Page 23 of The Game
She threaded her fingers through his. ‘We’re stronger together, right?’
‘Absolutely.’ He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. ‘You will get through this. I believe it with everything I am.’
She shivered. ‘I want to believe it too, but I’m scared to get my hopes up.’
‘Hey.’ He let go of her hand and pushed her chin up, forcing her to look at him. ‘Hope is what keeps us fighting. You have to have something to live for.’
Alyssa nodded, then dropped her gaze and toyed with the fabric of his shirt. ‘I’m thinking I might take up teaching, music tuition, after all this is over. Playing just now brought me so much freedom, so much joy, and I think I lost that somewhere along the way. My attention has been on the wrong things for too long, but now I know what’s important. My family, my friends—’ she smiled and ran her thumb over his lips, ‘—and love. If I get through this, I don’t want my old life back. I want the life I should have had all along. Living here, with Kate as my best friend and you driving me crazy.’
‘I think teaching is a great idea, and I know Kate will be ecstatic to have you back in her life. As for me … well, I will take great pleasure in driving you crazy, Martin.’
As Dean’s grin lit up his face, Alyssa dared to dream of the future. She had something to live for, and hope would keep her fighting.
Chapter 12
The drone of the engine cut through Dean’s fear, its hum reverberating through his body. He harnessed the vibrations and let them soothe his nerves.
Sitting in the plane’s cabin, strapped to a burly guy named Steve, his pulse raced. But it wasn’t only the prospect of hurtling towards the earth that had him feeling that way—a small velvet-covered box was burning a hole in his pocket.
Steve tapped him on the shoulder and jabbed a thumb to their right. Dean glanced sideways, to where Alyssa sat deeper in the cabin, her face tight with concern for him.
Are you sure?she mouthed.
He nodded and threw her a smile. He’d insisted on jumping before her—his plan depended on him reaching the ground first—but he didn’t want her worrying about him the entire time. She deserved to celebrate, to experience the thrill he knew she’d been itching to feel since the first time they’d done this.
Six months had passed since she’d been declared in remission, and they’d made every effort to enjoy life since then. They’d eaten at fancy restaurants, earned their entry-level scuba diving certifications, taken a ride in a hot air balloon—jumping from a plane was preferable to that—and most importantly, Alyssa was sharing her gift and love for the violin with countless talented young musicians. Now, to celebrate this milestone of Alyssa being healthy for six whole months, he was keeping his promise to go skydiving with her again. Only she was going to get so much more than that.
Steve signalled it was time to jump, and Dean let him know he was ready. Anticipation for what would come next further curbed his fear. He gave Alyssa a thumbs-up, then he was out the door and plummeting towards the ground.
The free-fall was the worst bit. Adrenaline clenched every muscle, so he had to force himself to open his eyes. It felt like an eternity before the shoot opened, but once it did, he was able to relax slightly. A few moments more and Steve was reminding him to lift his feet as they came in to land—his friends and family were there, and Alyssa’s too, all cheering loudly, just as he’d planned—but there was no time to kiss the ground beneath his feet.
The crew got him unharnessed, and he tore open his jumpsuit, reached into his pocket and turned just in time to see Alyssa touch down. As he took a step towards her, Steve thumped him on the back and wished him good luck.
Alyssa half-squealed, half-laughed when she caught sight of him. ‘That was amazing!’ Her eyes widened then, as she glanced around the landing zone. ‘And everyone’s here!’
The crew finally freed her and stepped away.
Dean took her hand and kissed her knuckles. ‘You’reamazing.’
When he went down on one knee, her jaw dropped, then snapped shut as her eyes filled—with tears, happiness, gratitude and longing. Dean’s vision blurred too. They both had so much to be thankful for, but at the top of each of their lists were each other.
Their loved ones moved closer, formed a circle around them, and Alyssa swiped at her cheeks as her tears fell.
Dean cleared his throat, hoping to keep his emotions in check long enough to ask the question. ‘Alyssa, I love you. More than you’ll ever know. And I’ve been dreaming, ever since I was in braces, about what it would be like to have you in my life.’
She choked out a laugh, and he grinned, knowing she still found it difficult to believe how hung up on her he’d been in high school.
‘When I ran into you on the beach that day, I thought maybe fate was giving me a second chance. Since then, two years have passed, and I’ve shared the best and worst moments of my life with you. I’ve held you in my arms and felt your heart beat against mine. I’ve jumped from a plane, not once but twice …’
She pressed her lips together, as if smothering a guilty smile, and everyone around them chuckled.
‘But I’d do it a thousand times over just to make you happy.’ He sucked in a breath and willed his voice to stay steady. ‘And I’ve had to face, too, the prospect of living without you.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t want to waste another day, Lyss. I want to spend whatever time we have together, making you happy, holding you when you cry, watching you smile, listening to you laugh, and being your rock when you need one.’
Alyssa covered her mouth with a shaking hand, and he heard a few sniffles from those around them as he lifted the velvet box and opened it.
‘Alyssa Martin, will you marry me?’
She squeezed her eyes shut briefly, sending tears cascading down her cheeks. Then she stepped forward, sat on his knee and took his face in her hands. ‘I’ve never been one to daydream about getting married, but when I imagine being your wife, it’s as if everything falls into place.’
