Page 127 of Trade Deadline

“So now you’ve gotta think of something to name this little guy,” I say, scratching the pup’s head.

“I think I have the perfect name.”

I raise my head. “Oh, yeah?”

Blaine nods.

He then looks down at the puppy, then he melts my heart, and I fall even deeper in love with him as he says, “This is Ernie.”

I open my mouth, but I’m speechless. He wants to name him after my grandfather?

Blaine puts the puppy on the floor, and he instantly starts attacking the laces on his shoes.

His hands cup my face, and it’s only when his thumb wipes under my eyes that I realize I’m crying.

“Is that okay? That we name him Ernie?”

“Y-yeah.” I give a shaky nod. “He’d be honored to have our first fur baby named after him.” And then I crash my lips against his.

I fucking love this man with every atom in my body.

He loves me like there’s no tomorrow. He cares for me in ways I didn’t know I needed.

He thinks about me and includes me in everything he does, and despite the trouble I’m still receiving on social media, I have never once doubted his love for me.

And that’s all I need.

All we need.

Because we have each other.

Epilogue

Blaine

Seven monthslater

“Ernie,come on! Don’t let me down now, dude.” I whistle to get Ernie’s attention, but he’s too busy trying to pull a tree root out of the ground.

The Chicago Thunder groundskeeper is going to be so mad with me.

“Dude!” I tug on his collar, and he finally lets go, only to run a few more laps around the grassed area outside of the arena.

How this dog has so much energy, I will never know.

Usually, Ernie and I go to the dog park near our apartment block to try and exhaust his never-ending energy levels. This allows for Alex to come home from helping Jacob at the bakery to a nice, peaceful night working on his graphic design business.

I’m so proud of how far Alex has come in the last twelve months.

With the money worries settled, he’s really been able to come into his own. The bakery is thriving, and he’s been able to develop his graphic design business. He still works a couple of days at the bakery because he doesn’t want to give it up completely, but his clientele is growing, and he now has a waitlist of people eager to get on his list. I couldn’t be prouder of him.

And as for me?

Well, today we have a different plan.

If you’d asked me a year ago if I would be walking through the doors to the Thunder arena with an engagement ring in my pocket, I’d have laughed in your face and called you insane.

But there is nothing I want more than to be married to the love of my life and my best friend.

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