Page 143 of Mr. Wicked

“This ring isn’t just for you—it’s a piece of me. Of what I was—of what I am. Of what we are together.” He took it out of the box and held out his hand.

My left hand dropped from my mouth, and he captured it, holding the diamond in front of my ring finger.

The only thing I saw through my tears was a shiny, gorgeous blob.

“Jovana,” he said again, “will you be my wife?”

I nodded, the movement unleashing the rest of my tears. “Yes. Of course I will.”

I didn’t let him stand.

Because I wanted him to know that we were in this together.

As equals.

So I got on my knees, the roughness of the pavement piercing my soft skin, and once he slid the ring on my finger, I threw my arms around his neck and held him as close as I could get him.

I squeezed.

I inhaled the air that was so full of his scent.

And I thought of the words he’d just spoken.

They hit me.

Hard.

Nothing about us was traditional. Neither was this moment, and how he’d never once told me he loved me.

But it was enough.

And it was our kind of perfect.

“I didn’t know you were asking me tonight,” I whispered, clutching him with all my strength.

“I wanted it to be a surprise.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

BREAKING NEWS: Boston’s Biggest Bachelor Has Officially Been Hooked

Grayson Tanner, 30, cofounder of Hooked, an international dating app, and Jovana Winters, 22, TikTok sensation and influencer, are now engaged. Sources tell us that Tanner popped the question in Boston’s Seaport District around ten o’clock last night, and the pictures show Tanner on one knee, sliding the massive sparkler onto Winters’s finger before she got on her knees, joining him in a hug on the ground.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Tanner has found himself in a Celebrity Alert. No one can forget his trip to Saint-Tropez, when he was seen cruising the Mediterranean in a 150-foot yacht. His guests ... all women.

Six, to be exact.

Shortly after returning from the Mediterranean, Tanner was spotted with Winters. Online reports state that they met within the marriage arm of Hooked, our sources confirming the pairing and that they’ve been together ever since.

That’s quite the feat to whittle all those women down to one.

Seems like this one happens to be quite the catch.

Congrats, lovebirds.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Grayson