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“Rae,” he says, taking my hands and having to awkwardly squish the microphone between our fingers. “I have loved you since the moment I met you. I’ve cherished you. Adored you. And at times, I have failed you. We’ve had more than our fair share of challenges thrown our way, some that have tested us in ways we could never have been prepared for, and with every one of those challenges, I have loved you more. You’re my soul, my world, and my heart. We have waited so long for something we always knew was written in the stars, and I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to marry you, Rae. I want to build a life with you and give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Tears fill my eyes, and he clutches my hands tighter as my heart races faster than it ever has before, and just when I thought my world couldn’t feel more right, Ezra lowers down onto one knee, and the stadium erupts into utter chaos.
He releases my hand, and not a moment later, he produces a small velvet box from his pocket and thumbs it open, not willing to release my other hand, and despite the insane noise around us, I can’t look away.
A beautiful white gold ring stares back at me with a delicate band that’s decorated with a huge rock right in the middle. Smaller diamonds circle the big one in the center and as it sparkles against the crazy lighting in the stadium, I look back up to meet Ezra’s stare. “I’ve had this ring for the better part of four years, knowing all along that we would find our way back to each other. You captured me from day one, Rae. You tethered your soul to mine the very moment I walked through that door. You became the reason I breathe, and now I don’t know how to do life without you.”
He pauses for just a moment as the crazed audience cheers for their leading man.
“I don’t want to wake up and not see your face staring back at me. I don’t want to build a life without you, and I don’t want to give my heart to any other. It’s always been you, Rae. I’m done waiting, and I’m done with the hypotheticals. I want to take the plunge, and I want you to jump right off the fucking edge with me. What do you say, baby? Will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears stream down my face, and I launch myself into Ezra’s arms as my lips crash down over his. “I thought you’d never ask,” I tell him, feeling the intense vibration of the crowd roaring with excitement.
My lips are straight back on his, and he doesn’t even get the chance to put the ring on my finger before Rock and Dylan crash into us, their big arms circling us as they squeeze the living daylights out of me. “I fucking knew you two would make it,” Rock says as I cry into Ezra’s shirt.
I catch Madds out of the corner of my eye, scrambling over the banister with Hardin and beelining straight to the edge of the stage, and before anyone can attempt to help her, she scales the stage like Spiderman before crashing into us too, all but peeling the boys off me before yanking me into her chest. “God, I’m so happy for you,” she tells me. “I think I actually peed myself a little.”
The celebrations roar right through the crowd before we’re reminded that the show isn’t over, and as Ezra goes to lift the microphone back to his lips, I go to make a hasty exit, only he holds on to me, refusing to let me go.
“That’s not the only surprise I have for tonight,” he says into the microphone as Rock and Dylan make their way back to their instruments, leaving Madds to hide in the wing where I usually spend my nights. “It’s been a long time coming, but what better night to tell you that our new single, ‘Not Waitin’ on a Hypothetical’ will be releasing at midnight tonight.”
Not Waitin’ on a … Holy shit. This man!
My jaw drops, and I gape at Ezra, having had no clue that the boys had recorded something new. Hell, when did they even get the time to do it?
The crowd is far beyond chaos now. They’re practically on fire with their current excitement level, and despite that, Ezra still feels the weight of my stare and glances at me, and the way his eyes shine with undeniable love and happiness has me so filled with elation, I could burst.
“So, what’s it going to be?” he asks his eager audience as he keeps his eyes locked on me. “Do you wanna be the first to hear it, or what?”
They roar their excitement, and not a moment later, he pops his microphone back into the stand and pulls me into his side. Rock comes in on the drums, giving us the most captivating beat I’ve ever heard, but nothing, and I mean nothing, prepares me for when the lyrics begin pouring out of Ezra. They’re the perfect ode to us, capturing our love in the most spectacular way possible, doing us justice in a way I could only ever dream of.
34
Raleigh
Crashing through the door of the hotel room, Ezra’s lips come down on mine with a hunger that sets my body alight. “God, I fucking love you,” he says, as we struggle to get the door closed behind us, too impatient to have one another.
I can’t help but laugh as our bodies become entwined in a frenzy of limbs as we try to tear each other’s clothes off our bodies. His shirt is first to go, followed by mine, and as he pops the button on his black jeans, I reach behind me, frantically trying to unclasp my bra. Our lips are permanently fused together, his moving over mine with the kind of skill that brings me to life.
Liquid fire pulses through my veins when he reaches around me and grabs my ass, hauling me into his strong, tattooed arms. My chest crashes against his as the three pendants hanging low around his neck squish between us.
“So, you’re not waiting on a hypothetical, huh?” I question, my words muffled between our lips.
I have so many questions about this. Like when did he write it? What was happening when he wrote it? Were we on good terms at that point, or were we still screaming at each other in restaurant bathrooms? Was he sitting on the floor, gently strumming his guitar while I slept? And more importantly, when the hell did he and the whole fucking band find time to record it, let alone polish it off for a surprise release at midnight?
The whole night has been a whirlwind.
It’s barely been an hour since the end of the show, and the news of our engagement has already made its way across the globe. I suppose that happens when there are fifty thousand people watching and recording on their smartphones.
“Not Waitin’ on a Hypothetical” is also making a splash. Though all their songs always have, but being the first release since Axel’s death and having everyone use the sound when they post about our engagement, it’s already soaring, and I couldn’t be prouder.
The guys are killing it, but so are we.
After the show, Lenny insisted that we have a whole team celebration and party the night away, and while Ezra and I were more than on board to celebrate, we could barely make it two seconds before rushing back to the hotel to spend the night wrapped in each other’s arms. But I’ve gotta give it to them, tonight has been an incredible night, and it’s definitely worth celebrating. We wrapped the tour, got engaged mid-show, announced the surprise midnight release of a new single, and gave at least fifty thousand people an early performance of the song.
Tonight hasn’t just been incredible, it’s been fucking wild. Though something tells me the wild nature of the night is only just beginning.
“Mmmm, you liked that little surprise, did you?” Ezra murmurs against my lips as he strides toward the bed, my legs locked around his waist.
