Epilogue
Six Months Later
“Come on! Come on!” I whispered under my breath as my eyes bounced between the clock and the ice.
It was game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, and I couldn’t believe I was standing on the sidelines, reporting for GZN Sports.
The last six months had been a whirlwind.
My podcast had taken off, and I was offered a thirty-minute segment on GZN.
My relationship with Jax was damn near perfect.
He had quickly become my everything. He was my rock, my biggest cheerleader, and the love of my life.
The more time we spent together, the more whole I had become.
Jax once told me I was empty, and maybe back then, with all the grief I’d suffered, I was.
I didn’t understand what he meant then, but now, after being loved by him, I get it.
Being in love again has filled all the empty spaces within me.
I was truly living, and it was surreal that any of this was my life.
“Let’s go, Jax!” The crowd chanted, filling the air around me. My heart raced as the clock ticked down. There was just five seconds left. The Penguins were up by one, and they had to hold on for a few more seconds to win the game.
Everyone gasped as a player from the opposing team took a shot. My breath caught in my throat as Jax slid in front of the puck, making the biggest block of his career. The crowd went wild as the whistle blew, and the horn sounded. The game was over!
“Yes! Yes! They did it! They did it!” I cheered, unable to control my excitement.
I jumped up and down, not giving a damn about looking professional. My man had just won the Stanley Cup. Tears fell from my eyes as I watched him line up and shake the opposing team’s hand.
“Lafayette!” the cameraman called, reminding me I was at work.
“I need to get to the press room, huh?”
I stood from my seat and rushed down the stairs toward the press area. I couldn’t help but smile as I spotted Jax. He had a million-dollar grin on his face and his team surrounding him in celebration, but I needed to get in there.
“Excuse me! Pardon me!”
I pushed through the crowd of players, making my way into the middle of the huddle. When he saw me, he immediately moved to me.
“I did it, Faye Baby!”
“Jax! Congratulations, baby!”
He wrapped me in his arms, picking me up off the ground and spinning me around.
“I gotta get the interview,” I reminded him.
“My bad.”
He put me down on the ground, and I took a deep breath, composing myself as I hopped into journalist mode.
“I’m here with Jaxton Saint, who just made a game winning block. What an incredible way to win your first Stanley Cup! How does it feel?” I asked as the camera rolled.
“It’s amazing! This is what I’ve dreamed of since I first took the ice as a kid.”
“And you played such a critical role in that last defensive play. Take us through that moment. What was going through your mind?”
He chuckled, shaking his head.
“Honestly, it was instinct. I saw that puck coming and did what I do best, block. I couldn’t let my team down.”
“I don’t think you could have asked for a better ending?—”
Before I could finish, Jax motioned for silence. His expression shifted as he stepped closer. Someone handed him a black box, and my mic fell to the ground.
“Actually, there’s something else that would make this perfect…
” He dropped to one knee. “Faye, I knew you were mine from the moment I met you. I told you that, but you didn’t believe me.
You make me a better man, and I am forever grateful to have you in my life.
I don’t really need to draw this out. Will you marry me? ”
Tears welled up in my eyes, rendering me speechless for a moment. I glanced around at the players who were still in celebration mode, but some were looking at us. I didn’t have to think twice.
“Yes! Yes! I will!” I screamed, and he slipped the ring onto my finger before pulling me close.
Cheers rang out, and I could hear our families cheering in the background. My parents made the trip to Virginia to see Jax play tonight. It was perfect. It was almost hard to believe that this all started with a one-night stand.
“That’s the way to do it, future son-in-law!” my dad shouted, patting Jax on the back.
My mom was already pulling me into a tight hug.
“I’m so proud of you, Faye!” she said, wiping joyful tears from her eyes. “And welcome to the family, Jax!”
“Thank you, ma’am! I won’t let y’all down,” Jax replied, flashing that handsome smile that won me over at our first meeting.
Jax’s parents embraced us, giving their congratulations, and I felt like I was in a fairytale. The confetti rained down as people continued to cheer, and the weight of the world seemed to fall away. My heart was so full.
“Is this really happening?” I asked him, looking from his eyes to the giant ring he’d placed on my finger.
“It’s really happening, Faye Baby. I’m not going anywhere. You’re mine.” He looked down at me as someone handed him the Stanley Cup trophy.
“Hey, you know this was supposed to be a one-night stand, right?” I joked between laughing and crying and clinging to Jax’s arm.
“You know I was always going to be your last fuck, right?”
The whistle blew again, signaling the end of the celebrations.
It was time to head out of the arena. People began leaving, but we were still there, wrapped up in each other.
I could hear the reporters around me trying to capture the energy, but all I cared about was that this moment was my one last puck.
The End!