Page 97 of Jared
Beside me, Haley squeezes my arm.
“She made sure I never lost faith. She kept me going when I was lost. And she never gave up on me, even when I’d given up on myself.” He skates closer to our box. “Ash, will you come down here?”
I take one step toward the stairs and wipe out.
I pop back up. “That must have looked just great on the Jumbotron,” I mutter to Emerson and Haley as they guide me toward the aisle.
“Don’t worry about anyone else,” Emerson advises me. “Just put one foot in front of the other until you reach Jared.”
I do as she says.
The crowd noise is roaring in my ears. I have a brief understanding of what Jared goes through every time he steps into a packed arena, and I have even more admiration for him now.
Because the energy coming at me is overwhelming. I can literally feel it bouncing off of me as I make my way to the rink.
Jared meets me before I have to take my first step onto the ice, thank God, because no doubt I would have face-planted again.
“You okay?” He bends his head to lock eyes with me.
“Yes, but what do you have planned?”
“You’ll see.”
I put my hand in his, and he leads me back to the middle of the rink and picks up his microphone.
And then, he drops to both knees.
I put my hands to my face.
“I love you Ashley Hill.”
I’ve lost the power of speech, so I just stare at him while he opens a little jewelry box and presents me with a gorgeous diamond ring. “I promise to love you and support you forever. I promise to stay by your side and be your best friend and your partner. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
I nod. “Yes.”
My voice carries into the mic, and the crowd explodes as Jared stands up and kisses me.
He slides the ring onto my finger, and we hold each other in a tight embrace as we’re given a standing ovation.
This is the last thing I ever thought I wanted, a public proposal.
Just like the last thing I thought I’d ever do would be a live video professing my love.
But Jared and I are both learning how to be brave.
With our hearts.
And that’s the thing about being brave—sometimes you need to leave your comfort zone and level up.
“I love you, too,” I tell him.
Forever.
