Page 159 of How to Prevent a Fumble

He nods, holding my gaze. Licking his lips, he takes a deep breath. “I know you’re anxious so I’m going to get straight to the point. I want to marry you, Briar. For real. None of this fake shit. I know it’s been less than a year and I know that you don’t want to ever be stuck in the same situations you were stuck in before, so before you say no, I just want you to hear me out. But I also want you to know that thisiscompletely your decision, and if you say no, I will still spend my entire life loving you, okay?”

I feel like a giant anvil is crushing me, and I can’t find the words for him, so I just nod.

“I think I’ve loved you since the very first moment I saw you, Briar. Your hair was golden, and you were wearing matching Crosby jerseys with Elara. You had the biggest smile on your face, and when you looked at me, it faded into a frown. Your eyes narrowed a bit, but at first all I could focus on was how insanely beautiful your eyes were. A second later and all I could think about was how I made you frown. It felt like a punch to the gut. You didn’t even know me, but you sure as hell heard about me. I hated that.”

He takes a breath, closing his eyes before continuing. “I hadn’t stopped thinking about you since that day. And when the time came to help you,” his eyes shift behind me, and I realize that I still haven’t told my brother everything. He’s still trying to respect my wishes.

I glance back to find Owen’s brows furrowed as he looks on.

“I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t also looking at it as an excuse to show you the real me. The me that you mayactually like. What I wasn’t anticipating was,” he flinches, “the strippers. That was my bad.”

I roll my eyes. “You walked strippers to their car, Leo. I’m not sure how people do way worse with little repercussion.”

He shakes his head. “Regardless, I want you to know that I’m sorry. But if I had to be in a relationship with anyone, even fake, it was going to be you, Briar. I’m sorry I brought you into this mess. I’m sorry that things have been hard. I’m sorry that I’ve been an absolute idiot sometimes. But if there’s one thing that I know for sure I did right, it’s choose you. And I want to keep choosing you every day.”

As tears threaten to spill, Leo lets go of my hand, reaching for Elara. She grabs his with a huge smile.

“I want to choose you and Elara. I want to cook for you guys every single morning and bring you presents even though you get annoyed. I want to provide for you doing something I love so that you can focus on what you love. I want Elara to make her room in my home permanent. I want to hear Champ’s nails on my expensive floors,” he winces again, “every morning when she wants to go out. And most importantly, I want you to not have to run. To not have to feel like you’re running from your past, or that the next shoe is going to drop.”

I take a ragged breath in, my thoughts swimming in a cloudy pool.

Leo looks around him nervously. “I chose this place because it’s the first place we kissed, and it was honestly one of the best nights of my life. I know it maybe meant nothing to you at the time, Sunny, but it was everything.” Leo clears his throat. “But I also want you to go into this knowing everything, and the main reason I’m asking now and not waiting is because I happen to know that Tony is planning to let the school board know that you’re not living at your apartment, and he wants to ruin both of our images.”

Closing my eyes, my heart sinks.

“But I’ve been planning this for a long time, and that changes nothing. Full transparency, I want to marry you, and I want to pay him off so he’ll sign off on me adopting Elara as my own.”

Leo looks at me as if I’m the only person in the room. A private, intimate look that lights me on fire, and the thought of him wanting nothing more than to be the dad that Elara has been missing makes my ovaries instantly tingle.

“I don’t want you to be trapped with me, and we can sign any and all documents you want signed. But I don’t want that man anywhere near you or Elara ever again. I’ll enroll her in the best schools, where she has Juniper, and I’ll look after her like she was my own. And if down the line you want another one, I’m open to it. Whatever you want, always.”

Leo licks his lips. “So what I’m asking you right now is to marry me, Briar.”

Dropping to one knee, my breath catches in my throat as he stretches his hand out to Elara, who reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a black velvet box, placing it carefully in Leo’s hand.

My jaw drops.

Leo waits a second before opening it, and I’m greeted by the most beautiful diamond ring I’ve ever laid eyes on. “Leo,” I say, tears starting to fall.

Elara nudges me in the side. “I think you should say yes, mom,” she whispers, and I feel what little control I have left crumble.

Because sure, it’s been less than a year. And sure, it’s been an even shorter time that we’ve actually admitted feelings. But there’s something about this that feels right.

I feel out of control. I feel like I’m flying.

Some of my most favorite things have happened because I’ve been out of control of my own life.

Except I am in control. Leo made sure I knew I could say no. I can say no and walk away and he would still love me.

And I feelsafe.

And when I whisper a quiet “yes,” I feel like I’m in a freefall.

Leo smiles, taking the ring out of the box and grabbing my hand.

“But—” I say, tugging my hand back just slightly.

I can hear my brother gasp behind me like the drama queen he is.

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