Chapter 27
“How do you feel about saying it one more time?”
“Huh?” I stared at KO in disbelief. There was more.
What more could there be? Before he could answer, movement in my peripheral caught my attention.
I turned my head, and Nia stepped into the ring, carrying two white rose bouquets and a veil.
Then Jaylen moved to KO’s side. When Pops stepped through the ropes holding a small black book, my heart started skipping beats.
Suddenly, it hit me. This wasn’t another surprise.
This was a wedding—our wedding—and suddenly, I understood why KO had asked everybody to wear white.
Why he’d made sure I wore this dress. Why he’d been smiling all damn day.
Fresh tears filled my eyes, and I could barely speak.
“Dakota . . . Wh-what are you doing?”
“We lost enough time.” The words came easy, like he’d been carrying them around for a while. “I don’t wanna leave here today without being your husband.” A laugh broke through my tears. This man. This man. He held out his hand. “So I’m gonna ask you one more question.”
“Okay.” My heart felt too big for my chest.
“Will you marry me . . . today?”
“Yes!” I shouted. I didn’t even think about it.
The crowd cheered, and Nia shoved the bouquet into my hands and then secured the veil in my hair.
Someone gave Dakoda a ring pillow from somewhere, and he proudly took his place beside Jaylen.
The entire thing felt unreal. A year ago, I walked into this building to shelter from a storm.
I had no clue that desperate decision would lead to this.
Now I was standing in the middle of a boxing ring, about to marry the man I loved. Life was funny as hell sometimes.
“Alright now.” Pops cleared his throat. “When my son asked me to do this, I went and got ordained immediately. I was honored. I’ve had a front-row seat to the man you’ve become, and I’m damn proud.” Pops patted KO on his shoulder. “Now, let’s get you two married.”
As everyone settled in, I looked around the ring and tried to take it all in.
A year ago, none of this felt possible. Not me enrolling in school.
Not the housing program. Not us. Somewhere along the way, the pieces of my life had finally started falling into place.
Victoria was gone. Chassidy was gone. The people who’d spent years haunting us were nothing more than a chapter we’d survived.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t waiting for everything to fall apart. I was finally at peace.
“Lyrius,” Pops said. My attention returned to him. “Do you take this man to be your husband?”
“Absolutely.” I smiled, and the crowd laughed.
“Dakota.” Pops looked his way. “Do you take this woman to be your wife?”
“Thought I made that clear already.”
“That’s a yes?” Pops shook his head, and more laughter erupted.
“It’s a hell yes.”
“Good enough.” Pops nodded and kept going with the ceremony. A few minutes later, after rings and signatures and more tears than I planned to shed, Pops presented us to the crowd.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” KO’s eyes found mine the same way they always did. “You may kiss the bride.”
“You ready, Mrs. Knox?” My heart nearly burst at the sound of it.
“I’ve been ready.” KO barely waited for me to finish my sentence before he kissed me, and right there in the middle of the ring, kissing the man I loved while we stood next to the family we’d built together, I finally understood something.
I used to think our story ended the night everything fell apart.
I used to think I didn’t deserve a happily ever after.
I couldn’t have been more wrong, because my fairy tale didn’t begin until after the knockout.
THE END!