~~Gage~~
It took me a while to escape the locker room. Since I was a former Tyee player making somewhat of a comeback, I was in high demand by the local press. I curbed my impatience and answered their questions with graciousness and tact, recalling how well Alisa stood up under the pressure of her new country’s press. She’d be proud of me. That thought depressed me.
With a sigh, I showered, dressed, and went to find my parents. I’d put them on the list so they could wait outside the locker room. I pushed open one of the double doors and spotted them immediately chatting with an attractive brunette. She looked like… But then I saw Alisa in every brunette I passed on the street. Wishful thinking on my part.
I stared harder. The woman laughed. I knew that laugh.
What the fuck was she doing here?
I put my hand out and steadied myself on the closest wall. Shit. I wasn’t going to pass out or do something totally bullshit like faint. I couldn’t. They hadn’t seen me yet and weren’t witnessing my total meltdown.
Yet.
I called forth every ounce of inner strength I could muster. The spinning slowed until it stopped. My heart still raced, but at least I was semi-functional. I would not reveal what a hot mess I was at seeing Alisa again.
My dad noticed me first, and Mom and Alisa turned to see who he was staring at. I squared my shoulders, stilled my shaking hands, and strode toward them as if my entire life wasn’t poised on the edge of a black hole and about to be sucked into it, never heard from again.
“Honey, look who’s here.” My mom, ever cheerful, grinned happily.
Alisa stepped forward hesitantly, while my parents stayed back a few steps to afford us a little privacy.
“Hi,” she said with a shaky voice. A tiny bit of confidence surged through me. She was as nervous as I was.
“Hi.”
“Can we talk?”
“Here?” I took a quick glance around and didn’t see any members of the press, only Alisa’s security detail.
“Yes, here.” She stood up straighter, showing that backbone I’d always appreciated.
“Okay.”
“I’ll make this direct and to the point. I love you. I miss you. I’m sorry for all the things I said. I want you back.”
Well, fuck. That was a lot to absorb without warning. I was completely speechless. In fact, my brain rebooted, forcing me to wait until it’d logged back in and started functioning. Alisa waited me out. Not adding to what she’d already declared but simply staying silent. Not something she normally did. Alisa liked to talk, but talking more would’ve diminished the power of her words and compromised my ability to absorb the message she’d delivered.
“Are you proposing to me?”
“Yes, if that’s what it takes.” She took a few steps forward until she was a foot away from me. She didn’t bother to blink back the tears but let them run freely down her beautiful face. I didn’t know if they were tears of joy or sadness or something in between. I hadn’t given her an answer yet.
“But I’m a second-string quarterback from humble roots. Are you good with that?” I had to know. I had to hear how she felt from her own lips.
She glanced over her shoulder at my now-smiling parents. Mom looked the same way she looked when watching the end of a sappy movie, and Dad just looked, well, happy.
Alisa turned back to me and put her hands on my shoulders. “I love your humble roots.”
“I’m sorry for not opening up to you. I thought I was protecting my family, but maybe I was also protecting myself.” I searched her blue eyes for any hesitancy on her part and only saw love there. Love for me. Love for who I really was. Love for my wonderful family.
“I understand, but you have to be open with me from now on.”
“I can do that.” I crossed my heart and grinned at her. Oh, yeah, I could do that. Anything for Alisa.
“Gage, I can’t live without you another moment.”
“If I marry you, do I get to be a prince?”
She blinked several times before she realized I was joking, then she punched me in the arm.
“Ouch.” I rubbed my arm where she hit it, and she rolled her eyes.
“You’ll be my prince.” She cast a spell on me with her brilliant smile. “If you want more than that, you’ll have to take that up with my grandfather.”
I nodded and finally found the words I’d been wanting to say. They weren’t exactly poetic, but they were from the heart. “I love you, Lis. From that first moment I hit on you, I knew you were special, and I was putting my heart on the line. I want to be with you now and forever.”
Alisa threw her arms around me, and I lifted her off her feet, spun her around, and kissed the hell out of her. I heard cheering and clapping, faintly noticed flashes of light from a camera, but I didn’t care. I had my Alisa.
My princess.
My first, last, and only love.