Chapter 185

Chapter 185
Rainey's POV

The last note faded into the night air, and my breath caught in my throat.

Sunny stood up from the piano bench, his movements slow and deliberate.

He started walking toward me. The pathway of roses and twinkling lights seemed to part for him. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I thought everyone could hear it.

When he finally stopped in front of me. His hand came up, fingers cool against my flushed cheek, and suddenly the bright lights didn't feel so harsh anymore.

"Baby," he said, his voice low and rough in a way that made my knees weak. "You know what I'm about to do?"

I wanted to answer. God, I wanted to say something coherent. But my throat had closed up completely.

His thumb traced my cheekbone, and his eyes softened. "I wanted to do this two years ago," he said quietly. "Right when we got here to Millbrook. But everyone—even my father," A wry, almost bitter smile crossed his face. "They said I was rushing things."

He paused, and something raw flickered across his face.

"But here's what they didn't get," he said, his voice dropping lower. "With you? It doesn't matter when. Two years ago, tonight, ten years from now—I will always love you. That's just... fact."

His jaw tightened, and he looked away for a second, like he was gathering his thoughts. When he looked back, his eyes were darker, more intense.

"Look, I've never given a fuck what people think," he continued, and there was an edge to his voice now. "I've always done my own thing, lived by my own rules, never felt the need to prove myself to anyone. But that time?" He shook his head. "That time I wanted to prove it. I needed to."

His hand moved from my cheek to cup the back of my neck, his thumb brushing my jawline.

"I needed to prove that Sunny Hayes is completely, irrevocably yours. That your name is carved so fucking deep in my heart there's no removing it. That I can happily chain myself to you for the rest of my life and call it freedom." His voice went rough. "And I needed to prove to my girl that yeah, I'm an asshole sometimes—but I'm your asshole. The kind you can trust. The kind who's worth betting your whole damn life on."

Oh God. Oh fuck. I was going to lose it right here in front of everyone.

Then he took a step back, and before I could process what was happening, he dropped to one knee.

The world tilted sideways.

His face, usually so confident and borderline cocky, had this faint pink flush creeping up his pale cheeks. Those eyes that could be so wild and dangerous looked almost... reverent.

"So, Rainey Ellis," he said, and his voice had this raw edge to it now. "My starlight. Will you give me the chance to be your fiancé? Will you let me spend your twentieth birthday—and every birthday after—by your side?" He swallowed hard. "Will you... marry me?"

Everything hit me at once. Beacon Hills. Sarah's cruelty. The forest where he'd first protected me. His secret. His claws. His fierce, unwavering protection. The way he'd held me through nightmares. The way he'd fought for me when no one else would.

The way he looked at me like I was the only thing in the world worth looking at.

I stood there, frozen, tears streaming down my face, unable to form words. My chest felt so tight I thought it might crack open.

"Hey," Sunny's voice cut through my emotional spiral. "Rainey. Give me some kind of response here. My knee's going numb."

Still, I couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Could barely breathe.

"Fuck this," he muttered, and suddenly he was on his feet, grabbing my left hand with zero ceremony. Before I could react, he slid the ring onto my finger in one smooth motion. It fit perfectly.

That cocky, slightly dangerous grin spread across his face. "What's the matter, baby?" he drawled, pulling me close. "You watched my whole performance, heard my song, took my flowers, and now you think you can just walk away without taking responsibility for this poor man's heart?" He leaned in until his lips brushed my ear. "Too late. Ring's on. You're mine now."

"You... you asshole!" I shoved at his chest, laughing through my tears. "I didn't even get to say 'I do' yet! You didn't give me time to process!"

"You can do whatever you want when we get home," he whispered, pulling me into a tight hug. "But out here?" He pulled back just enough to look at me. "You gotta give your future husband some face in front of everyone, right? My fiancée?"

That's when I noticed the lights weren't just from the spotlights anymore. The entire lawn had lit up—tiny lights hidden in every rose, turning the whole space into something out of a fairy tale.

And then I saw them.

Grandma, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, beaming at me through tears. Professor Steven holding up a sign that read "CONGRATULATIONS! GOOD JOB, HAYES!" with the biggest proud-dad smile I'd ever seen. Robert Hayes standing with his arms crossed but—was that actually a small smile? And Mark, Sunny's uncle, giving us a thumbs up.

But it wasn't just them.

The entire lawn was surrounded by students. They filled the steps, the pathways, everywhere—phones up, flashlights creating a sea of stars, all pointed at us.

The silence broke with a roar of cheers and applause.

"SUNNY GOT HER!"

"CONGRATULATIONS, RAINEY!"

Then some asshole in the crowd yelled, "MAKE HIM KNEEL AGAIN! HE WAS TOO PUSHY!"

Oh God.

"KNEEL! KNEEL! KNEEL!" The chant started, spreading like wildfire through the crowd.

Sunny looked at me with this expression of mock horror and complete surrender. He mouthed, See? This is your fault. Now I've got no dignity left.

I couldn't help it. Despite the tears, despite the overwhelming emotions, despite everything—I burst out laughing.

"KNEEL! KNEEL! KNEEL!"

The chant grew louder, more enthusiastic. Sunny sighed dramatically, then dropped to one knee again, arms spread wide in theatrical defeat. The crowd went absolutely wild.

I covered my face with my hands, laughing and crying at the same time, completely overwhelmed by the absurdity and perfection of it all.

When I finally looked down at him, Sunny was grinning up at me—that genuine, unguarded smile that he saved only for me. The one that made me fall in love with him over and over again.

"So," he said, just loud enough for me to hear over the cheering. "Was that romantic enough for you, future Mrs. Hayes?"

Mrs. Hayes.

I couldn't speak. Could barely breathe. So I just nodded, tears streaming down my face, and pulled him up to kiss him as the entire campus erupted in cheers around us.

Yeah. This was real. This was happening.

And holy shit, I'd never been happier in my entire life.