Page 149 of Off Season

Jade nods. “Yes. I told him what I was thinking, and he said that he was one hundred percent onboard. He loved my plan.” She reaches into her purse and places five ring boxes on Reagan’s desk. “He just messengered these over. He’ll get Cruz a new batch every week or so for the rest of the month until this hopefully blows over.”

She then goes on to describe what might be the most brilliant plan I’ve ever heard. By the end, Reagan is grinning from ear to ear. “Fucking hell, Jade. That’s perfect. A perfect fucking solution.”

Jade looks at me and thumps her head with her index finger. “I’m not just a sexy blonde with big tits. I’ve got brains too.”

I nod. “I’ll be sure to consider your brains when I’m tasting your Pussy Juice.”

CHEETAH

Okay, the plan is kind of genius. I never would have thought of something like this. The best part of it is that I know Kamryn and I will have an absolute blast with it.

We discussed a few details with Reagan and Jade for another hour before exiting her palace-office. I think my first apartment was smaller than that office.

As we descend to the lobby in the elevator, I look at Kam. “Mamá called last night. She’s an unhappy camper.”

Kam scrunches her face. “Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. What did you tell her?”

“The truth. About everything from last Christmas. That I sprung the fake engagement on you just before she opened the door.”

Her face falls. “You didn’t have to do that. You could have thrown me under the bus.”

“Nah. It was the right thing to do. I shouldn’t have lied in the first place. She was already suspicious since there were no wedding plans in the works. I’m a grown man. It was time to own it. She can’t hate me forever. She just wants me to be happy. I might get the silent treatment for a few weeks, and then we’ll be back in business, but that’s more about me lying than anything else.”

We exit the elevator into the impressive lobby of Reagan’s skyscraper. I ask Kam, “Do you think this will work?”

Her head toggles back and forth with the same uncertainty I’m feeling. “I think it’s super creative and might work but just know that I’m okay if it doesn’t. I truly believe this will eventually blow over.”

In the past twenty-four hours, I’ve had moments of guilt and moments where I don’t think I did anything wrong. Regardless, I hate that Kam has all the bad press for something I did. It was completely out of her control.

I currently have a small bag with four ring boxes, the fifth being in my front pocket. Nodding toward the glass doors, I say, “It looks like the press is waiting for us.”

They followed Kam and me here this morning separately. Poor Evan was fighting them off in front of my building. It took an obscene amount of time for him to push me through and into a cab. Then it took the cab driver ten minutes to drive through the hordes of reporters blocking his car, trying to get my picture.

Reagan has indefinitely supplied Kam with security, who are all currently following closely behind us. We decided as a group that until this fizzles out, which it hopefully does soon, the security will stay with Kamryn at all times. I have one security guard, but that has to do with the million dollars of jewelry on me, not my personal safety. People feel sorry for me. They hate Kam.

As expected, the press appears to have set up camp outside this building, waiting to see if we’ll exit together. It wasn’t the initial plan for us to be seen together, but the new plan calls for something entirely different. As Jade said, we’re leaning into this.Reallyleaning into it.

I look at my beautiful girl. “Are you sure about this?”

She shrugs. “Not really, but I suppose it’s worth a shot.” She leans her body into mine and kisses my lips sweetly. “Thanks for what you’re about to do. I love you.”

I kiss her back in the same fashion. “I’d do anything for you because I love you too.”

Taking a deep breath, I grab her hand. “Let’s do it.”

We walk out of the revolving glass doors of the building to absolute and total mayhem. Layton Lancaster has been my best friend for over ten years. For a long time, he wasthe most popular player in all of baseball. I’m used to the press acting like animals to get photos. But this? This I’ve never seen before.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of flashes going off in our faces. They’re lined up down the entire block. I see all the surrounding rooftops flanked with telephoto lenses. They’re rapid firing questions at us about the status of our relationship.

It’s madness, plain and simple.

I suppose it’s now or never. I’ll do my best to drown out the lights. Hopefully Kamryn can do the same.

As soon as we’re both fully through the door in plain sight of everyone, I turn toward her and drop to one knee. The press all momentarily gasp before the flashes go even more berserk. It’s like a machine gun of flashes in our faces.

I take Kam’s hand in mine. “Kamryn Hart, you are the love of my life. I’ll never stop wanting to marry you.”

Her chin drops as though she’s completely and totally shocked by my actions.

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