Page 186 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 3

His hands stilled. “It’s not useless.”

“It has no needle, Seth.”

“It reminds me that some things are worth keeping, even when they don’t work the way they’re supposed to.” His voice went soft. “That sometimes broken things are the most important.”

My throat tightened. “Yeah. That too.” It had just been a joke. A broken compass, a vial of poison, a threatening letter made of newspaper cutouts. We had a whole box of memories that would make us perfect crime suspects if it fell into the wrong hands. But we found meaning in them.

He finished the drinks and turned around, leaning back against the counter. Snowflakes piled against the window behind him, and the low lights made everything feel suspended, separate from the rest of the world. He was beautiful. Radiant. Every inadequate word people used when they couldn’t describe how looking at someone made their chest cave in.

“I meant to do this later,” I said. The words came out rough. “Maybe in the afterglow or out in the snow. Maybe put it inside a snowball and launch it at you.”

Seth frowned. “What do you mean?”

The nervous laugh that wanted to escape died before it could form. This wasn’t scary. Nothing about Seth had ever been scary, not really. Even when I’d been terrified of what loving him meant, the feeling itself had been the safest thing I’d ever known.

“It’s just that I love you so much, Seth.” My voice steadied. “I can’t think of a life without you. What I imagine is no life at all if you’re not here.”

His eyes widened slightly, catching the light, and I could see the exact moment he understood what was happening.

“And it’s rather simple, then. You are my favorite person. You’ve always been my favorite person. The best friend, the best lover, the best man. There’s nothing more I could ask for.”

Seth’s lips parted, and he was nodding, small movements like he was trying to encourage me forward. Go on. Don’t let me wait too long, his eyes said.

“Except for one thing.”

I dropped to one knee, the tile cold even through my jeans, and pulled the box from my pocket. My hands didn’t shake. They should have, probably, but they were steady as I opened it to reveal the ring inside. Hammered gold, no stones, nothing flashy. Just solid and real and permanent.

“Yes,” he said, launching the word uncontrollably.

I barked a laugh. “Wait, let me ask.”

He wiped his hands against his pants and steadied himself, nodding.

“Seth,” I whispered, feeling his name on my lips.

“Yes. Yes,” he said.

“Wait,” I laughed.

“Right. Go on,” he said, biting his lip.

“Marry me,” I said. “Let me spend the rest of my life trying to make you laugh at terrible impressions. Let me come home to you after every game, every road trip, every day. Let me be the person who gets to love you, who gets to know all your weird habits and annoying perfectionism and that thing you do where you scrunch your nose when you’re thinking too hard.”

Seth’s eyes were bright, his body almost shaking, and he pressed his lips together before speaking. “Ask the question already.” His voice crackled with excitement.

“Will you marry me, Seth Kane?”

“Yes.” The word came out hoarse. “Yes, you ridiculous man. Obviously yes.”

I stood up, slipping the ring onto his finger, and Seth pulled me in before I could say anything else. His mouth met mine, hungry and sweet. He kissed me like he was trying to crawl inside my chest and make a home there, and I let him, my hands cupping his face, thumbs brushing away the dampness at the corners of his eyes.

When we finally broke apart, both breathless, he pressed his forehead to mine. “I hate that you made me cry.”

“Liar.”

“I really do.” But he was smiling, soft and genuine and completely himself. “You know I’m going to have to explain to everyone why we got engaged in a kitchen.”

“We can tell them it was in the snow under the stars. Very romantic.”