Page 91 of Keep Me

“What I think he’s saying is that we should take my jet to Lorsica so that you can marry Camille before they make her. But only if you’re ready for that kind of commitment and to face the possibility of her dad fucking with your career after ruining his plans,” Elio interjects.

“Do you hear yourself right now? I’m only twenty-two and who in her country would even marry us?” I ramble, feeling all sorts of emotions. Fear, nerves…and excitement all merging into one at the prospect of truly making her mine forever.

“Ryker.” Elio’s calm voice draws me to him. “Do you love her?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want someone else to marry her?”

“No,” I growl, pissed off at the fucking images he’s painting.

“Then if she’s it for you, and I know that girl is wild about you, what’s holding you back? Go get your girl,” he encourages, wrapping his arm around Jasmine, who’s looking at him with pure admiration.

“I doubt there would be any minister or town hall official that would marry the princess of their country to someone else and face the wrath of their king,” I tell them.

Theo steps forward, a cocky smirk on his face. “Didn’t I ever tell you I’m an ordained minister? I could marry y’all.”

We’re all speechless for a moment, deciphering what he said. It doesn’t surprise me, but it does at the same time.

“How did you become an ordained minister?” Jasmine asks with a puzzled look on her face.

“I always wanted a situation like this to happen, so I got it just in case. Thank God I did. I’m so hyped I get to marry Ry guy and my Millie Moo!” he exclaims, all too happy.

“That’s if he says yes,” Elio chimes in, and suddenly, they’re all looking at me for an answer.

“What if she says no?” My voice is barely above a whisper.

“She’s gone for you, Ryker. I don’t see her saying no,” Jasmine says softly. “But if she does, at least you can say you tried. It’s always better to know than to wonder about what-ifs.”

My gut churns with nerves at the prospect of asking her to marry me and her saying no. We’re young and we’ve never talked about becoming more, always skating around the truth because we agreed to just be friends.

And hell, I don’t blame Camille for never telling me if she has feelings because I’m such a grumpy asshole who’s always said he doesn’t have space for love in his life.

But now? She’s filled my entire world with possibilities I’ve never seen before.

Love. Family. More.

She’s it for me. I can go without baseball if I have to, but I won’t go without my girl.

“How fast can we get there?”

Theo’s, Jasmine’s, and Elio’s faces light up at my words, smiles on their lips at the confirmation that we are going to get our girl back.

“Let’s fucking go get my besties married!” Theo’s hand clamps down my shoulders, shaking me.

I laugh and shrug him off just as Noah and Cuddy jog out the gate.

“Ryker, are you coming back to play the game?” Cuddy asks, and Noah slaps him on the back of the neck.

“What he means to say is, is Camille okay?” Noah corrects him, looking at me with genuine concern. I love that she’s got my entire team wrapped around her finger, that they care and love her like she’s one of us.

I can’t tell them everything, not without asking Camille if it’s okay.

“We need to go get her. She went back home and it’s a messy situation,” I somewhat lie, concealing her secrets without fully lying. “But we have to leave now, so no. I won’t be back for the game. Tell Coach I’m sorry, but this is important.”

Noah smiles, pulling me into a hug. “I told you there was more to life than baseball. Proud of you, Ry.”

“Thanks, man.” I hug him back.

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