Page 265 of Beautiful Collide

Nope, my nerves are because of the clock. I’m watching it, counting down the seconds.

It’s almost time to put my plan into action.

When we finally win—which obviously is a bonus since my plan would have happened regardless, but this is better—the crowd cheers.

But I have something bigger to celebrate.

The announcer’s voice booms over the speakers as the team lines up at center ice for the traditional post-game thank-you to the fans.

My heart pounds as I grab the microphone. It’s a well-thought-out plan, and luckily for me, Coach Robert was happy to speak to the GM and let me do this. The suits were excited too. The marketing team even more so.

None of that matters to me. I’m not doing it for views or likes. I’m doing it because I need to.

“Hey, everyone.” My voice echoes through the arena. “Can I have a moment of your time?” The crowd quiets at my words, all curious about what I’m about to say. “Before we wrap up tonight, there’s something I need to say. Something I’ve been waiting a long time to do.”

I glance up at the family box, locking eyes with Molly. Her brow furrows, her lips parting in confusion, and I know she’s trying to figure out what’s happening.

“Molly,” I say, my voice steady despite the way my chest is pounding. “Can you come down here?”

Again, this is not normal or protocol, but since we’ve won two Cups, and the crowd is sure to go nuts, I have a lot of leeway in what I’m allowed to do.

The crowd cheers, their excitement rippling through the arena as the spotlight shifts to her.

Josie nudges her, grinning, and Molly looks mortified.

“Come on. Don’t make me come up there.”

She groans, but she finally starts moving, making her way down the stairs.

Security leads her to the ice.

When she reaches me, I can’t help but smile at the way she crosses her arms. She looks confused and maybe a little pissed.

Fuck, I love this girl.

“What are you doing, Hudson?” she whispers under her breath.

“You’ll see.” I take her hand.

The crowd falls silent, the weight of the moment hanging heavy in the air.

I take a deep breath, turning to face her, my other hand resting on her shoulder. “Molly, when I met you, I thought you were my hex.” This is the first time I’ve publicly called her this, but it feels fitting and right. “You kind of lived up to the name at first.”

The crowd laughs, and Molly glares at me.

But despite that, I can see a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

“But then, something changed.” My voice softens. “You didn’t hex me. You saved me. You’ve been there for me in ways I didn’t even know I needed. You saw me at my worst and refused to let me give up. You’ve been my constant, my support. And as it turns out, you’re my good luck charm.”

Her eyes widen.

I drop to one knee, pulling a small box from my pocket.

The crowd gasps.

“I know we’ve technically done this before. But this time, I want to do it right. Molly, will you stay married to me? Not because of circumstance, but because I’m crazy about you? Because there’s no one else in this world I’d rather call my wife.”

The arena is dead silent for a beat, and then someone from the crowd yells, “Wait, aren’t they already married?”

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