Helped off the canvas, I stalk over to the corner and drop to my knees, overwhelmed with emotion and the consuming need to celebrate this victory with Sonny. The noise around me is electric; it’s a pulsing that I feel in my soul. Pressing my head against the padded post, I breathe deeply to slow my racing heart. “We did it, Sonny. We did it, brother,” I shout, knowing that he’s there, he’s with me and he’ll be with me ‘til the end. My team is holding everyone back letting me have this moment, and that’s all I allow. Sonny wouldn’t want more than that.
Standing, I stride forward and make it to the center of the Cage. I’m swarmed by people, bombarded with congratulations, hands slapping at me, reaching out from every direction, and I push my way past all of it, all of them, with Vince the emcee trailing after me, shouting questions and thrusting the mic in my face. I don’t stop until I reach the chain link of the Octagon. There she is, front and center, right behind the surprised announcers, hand on her swollen belly as she stands on her chair, Reggie watching to make sure she doesn’t fall. The smile that lights up her face sets me on fire. This moment, right here, is what I’ve been waiting for, fighting toward. I couldn’t claim her completely until I had my belt. I promised myself that I wouldn’t give up on all that we had worked for, even when what I wanted most was her. Well, I’ve got my belt. Now it’s time to get the fucking girl. I look down at Vince who is still trying to get me to answer his questions and take the mic from him. He nods in agreement as he relinquishes his hold on it. A wicked grin takes over my mouth—she’s going to kill me.
Raising the mic to my mouth, I point at her, “Princess!” Her eyes widen, as she shakes her head no at me. I just laugh, “Woman! You see this?” I ask as I hold up the belt that Vince passes to me. She nods, tears streaming down her face. “I told you, one fight to go, and then I was coming for you. You remember what I said, Frankie?”
If I thought that her eyes were wide before, I was wrong. The blush creeping up her cheeks at the thought of what the text messages said is evident even from here. Dipping my head and smothering my laugh with the back of my hand, I take a moment to rein my shit in before focusing on her once again. “I sent you a text message that said I was going to do something to show you that I love you. I can’t do that now, but I promise I will later, repeatedly.” I can’t help but chuckle at her obvious embarrassment as she glances around to see who is paying attention to the show I’m putting on and the answer is . . . everybody. Every-damn-body is watching and I couldn’t give a fuck less. This is my girl, my time, our moment. “Since that’s off the table for now . . .” I shrug, my head cocked to my shoulder and hand my belt to Vince who looks absolutely perplexed as to what in the fuck I’m doing. Clapping him on the back, I turn back to my girl, her hands covering her mouth, the smile peeking around her steepled fingers.
Slowly I drop to one knee and the roar that rips through the crowd is deafening. The catcalls and whistles bouncing off of every wall in the stadium making their way back to me. I raise my hand to try to quiet them, my eyes glued to Frankie, no hope of controlling the tears rolling down her beautiful, stunned face. The first happy tears either of us have cried in a while. Once our audience has quieted, I raise the mic to my mouth, “Princess, I’ve loved you for too long now. I didn’t tell you until I almost lost you. I won’t lose you again; you’re mine and I’m yours. Nothing will ever come between us again, Frankie. Living without you isn’t an option, you feel me?” She nods slightly and I go on, “Marry me.” It’s not a question. I’m not asking. I give her a second to let that soak in. For her to hear me. “I’ll take care of you, of my family. I’ll keep you safe, always.”
The lights in the arena shine down on her, making her tears glisten like rows of tiny diamonds marching across her cheeks. My throat works at swallowing down the moment of panic that takes over when she doesn’t say anything. The silence around us is as loud as their cheers were. How thousands of people can be so quiet is beyond me. Slowly she reaches her hand out for Reggie to take and he gently helps her off the chair she was perched on and walks protectively behind her as she makes her way to the Cage. Rising from my knee, I meet her at the black fence of the Octagon, hooking my fingers in the links as she presses against them from the other side. The mic hangs at my side forgotten as I take her in. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, and regardless of what her answer right now is, she is mine and she will be a Love, my Love, always.
The rapidly beating pulse in her throat and the way her skin is starting to flush that pretty shade of pink that it does when she’s hot for me makes my lip kick up in a half smile, “You want something, Princess? You only turn that color when you need fucked, baby.” Probably not the most romantic thing for me to say at the moment, but that’s what she does to me. If the smile taking over her face is any indication, she doesn’t mind.
“Oh, I need something, Deac,” she says in a raspy emotion-laced whisper.
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“You.” Simple. Sure. Honest. “Just you. Only you. Yes!” my girl yells as the crowd explodes around us, rivaling the chaos inside me.
Got my girl, got my belt. Stick and move. Stick and motherfucking move.
The END