Epilogue
Wild
One year later
The roar of the crowd is deafening.
Diamond League Series.
Game seven.
Bottom of the ninth.
Two outs.
We’re up by one run.
The stadium lights feel hotter tonight. Brighter. Like the entire world is watching.
Because they are.
I stand on the mound, dirt pressed beneath my cleats, the Diamond League trophy sitting somewhere behind home plate waiting for someone to claim it.
I want to bring it home.
Back to Rebel Stadium.
Back to New York.
Back to her.
I roll the ball in my hand, leather familiar, grounding.
I lift my eyes.
And there she is.
Front row behind the dugout. Rebel blue wrapped around her shoulders. Hair down. Eyes locked on me.
Amelia.
My fiancée-in-my-head-but-not-yet-out-loud Amelia.
She smiles.
And just like she always has, she steadies me.
The last year flashes through my mind in pieces.
The fight.
The meeting.
The long nights proving ourselves.
The way she refused to let anyone determine her future.
The way she built her position with grit and brilliance.
She’s not just the intern anymore.
She’s full-time staff.
Respected.
Feared in the best way.
The league learned quickly that she doesn’t bend.
Kamden crouches behind the plate.
My best friend.
My almost-ex-best friend.
The man who nearly broke my jaw and then helped me put my heart back together.
He gives the sign.
Fastball high and tight.
I nod.
The batter steps in, tension radiating off him.
I inhale.
Exhale.
Amelia’s voice from months ago echoes in my head.
You’re the calm in your own storm. You just need to believe it.
I wind up.
Release.
The ball explodes from my hand.
Swing.
Miss.
Strike one.
The crowd roars.
Kamden tosses it back to me. No words. Just a nod.
Curveball.
I grin slightly.
He knows me.
I throw.
Swing.
Miss.
Strike two.
The stadium is on its feet now.
I glance once more toward the stands.
Amelia’s hands are clasped in front of her mouth.
Not scared.
Excited.
Proud.
Last pitch.
Kamden changes the sign.
Fastball.
Low.
I nod once.
Everything slows.
This is it.
I step forward.
Release.
The crack of the glove is thunder.
The batter swings wildly and misses.
Strike three.
For half a second, there’s silence.
Then the stadium detonates.
We did it.
Diamond League Champions.
Kamden jumps up, ripping off his mask, charging the mound. He crashes into me, laughing like a maniac.
“You did it, brother!” he yells.
“No,” I shout back over the noise. “We did!”
The team piles on. Helmets. Gloves. Chaos.
And through it all, I look for her.
They finally break away enough for me to see her coming down the steps toward the field, security parting because everyone knows her now.
She steps onto the grass like she belongs there.
Because she does.
I jog toward her, breath still heavy, adrenaline roaring.
She reaches me, and I pull her into my arms without hesitation.
“You did it,” she whispers against my chest.
“We did it,” I correct her.
The cameras are everywhere.
The team gathers around us.
Kamden stands just off to the side, watching.
I step back slightly and look at her.
Really look at her.
One year ago, I almost lost her because I was afraid.
Tonight, I’m not afraid of anything.
I drop to one knee.
The entire stadium gasps.
Amelia’s hands fly to her mouth.
Kamden freezes.
The guys start shouting.
I reach into my pocket—yes, I pitched with it there. Yes, I’m insane.
And I pull out the ring.
The lights catch the diamond and it sparkles under the stadium glow.
“Amelia Bronwyn,” I say, my voice carrying even over the noise.
She’s crying already.
“You walked into my life and made me better. Not just on the mound. Not just in front of cameras. You made me better as a man.”
The stadium quiets.
“I don’t just want championships with you,” I continue. “I want mornings. I want late nights. I want arguments and laughter and everything in between.”
She’s nodding, tears streaming down her face.
“You fought for your career. You fought for us. And I will spend the rest of my life fighting for you.”
I swallow hard.
“Will you marry me?”
There’s no hesitation.
“Yes!” she cries.
The stadium erupts again.
I slide the ring onto her finger and stand, pulling her into me as the team surrounds us.
Kamden is the first to hug us both.
“You better not screw this up,” he mutters into my ear.
I laugh. “Not a chance.”
Amelia pulls back slightly, hands on my face.
“I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you more,” I reply.
Behind us, the Diamond League trophy gleams under the lights.
But it’s not the best thing I’m taking home tonight.
That’s in my arms.
And this time there are no secrets.
No fear.
No walking away.
Just love.
And a future that belongs to us.
Thank you for reading!