Page 124 of Between Love and War
“Hey,” he says, his voice soft and his gaze locked on me. “Sorry to interrupt. But… don’t do that.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Kate
You know how in cheesy romcoms there’s always that one scene—the grand gesture? The part where the music swells, the crowd gasps, and the love interest does something so big, so impossible to ignore, that the heroine has no choice but to realize she’s been in love all along?
Yeah. I used to dream about that. Then, somewhere along the way, I lowered the bar. Life chipped at the edges of that fantasy until I would’ve happily settled for any gesture.
But now?
I don’t know what’s happening.
Everyone murmurs, but the sound dials down. “I have something to tell you,” Michael says as he looks at me.
My heart slams in my chest. I look at Dan in panic, expecting him to be mad, but instead he just smiles. “He’sthe one you’re trying to get over?”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—” I start. He just shakes his head.
“We’re not on a date, Kate. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I smile at him and take a look at my friends, all of them as frozen as me. I look at Michael. He’s already moving toward me, limping slightly, but still walking like nothing in the world could stop him now.
“I know we said we’d move on,” he says, speaking into the mic like we’re the only two in the room. “But when I saw your face on that screen, smiling and flustered and doing that little wave you do when you’re nervous… it rattled me.”
He stops just in front of our row, the only thing between us the low courtside barrier.
“You deserve your romance, Katie. Your fireworks. Your cheesy grand gestures and embarrassing speeches. You deserve the love you read about. You deserve to kiss someone because you want to, not because the crowd tells you to. You deserve to wait for the moment that feels right.”
The crowd is completely still. Every second stretches, drawn tight with breathless anticipation.
“And you deserve to be loved. Not just in the quiet. Not just in the safe places. But out loud. Wildly. Bravely. With everything someone has.”
He shifts the mic to his other hand, gaze still never wavering. “So whether it’s just you and me, or 25,000 people watching, I need to say it. I need you to know it.”
My lungs forget how to work. My fingertips go numb. He’s looking at me like he sees every part of me.
“I love you,” he says, voice steady now, sure. “So much, Katherine Cruz. And I’m not asking you to say it back.”
He takes a deep, shaky breath. And it feels like the entire arena inhales with him.
And then he gets the mic out of the way. Some people boo and Michael laughs, but he waves them off. “Give me a few minutes, guys,” he says to the entire arena before setting the mic down. Surprisingly, they remain quiet. The jumbotron flashes Michael’s face, but his words are only mine to hear this time.
“You don’t owe me anything. Not your feelings. Not forgiveness. But I want you to know—I’m not here to win a moment. I’m here because even if I spend the rest of my life loving you quietly from the sidelines… it’ll still be the best life I could ask for. If three months with you was all I’ll ever have in this lifetime, then every headline, every bruise, and every fall was worth it. Because they led me to you, Katie… But still. You… you had to know.”
I can feel the tears stinging my eyes. I don’t understand what’s happening. My head is struggling to keep up with my feelings, and I am feeling everything all at once.
“I don’t want a life without you in it,” he says, softer now. “I want the big days and the small ones. I want to argue about what to have for dinner. I want to hold your hand during Sunday morning traffic. I want to mess up the cookies you bake. I want the real life, theeveryday, with you.”
“But you already have this life, Michael,” I whisper. “A big, adventurous life. I don’t fit into that.” I try to remind myself of everything we’ve ever talked about.
“You don’t,” he says. “Because you’ve already taken up every inch of it without even trying.”
“But,” I continue, my voice steadier now, “how do we make it work, Michael?”
He swallows hard, and for a moment, I see the hesitation he hides from the world. “Katie… I’ve spent years thinking basketball was the only thing that defined me. That if I stopped, I’d disappear. But I know who I want to be now. And I can be the man you deserve. One who doesn’t just make room for youin his life, but builds it with you. Loud and quiet. Big and small. Exactly in-between.”
He hesitates, just long enough for me to feel it. “I was going to announce this later, but I’m cutting back on leagues. I’m starting a camp for players to figure out who they are outside the court. And I know who I am now, Katie. I’m yours. And every version of the life I want has you at the center of it.”
