Page 84 of Faking the Book Boyfriend

“Unfortunately, we live in a society where women are often asked—no, expected—to sacrifice their own needs for men. Women giving up careers and dreams has become the norm. Why is that?”

He wipes his eyes with a tissue. I wish I was there to hold his hand. To hold him. To tell him I love him for what he’s about to do.

“I want to be honest with you all. I’ve found myself in love with a woman who lives in Philadelphia. Born and bred there. She’s never considered living anywhere else. She has a career, family, friends, and a community she loves. I want to respect everything she’s worked for. As much as I’ve always seen myself as a Bomber for life, I understand that I have a job different from most. Partners of baseball players don’t have it easy. They’re left alone for days and weeks at a time. Is it fair of me to ask her to move to a strange city only for me to be on the road for more than four months of the year? I don’t think it is. After a great deal of self-reflection and thinking about my future and home, the answer was clear. She’s my home. She’s in Philly. I love the Bombers, I always will, but number eighteen is taking this show to Philly. Thank you, New York. You’ll always have a small piece of my heart, but my girl has the rest of it.”

He steps aside and some other man takes the podium. I think it’s Trey’s agent, but I’m not sure. I can’t hear anything over the pounding in my heart. It’s so loud it’s drowning out the whispers and chatter in the conference room.

All eyes in the room are on me as tears stream down my cheeks. I’m left speechless by what he just did.

I hear my name and turn toward the door. Grammy Jane is standing there with Val and CJ.

My eyebrows pinch together. “What are you all doing here?”

Trey emerges from behind them. “I invited them.”

I breathe, “Trey.” I point to the television. “How…how are you—”

“We recorded it two hours ago. I wanted to be here when you found out.”

Emotions overcome me as I croak out, “You didn’t have to do this. I was planning to move. I was going to surprise you this weekend.”

He shakes his head. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I meant every word I said.Ishould be the one to move, not you.”

In tandem, we glide toward each other, and he takes me into his arms. Tears pour down both our cheeks.

I look toward my grandmother and two best friends who are all smiling like fools.

Trey answers my unspoken question. “I wanted them here for this.”

“For wh—"

Before I can get out the words, he drops down on one knee and opens a box with an exceedingly large diamond ring sitting inside.

“Gemma, you know full well that I caught an incurable case of insta-love the second I laid eyes on you.”

I smile at him continuing to refer to it like a disease.

“After spending time with you, I knew my instincts were right. You and I are meant to be. When I close my eyes and imagine my future, I not only see you in it. Youareit. I want—no, Ibeg—you to spend your life with me. Let me love you every single day. Marry me.” He nods toward the television. “There are no more obstacles standing in our way. It can be you and me living here in Philly. Your home. Our home.”

I twist my lips. “Now I sort of feel compelled to say yes since you just changed the paths of two billion-dollar franchises for me.”

He smiles, knowing that I’m only joking with him.

I wipe the tears covering my face. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“For us. I did it for us.” He gives me his adorable smile. “You once said that every good romantic comedy ends with a grand romantic gesture. I suppose this was mine.”

I shake my head and grab his face with my hands. “No, my love, this isn’t our ending. It’s our beginning.”

I hold out my left hand, and, with a huge grin, he places the ring on my finger. He then stands, lifts me into his arms, and kisses the hell out of me to a sea of cheers.

Epilogue

SIX MONTHS LATER

GEMMA

I lean backon the couch with a full belly. Pointing to the television, I instruct Val, “Flip to Trey’s game.”

---