Page 80 of Hold the Line

Viktor looks down at the envelope, then back at me, one eyebrow raised. He opens it carefully.

Inside are two passports. Not real ones, obviously. But good enough. His says Victor Morozov. He raises an eyebrow at the spelling but doesn’t comment. The second one has my picture in it.

Oliver Morozov.

“Cole…” Viktor starts, but I’m already dropping to one knee, pulling out the small ring box I’ve been carrying around for weeks.

He freezes when he sees me there on the floor, ring box open, the simple black band with a thin silver inlay catching the light. The realization hits him — why both passports have the same last name. Why I did this.

I swallow hard, tears already prickling at the corners of my eyes as I look up at him.

“I love you,” I start, voice shaking but steady. “I love you so much it scares the shit out of me sometimes. I know what you did. I know why you did it. And I’m still here. I’m still on my knees asking you to spend the rest of your life with me because none of it changes how I feel. You protected me when I needed it most. You held me through every panic attack, every spiral, every time I thought the world was ending. You put my tongue piercing back in after every game like it’s the most important ritual in the world. You make me mac and cheese when I’m sad. You let me drag you to a birthday party you didn’t want because I asked. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Viktor Petrov. I don’t care about the past. I don’t care what you had to do to keep me safe. I just want forever with you. Please say yes. Marry me. Be my husband. Let me be yours completely.”

I’m crying now, tears slipping down my cheeks as I hold the ring box up to him with a trembling hand.

Viktor stares down at me for a long, heavy moment. Then he drops to his knees in front of me, cupping my face with both hands and kissing me like the world is ending and beginning all at once. “Yes,” he whispers against my lips. “Yes, my love. Always yes.”

I grin like a complete lunatic and tackle him, knocking us both back onto the floor as I slide the ring onto his finger with shaky hands. It looks perfect on him.

“So you wanna ditch Vance and go for… Morozov?” Viktor teases, scrunching up his nose at the name like it personally offends him.

“Hmm… I like Petrov better,” I say, threading my fingers through his short hair, tugging gently just because I can.

“Mmm… Even if Petrov means no running from the past anymore?” he asks.

I nod, pressing my forehead to his. “Yeah. You stopped running from your past to be with me, so I guess it’s only fair I also stop running from your past,” I tease, even as my voice cracks a little.

“That’s a good boy,” Viktor smirks, the words sending a shiver down my spine as he pulls me properly into his lap right there on the bedroom floor. “I love you, little magpie.”

I melt against him, arms wrapped tight around his neck, face buried in his shoulder as happy tears slip down my cheeks again. “I love you too. So much. Happy birthday, husband.”

We stay like that for a long time — tangled on the floor, rings catching the light, the party noise faint and distant outside the door.

“Damian definitely knows something though,” I mumble against Viktor’s shoulder, still wrapped around him like a koala.

Viktor snorts, the sound warm and fond. “Soroka, that man can smell lies from three countries away. I’d be surprised if he didn’t at least suspect.”

He kisses me again — slow and sweet — then starts getting up with me still in his arms like I weigh nothing. I wrap my arms and legs tighter around him, burying my face in his neck as he carries me through the house back toward the party.

The second we step back outside to everyone, I can’t hold it in anymore. “HE SAID YES!” I scream at the top of my lungs.

Obviously only Elias knows what Viktor said yes to — because he helped me pick the ring in secret. Everyone else looks confused as hell. Shane tilts his head like a confused golden retriever. Mats has a burger halfway to his mouth. Lena raises an eyebrow at me.

Elias, bless him, immediately screams in celebration like he just won the Cup again.

Viktor rolls his eyes and lifts his left hand to show the ring.

The team loses their minds — shouting, whistling, slapping each other on the back. Shane howls like a lunatic. Jace looks like he might cry from how happy he is. Even Damian has a small, rare smile on his face as he leans on his cane.

Lena tackles me the second Viktor sets me down, hugging me so tight I wheeze. “You absolute idiot. I’m so happy for you.”

Mats claps Viktor on the back hard enough to make him grunt. “About time, big guy.”

I’m grinning so wide my face hurts, tears still prickling at the corners of my eyes as I look up at Viktor — my fiancé — and feel the last of the fear start to settle.

We’re okay.

We’re really okay.