Page 168 of Redeeming Heart
“I’ve waited years for a chance with you. I can honestly say what I want and one of them is seeing a future with you, but I won’t scare you off by going down on one knee next week.”
“You know, months ago, I feared marriage or anything closer to a relationship, but now I can honestly say I am looking forward to the road ahead.”
There was still so much left to learn from each other, bridges to cross, and memories to make.
“Hey, the water is great!” Camille yelled from the beach—planting her surfboard in the sand beside Jaylin’s before they made their way over to us.
It’s finally summer and Brandon and I decided to spend time as much as we possibly could in Los Angeles—on the beach, splashing around in the ocean, and staying out as much as we could.
Camille and Jaylin had no objections to having us stay at Travis and Jaylin’s beach house for two weeks. They ended up joining us with a friend of Travis which I’d never met before.
Brooke Strayton.
Like Travis, she was highly ambitious about motocross and supercross.
She talked a language that only Camille and Travis understood. Both of them were passionate about motorsport, but Camille was still badass when it came to her mechanical knowledge.
“Where’s Hailey, I thought she would be here?” I asked once Jaylin and Camille reached us and joined us on the sand.
Hailey said she would be coming here with Elizabeth, but I haven’t seen her since we arrived.
“She’s dealing with her haunted memories of her ex-boyfriend who is engaged and at the same time putting a show together where her mother will be a judge,” Jaylin explained.
“Shouldn’t we be with her through a time like this?” I asked since Hailey has been there for everyone else.
Jaylin nodded. “She’ll reach out when the waves get too rough. She is also made aware about being welcome here anytime.”
EPILOGUE
It’s been a tough road filled with ups and downs. Memories that are going to be ever-lasting and a moment when we will remember what we’ve done to become national hockey league winners.
The voices that once lived inside of my head—faded over time when I embraced life and didn’t give up on my dream and myself.
“I give you the new champions of NHL.” It was the absolute rattling feeling I’ve ever got to live with when my team and I were crowned National champions.
Enemies who turned friends.
Friends who became like family.
I still wished that my mother could have been alive to witness this day. See me raise the golden national hockey stick in the air with thousands of spectators cheering me on.
I didn’t care about the tears escaping from my eyes when I gazed up at the clear skies, imaging her looking down at me and applauding me.
I redeemed myself.
The broken pieces of my soul were almost completely healed and I was looking forward to the road ahead. All the challenges, my relationship with Brandon, and watching my father and Meredith get married.
Fear was something I once ran away from, but now I learned to embrace fear and turn it into ambition.
I got down from the podium letting my team hold our prize while I met my dad who threw his arms around me and picked me off the ground—raising me into the air.
“You did it! I am so proud of you,” He exclaimed with fresh tears running down his cheeks mixing with the old.
“Thanks, Dad,” I murmured into his chest as he held me tightly against his chest.
“I think someone else is looking forward to congratulating you,” My father whispered releasing me and turning me around to see Brandon making his way over.
The one man who stole my heart.