Page 71 of Knox
I nodded. “I know I shouldn’t have been listening. I’m sorry.”
He stepped closer to me. “I’m not upset, if that’s what you’re worried about. If you had any lingering doubts about what I wanted, hopefully, it’s cleared up now.”
28
Knox
It’d beenfour days since I’d overheard Crew calling me his endgame. Four days of me pretending not to think of it constantly. He hadn’t brought it up again, and I hadn’t pushed to discuss it, but every time he looked at me, I couldn’t help but feel as though we were both finally in a place where we felt content and settled.
This four o’clock game was the start of our final homestand before the All-Star break. We were playing the Seattle Mariners, and since Crew still wasn’t off the IL, he was sitting in the dugout watching us.
When the top of the seventh ended, the announcer told the crowd it was time to get on their feet and stretch. Usually, the stadium’s organist would start playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but instead, as I headed off the field, I saw Crew walking out toward me.
We met on the grass between the infield and the dugout. “What are you doing out here?”
He smiled. “I’m doing something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
The announcer directed everyone’s attention to the jumbotron in center field, and when I glanced that way, I saw the two of us plastered on the screen. My heartbeat sped up, and then nearly pumped out of my chest when I looked back at him as he dropped to one knee. The entire stadium erupted in cheers, but the sound faded out as I focused on the man in front of me.
“I was going to do this at home, just the two of us,” he explained. “But we stopped hiding a long time ago. You deserved to be loved publicly and wholeheartedly. Will you marry me, and let me be the one to love you for the rest of our lives?” He opened the jewelry box he was holding.
I wanted to check out the ring, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Crew. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He slipped the cool metal onto my finger, and I finally let myself look down to see what he’d picked out. It was a gorgeous platinum ring with black diamonds that wrapped all the way around. It was exactly the type of ring I could picture myself wearing forever.
He stood, wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me in for a kiss like there weren’t thirty thousand people watching.
The crowd cheered loudly again as our teammates swarmed around us on the grass, giving high-fives and hugs. Crew and I turned toward the fans and gave a wave, before lifting our joined hands in the air.
It was the first time I’d ever been celebrated not just for how I played, but for who I loved. It felt surreal.
A little over two years ago, I walked into a major league locker room as a rookie and met Crew Stratton for the first time. Never did I imagine we’d end up engaged in front of a sold-out crowd.
We didn’t makeit two steps inside the clubhouse before Ramos and Beck ambushed us with bottles of champagne.
“What the—” I cringed as the liquid drenched my head and back.
“Engagement shower!” Beck grinned, backing up in case I tried to retaliate.
“How’d you guys get champagne in here at the last second?” Crew asked, trying to wring out his soaked hoodie.
“Don’t know. It just happened to be here,” Ramos called from across the room where he leaned casually against his cubby like he had nothing to do with what had just happened.
The team was hyped from our win, but everyone seemed more excited to talk about our engagement.
Parker came over and clapped us both on our shoulders. “Best jumbotron moment since the cameras caught Drew kissing me after I won the World Series with the Giants.”
“Thanks for helping with the details.” Crew shook his hand.
“Any time. Oh, and you can thank Matthewson for the champagne.”
We crossed the room to our lockers, and I shrugged off my jersey. “Do you think it’s weird that we’re engaged before we even officially lived together?” I chuckled.
Crew lifted a brow as he stripped out of his wet clothes. “Uh, your shit is all over my bathroom counter, your hoodies have taken over half of my closet, and Grady thinks you live at my condo.”
“True, but we never really talked about it.”
He smirked. “Were you waiting for an engraved invitation?”
