“Boston! You’ve been absolutely great tonight.” I grin out at the crowd and they beam back at me. “I’m sad to say, this is our final show. But I think I speak for everyone in Wildwood when I tell you we couldn’t have picked a better group of fans to spend it with.”

It’s not a lie — I’m not sure what they’re putting in the water here in Boston, but the energy level has been off the charts since the second we stepped on stage. Unless… maybe it’s not the crowd at all. Maybe it’s knowing this is the last time we’re ever going to do this that’s making it all the more special.

My gaze sweeps from Aiden to Lincoln to Felicity, and I see they’re feeling it, too. It’s written on their faces — the bittersweet ache in their eyes, the half-smiles on their lips. There’s a tangible goodbye in the air all around us. An ending none of us are fully prepared to face.

“We’ve got one more song for you tonight,” I say, reaching out for Felicity’s hand and pulling her close. “I’m sure, by now, y’all know the words by heart… So feel free to sing ‘em loud along with us.”

As we walk to the end of the catwalk, Felicity keeps her eyes on mine. They shine like solid gold under the stage lights, and when we reach the platform, I can’t help myself. I lean in and lay one on her — a lingering, passionate kiss that makes the whole crowd go crazy all around us.

The notes start to play, the platform starts to spin, and we stare at each other as we start to sing…

The lights go dark, the crowd cheers… but the platform never descends down into the arena below.

“Ryder? Where’d you go?” Felicity’s voice trembles as she searches for me in the dark. “Is the platform broken? Are we stuck? What do we do?”

“Don’t worry, baby. It’ll be fixed in a minute.”

A smile twists my lips as I drop to my knees and reach into my back pocket.

“But—”

Felicity’s question turns into a gasp of surprise as the stage lights suddenly come back up. She blinks, dazed, before her gaze drops and she spots me, down on one knee before her. Her eyes fill slowly with tears as they lock on the small blue velvet box in my hands.

The audience’s cheers amplify by about a million percent as what they thought was an encore song turns out to be something very different.

“Felicity Wilde,” I say, staring up at her. “You have changed my life in every way possible. From the first moment I met you, I knew we were meant to cross paths. But I had no idea that, from that point on… my path would lead me straight back to you.”

Her eyes begin to leak.

“No matter where we go, no matter what we face… I know, with you by my side, we’ll make it through. You are my light in the darkness. You are the song of my soul. And, if you’ll have me, I’d like to spend the rest of my life making you as happy, as complete, as you’ve made me.” I crack open the box, revealing a dazzling diamond ring. The same ring I was meant to give her, all those years ago. The one I’ve kept close, never giving up hope that one day I’d finally get a chance to ask her this question…

“Felicity Wilde, will you marry me?”

The entire arena seems to hold their breath.

Myself included.

I watch a radiant smile break across her face and know the answer before it makes it past her lips.

“Yes, Ryder. Yes.”

I slide the ring onto her finger, its many facets glittering beneath the spotlight. She barely has time to admire it, because I find my feet and scoop her into my arms with a triumphant yell to the crowd around us.

“SHE SAID YES!”

They roar their approval as I spin her around in circles. Onstage, Linc and Aiden start playing a celebratory riff, completing our perfect fairytale moment with a soaring score.

Our lips crash together as I hold her in the air.

This may be the end of the tour…

But it’s the start of something infinitely better.