SHAY
~SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2~
âAre you ready?â Ethan asked.
âAlmost,â she answered as she tied her hair up in a neat ponytail.
She checked her reflection in the mirror to make sure she looked good. She was wearing an oversized baseball jersey and a sports bra and biker shorts from her own brand underneath.
Ethan peeked his head around the door. âYou look hot.â
Smiling, she grabbed her bag and walked toward him, then placed a kiss on his cheek and followed him downstairs. Ethanâs place was a beautiful duplex, something that was hard to find in New York.
âWhat if I donât enjoy it?â Shay asked, curious to see his reaction.
âThatâs okay. Itâs not everyoneâs thing. I prefer basketball, honestly, but I love watching games and Iâd like to watch some with you.â Ethan wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head lovingly.
Feeling warmth spreading throughout her body, she smiled.
They were getting back to normal. After her meltdown a few days back, Shay had been slightly more reserved. She trusted him, but she was too much in her head after what Kourtney said, and Ethan knew it.
He understood it, though. He was patient with her and gave her the space she needed. Shay was thankfulâit was hard for her to be that open with anyoneâbut she found comfort in Ethan.
âLetâs go,â he urged, nudging her toward the door.
The ride to the stadium was exciting. Shay watched Ethan as he went on and on about the game, explaining with hand gestures. She couldnât help but admire him, and wondered if this was what it would be like to be married to him.
When sheâd been with Pete, she didnât have to wonder. She could always see a clear picture of what a future with Pete would be like. But she knew now that Pete wasnât the one.
How she felt about Ethan was different, but a good type of different. He excited her, but still gave her the security she needed.
Ethan wasnât the person sheâd thought he was. Or maybe he was just different around her than the girls he was previously with.
Heâd never brushed her off, was never sarcastic, and never said anything to make her doubt how he felt about her.
He was perfect. Maybe too perfect, because she couldnât help but wait for the other shoe to drop.
When they arrived at the stadium and were escorted in, Shay looked around. Crowds of people filled the parking lot, which made her thankful that Ethan had a driver. Finding a parking spot would have been impossible.
The stadium was packed with excited fans, most in jerseys supporting the teams that were playing tonight.
Ethan had bought extra tickets so their own bodyguards could sit in formation around them wearing plain clothes, because he preferred the normal seats to the VIP area.
He was brought up in a humble household and had kept some of their old family habits.
She sat to Ethanâs left, with an empty seat on either side of them, and were flanked by two bodyguards. Two more bodyguards sat in front of them, and two sat behind them, for a total of six.
Baseball wasnât really Shayâs thingâsheâd never been exposed to it enough to enjoy itâbut sitting in the stadium now, she was starting to feel differently. The excitement all around them was getting her hyped up as well.
Cheering along with the rest of them, she could understand why Ethan enjoyed it. Being in the stadium with all the fans was completely different from watching it at home.
The environment was much more competitive, and it was almost impossible to ignore the game.
âNow is like a mini break,â Ethan said in her ear, over the loud announcements. Shay nodded her head as she looked around the stadium.
âAre you enjoying yourself?â she asked Ethan, resting her head on his shoulder.
âYeah, Iâm glad that you came with me,â he replied. âAre you bored?â
âNo, itâs quite fun actually. Not what I expected.â She chuckled.
âDo you want a hotdog or anything?â
She thought about it for just a moment, then nodded.
Ethan leaned forward and rested his elbow on his knee, then tapped one of the bodyguards on the shoulder. âCould you get us four hotdogs, two bottles of water, and some food for you guys as well?â
He passed the bodyguard a hundred-dollar bill. The guard nodded his head, with a serious expression on his face, and left.
âLook who we have here!â she heard the announcer say, drawing everyoneâs attention. Her eyes darted to the giant screen, and she noticed the kiss cam directly on them. She smiled and gave a small wave.
âInstagram model Shay Haze, with tech billionaire Ethan Ramsay!â the announcer continued.
Chuckling lightly, she looked over at Ethan, who was grinning. As soon as their eyes connected, he cupped her cheek and kissed her. Without hesitation, she kissed him back, feeling adrenaline rush through her.
She pulled away as the crowd cheered, her face instantly turning beet red, and she hid her face in Ethanâs chest. He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
The crowd calmed down as the game began again, but Shayâs face was still flushed when their bodyguard came back with the food. Trying to put the kiss behind her, she started eating and watching the game.
Sheâd probably kissed him a thousand times, but each time still felt like the first.
When the game ended, they headed back to his place, enjoying every bit of the adrenaline rush from the game. Ethan went on about each player and what it was like to watch the games growing up.
She loved it when he was passionate. He was usually calm and collectedâcalculated evenâand it was so different to see his carefree side. Although she loved all his sides, this was the side she enjoyed the most.
She loved when he wasnât thinking so hard, so focused on work, or stressed about everything. She loved him.
Back at his place, she realized that most of the clothes she had here were already worn, and she made a mental note to get her laundry done.
She couldnât remember the last time they spent a night apart. They werenât exactly living together, but they werenât spending nights apart either.
With all the back and forth between her apartment and his, she could barely remember where her things were most of the time.
She was going through her bag, looking for a clean shirt and failing to find one, when she heard the shower turn on.
She walked toward Ethanâs closet and called toward the bathroom, âBabe! Iâm out of clothes. Iâm going to use one of your shirts, okay?â
âWhat?â he yelled back.
âI need a shirt to sleep in!â she hollered back at him as she stood in front of his shirt drawer.
âYeah, take mine!â
Nodding her head even though she knew he couldnât see it, she opened the drawer and took out a gray shirt.
She stripped out of her clothes, then grabbed her towel that was hanging and wrapped it around her body, neatly tucking it so it didnât fall.
Walking to his watch collection, she removed her watch and placed it in one of the empty cases. She didnât want to get it wet.
Glancing down, she noticed a tag sticking out of one of the drawers.
She scrunched up her face a little, then opened the drawer to push the tag in. The drawer wasnât messyâit had a few things in itâbut what she saw next made her eyes widen.
A small, blue velvet box sat at the corner of the drawer, with a receipt neatly folded underneath.
Turning her head toward the bathroom, she could still hear the shower going.
Curiously, she touched the velvet box, then picked it up. She opened the box.
Gasping, Shay bit her lower lip, the butterflies in her belly going crazy. It was an engagement ring. Her heart fluttering, she instantly placed the box down and picked up the receipt.
What if this was Pepperâs ring? She needed to check the date.
Her eyes quickly scanned the receipt⦠It was purchased two weeks ago. She couldnât contain her smile.
Staring at the beautiful ring, every fiber in her being hoped that he would propose. She would say yes in a heartbeat.
Shaking away her thoughts, she quickly folded the receipt and closed the box, placing them back the exact way she found them, her heart racing in nervousness and excitement.
She couldnât believe it.
He bought a ring.
No.
He bought ~her~ a ring.
She internally squealed in excitement. She couldnât be happier!
Shaking her head, she tried to calm herself down, then took a deep breath before walking to the bathroom to join him in the shower. All she wanted to do was kiss him and feel his skin on hers.
That night, Shay had the best sleep.