Page 104 of The Obvious Check
I gasp when he drops to one knee in the middle of the kitchen and opens the box to reveal a ring. It’s a thin gold band with a square-cut emerald in the center and two delicate diamonds flanking either side.
It’s elegant. Timeless. Perfect.
“Will you make me the luckiest man in the world and marry me?”
Emotion swells inside me so thick and fast I can barely breathe. My throat closes, my eyes burn, my hands shake, because once again, he’s proving to me how much he wants me.
He’s seen every broken piece and still wants more. He’s made a home for me in a place I never thought I belonged. And he’s looking up at me now with an expression so raw, so utterly certain,it knocks the breath straight from my lungs.
He tilts his head slightly, lips twitching at the stunned look on my face. “You gonna say something, Pretty Girl, or do I need to walk off in shame?”
I laugh. It’s choked and wrecked, but at least it’s something. I finally speak when I’ve composed myself. “I already said yes.”
“To the ring pop and a convenient situation. I want to know if you’ll marry me, Savannah? For real.”
I don’t have to think on that. I’ve wanted Cade since the minute I laid eyes on him, and he’s only exceeded my expectations since.
“Yes.”
Cade’s grin is blinding as he slides the ring on my finger, the one I never plan on taking off, and stands to pull me in for a kiss.
I raise my hand, clutching his shirt, but before things can progress, he pulls away.
“Do you like it?” he asks, his voice a little hesitant as he looks at the ring on my finger. The one that fits perfectly.
“Oh, Cade. I love it, but I would’ve been happy with the ring pop.”
“I know, but you’re my girl now. You deserve the best.”
“Thank you. I’ve never seen an emerald engagement ring before. It’s so unique and beautiful.”
“Just like you.” He says the words so casually; it almost makes me believe them. “When I was at the jeweler's, they paraded every fucking diamond in the place in front of me, but none of them were right. None of them wereyou.” His thumb traces over the emerald, reverent and gentle. “But this one… the second I saw it, I knew. It reminded me of your eyes—that stunning green that stops me dead in my tracks every time you look at me.”
His voice drops, rough with emotion that makes my chest tight.
“Then the woman told me emeralds represent new beginnings, peace, and security.” He meets my gaze, and there's something vulnerable and fierce in his expression. “That's when I knew it belonged to you, Pretty Girl. Because those are all the things I want to give you. A fresh start, peace from all the bullshit you've been through, and the security of knowing someone will always choose you. Always fight for you.”
My throat closes up completely, and tears threaten to spill over as the weight of his words settles in my chest like a perfect, precious ache.
“It's not just a ring, Sav. It's a promise. That you'll never have to wonder if you're enough again because you're everything to me.”
I can barely breathe around the emotion lodged in my throat. “Cade…” I swallow, feeling the weight of the confession, and stand on my tiptoes to kiss him again.
“I love it.”
And I love you.
It’s just a thought. A taunting one that’s been swirling in my head for so long, but I’m still too nervous to say it out loud.
“There’s something else,” he says, turning back to his bag.
“A phone, a ring… Cade, what else could you possibly have in there for me?”
“Nothing crazy. Just a little something I’d love to see you in tonight.”
He pulls out a jersey, shaking it out so I can see the name blazoned across the back in crisp white letters.
MRS. BRIGHT
