This is the first game of the summer semester. Raventhorn are playing Chicago and the pressure is on. The problem with these two teams is that they’re both as good as each other. But still nothing and no one is as fast as Kade Gurkovsky.
As he approaches the end zone, the crowd erupts, rising to their feet.
I get caught up in the thrill of watching him. He’s just a few yards away now.
The defense closes in, but Kade doesn’t care about them. I can almost imagine him saying to himself let them come.
My heart leaps into my throat as he dodges the first defender, then another, his feet moving like lightning across the turf.
He races toward the goal line with the defense on his heels, then he dives through the air just as they reach him.
The ball crosses the line and the referee’s arms shoot up. Touchdown!
The crowd erupts into screams louder than before. I hear my own screams even though I’m sitting in the front row right behind the cheerleaders.
Kade leaps to his feet, pumping his fist in triumph. His teammates swarm him, christening him the hero of the game.
Chants and cheers ripple through the air. It’s euphoric and infectious.
Kade makes his way back toward the crowd and they scream even louder. Everyone is calling his name, but he takes his helmet off and looks at little old me in the corner cheering for him.
I’m wearing a jersey with his number on it like I promised I would today. But I’m not the only girl here dressed like that. I counted at least ten that I could see. There’s always an endless supply of Kade Gurkovsky fans.
Kade gets closer and throws up a heart sign with his hands, then points at me.
Screams surround me while I turn beetroot red.
But this man of mine has only just begun. He runs right up to me and picks me up. Then he kisses me right there in front of everyone, showing the world that we belong to each other.
When we part I catch Mackenzie smiling back at me and cheering at the top of her lungs.
Annika and Thorne smile back at us too from across the row. And that’s all I get to see before Kade hoists me over his shoulder caveman style and carries me away.
We end up in the locker room shower where he kisses me under the cool spray of water.
“You are so crazy?” I whisper over his lips.
“For you. Always crazy for you. Guess what I’m going to do now?” He cups my face.
I giggle. “No one can guess what you’re going to do next.”
He reaches into the little waistband pocket of his football pants and pulls out a little velvet pouch. Then he takes out a little ring. A beautiful, gorgeous engagement ring. My mouth drops.
“Kade…”
He takes my hand and slips the ring on my finger. “Marry me, Isabelle.”
“What?” Even though we’re standing under the shower I’ve gone up in flames.
“Marry me.” He plants a kiss on my forehead then my nose. “I have it all figured out. I’ll go with you to England. My Dad’s back on the Knight’s council so he already authorized it. I can finish school there. I have my choice of teams on the NFL so it doesn’t matter where I go to school. Then we can get married after graduation, or whenever we feel like it.”
I bring my hands up to my cheeks. “You would seriously do that? Go to England with me?”
“Woman haven’t you been paying attention? I. Am. Crazy. About you. Be my wife.”
I laugh and kiss him. “Yes, but I’m staying at Raventhorn.”
He gives me a deadpan stare. “What? When did you decide this?”
“This morning. Christian Degas sent over his final offer. He’s given me a few choices. He wants me to go to Cambridge but Raventhorn feels like home, so I want to stay. Raventhorn is my legacy and you should be here. You’re a Knight.”
“where you go I follow, even if we stay right here.”
“Then let’s stay, but perhaps we can go to England for the next few summers. I’ve chosen the summer internship, then after graduation I’ll do the full thing here in Boston.”
“Wow. You figured it out.” He grins.
“I figured it out.”
“And you’re going to be my wife.”
“I am, husband.”
“Come here.”
We laugh and fall into a kiss that I savor.
I can’t wait to see what my life will be like with my devious Knight.