Page 136 of Heart of Thorns

Jack slaps Thorne’s shoulder pad. “You’re so fucking good, man.”

Thorne smirks and glances at me before hopping down and running back to the field.

The game ends without any other excitement.

I head down to the field and realize that Marley, Lydia, and Jeff are all following me.

“You coming for the craziness?” I ask, joking.

They typically head off and try to miss the traffic.

They share a look that I can’t quite decipher.

I don’t get a chance to either, because Thorne’s arms slip around my waist and I’m hauled backward into his chest.

“Kitten,” he murmurs.

He spins around so fast, it dizzies me. The cameras are on us, I can feel it, but I don’t care.

“Cassius,” I say. “Good game.”

“Better because you’re here.” He kisses me. “I missed you.”

I smile against his mouth. “I missed you, too. Now hurry up and go do your interview so we can go home.”

“Is your leg okay?” he asks.

Always so concerned.

I smile. “I’m fine.”

Something flashes across his face, and then I’m slowly sliding down the front of his body and being placed on the ground.

“What’s going on?—?”

My words die on the end of my lips.

Thorne slips down to one knee. He holds his palm out. One of his teammates appears with a little black box and hands it to him.

The camera is mere feet from us, but everything disappears when Thorne opens the box and a diamond ring is gleaming under the stadium lights.

“Briar Hart,” he whispers. “Marry me.”

My heart stops.

I stare at the golden flakes in Thorne’s eyes, and peace floods through me. This is it.

My lips slowly curl into a smile, and I nod.

He slips the ring onto my finger, and like in a movie, everything else comes rushing back in.

There are cheers and claps from his teammates, our friends, everyone. A reporter comments on Thorne’s proposal.

None of that steals the moment, though.

I throw myself into my fiancé’s arms. He rises, lifting me with him, and I wrap my legs around his waist. Despite him being a sweaty mess, I press my lips to his. “I love you, Cassius.”

He pulls back slightly, stares up at me, and has never looked more serious. “I love you, too, kitten.” His mouth comes close to my ear. “Now let me go home and strip that jersey from your body and fuck you with nothing but that ring on your finger.”

THE END

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