But he wasn’t having any of that.
He pushed through all of the people who surrounded him, finding Ada and letting no one stop him from getting to her.
Ada’s heart leapt toward him before her feet did, although it wasn’t long until he reached her and she couldn’t help but fling herself into Jonny's arms. He lifted her off her feet, spinning her around as he captured her lips in a searing kiss, heedless of anyone who might be watching.
"You were magnificent," she told him breathlessly when they finally parted, cupping his sweat-dampened face in her hands.
His eyes shone with love and incredulity as he touched his forehead to hers. "I can't believe it. We did it, Ada. We really did it."
She cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs brushing the tears from his cheeks. "You deserve this, Jonny. All of it. I'm so proud of you."
He gathered her close again, his face buried in her hair. "I couldn't have done any of this without you. Knowing youwere here, believing in me – that's what made all the difference. I love you, you know that?"
Ada was touched by the vulnerability on his face as she wondered whether he had ever so openly admitted his feelings to anyone before.
"I love you too," she whispered. "Forever."
They held each other tightly amidst the chaos of celebration, lost in each other. Ada melted against him, reveling in the feel of his strong arms banded around her.
Her, and only her.
Thiswas what she had always dreamed of — not so much the thrill of victory, but the bone-deep contentment of sharing something so special with the man she loved more than life itself.
The future stretched out before them, filled with endless possibilities. Whatever challenges lay ahead, Ada knew they would face them together.
And as Jonny stared at her, holding her close against him, she knew he was willing to do the same.
This was what she had been waiting for her entire life.
Hewas what she had been waiting for.
And it had been entirely worth it.
Epilogue
Jonny squinted against the sun as he watched Ada streak across the pitch, her hair having fallen out of the tight knot he had seen her tie that morning, pieces flying behind her like a banner of burnished copper.
Even after months of watching her play football with Emmaline’s women’s team, her speed and agility still took his breath away. She wove between defenders, the ball dancing at her feet, before sending a blistering shot into the back of the net.
The small but fierce crowd erupted in cheers and Jonny found himself on his feet with them, his heart swelling with pride. That was his wife out there, showing the world what she was made of. Not just a pretty face or a scandal to be whispered about, but a force of nature – strong, brilliant, unstoppable.
As the final minutes counted down and Ada's teammates swarmed her in celebration, Jonny hung back, content to let her have her moment. He knew how hard she'd fought to get here – to shed the expectations of society and her family, to forge her own path. Watching her now, radiant with triumphand surrounded by the friends who'd stood by her through it all, he felt a lump form in his throat.
She caught his eye through the crowd and grinned, wide and uninhibited. In that smile he saw the woman he'd fallen in love with – fearless and unapologetic, with a heart big enough to eclipse any shadow in her past.
Jonny's chest tightened as she started towards him, the late afternoon lighting her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. He would never stop marveling at the fact that she'd chosen him – a man with rough hands and a checkered history – to stand beside her, to build a life with.
As she drew closer, he opened his arms and she flew into them, her jubilant laughter ringing in his ears. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of grass and sunshine that clung to her skin.
"Did you see that goal?" she asked breathlessly, pulling back to beam up at him. "I thought that defender had me for sure, but then I just sort of...twisted around her at the last second and there it was, wide open?—"
He silenced her with a kiss, deep and sweet and full of all the things no words could properly express. That he was proud of her. That he loved her. That he would spend the rest of his days striving to be the man she deserved.
"You were incredible out there," he murmured against her hair. "I couldn't take my eyes off you."
Ada laughed, the sound ringing out like music. "I learned from the best." She pulled back to look at him, her gaze softening. "Having you here, supporting me... it means everything."
She made a soft sound against his mouth, her fingers curling into the hair at his nape. When they finally parted, she looked up at him, her eyes shining with understanding and an echoing emotion that stole the breath from his lungs.
