“I love you so much, Mollie,” I say with every bit of feeling and emotion swirling within me. “I want you to be my wife, and I want us to be a permanent team for the rest of our days. Would you do your best friend a solid and honor me by accepting this ring?”
Mollie nods with a broad smile, her eyes misting up. I hadn’t realized I had some doubt as to what her answer would be until the massive spread of relief fills me from head to toe.
Grinning, I reach to pull the ring out, but her hands cover mine and she says, “No, wait. I need to talk to you about something first.”
A pulse of shock hits me as I take in her worried expression. Just moments ago, she was smiling and accepting my proposal. Now, she looks tense and unsure of herself.
“What is it?” I ask.
Her hands push mine down to lower the ring box from between us. I pull my hands back, setting the box on the small space of bench between us. Mollie knots her hands together and drops them to her lap, letting her gaze rest there a minute as she takes a deep breath.
When she looks back up at me, her expression is full of apology. A pit opens in the center of my stomach. “I got an offer from a big outfitting company in Australia to travel the country and write for them. It’s all expenses paid, and Australia’s one of my big bucket list items I haven’t done yet.”
She looks at me expectantly, but I don’t know what she’s searching for. So I ask, “For how long?”
Mollie winces as she admits, “A year.”
“Fuck,” I mutter and turn my head, scanning the ice so I don’t have to look at the expression on Mollie’s face—that mixture of excitement over the offer and trepidation over how I’ll take it. I could analyze this for days, examine every nuance of emotion within me, but I go with my gut feeling instead. Turning my attention back, I say, “I don’t want you to take it.”
“What?” she exclaims, clearly not expecting that.
“I don’t want you to take it,” I reply, slowly enunciating each word.
“But… this is my dream,” she stammers.
“And you’re my dream,” I counter hotly. “And I thought I was your dream now.”
Mollie shakes her head as if she can’t comprehend my stance on this. “Wait a minute… I actually expected you to tell me to pursue this. I thought you said you wanted what would make me happy and was best for me?”
Christ, it pisses me off that she can be that obtuse. Stabbing my thumb into the center of my chest, I growl, “I’m what’s best for you, Mollie. I make you happy, and you are loved and secure here. You’ve had six years of pursuing your dream all over the world, and I’ve waited for much longer than that to have you as mine. So excuse—”
“Wait,” she exclaims, talking over me. “What do you mean by you waited much longer to have me?”
“I mean I’ve loved you and wanted you from the start. Freshman year, I wanted more than friendship, and that hasn’t changed in the decade we’ve known each other.”
“Really?” she whispers. I can tell she doesn’t quite understand.
“Christ, Mollie… everyone knows I’ve been in love with you for years. Your parents, my parents do. Hell, even Aaron figured it out a few months ago when you FaceTimed me while he was at my place. He said it was obvious.”
Mollie shakes her head, mouth drawn downward. “I didn’t know.”
“And didn’t feel the same,” I accuse.
“Don’t tell me what I did or didn’t feel,” she retorts hotly. “What I do or don’t feel?”
“Well, how do you feel, Molls?” I growl. “Because I just asked you to marry me, but you apparently want to run off to Australia.”
Her tone turns sympathetic. “It’s just a year, Kane. I’d gladly accept that ring if we can make plans to get married when I return.”
I don’t reply, turning my face away because I don’t like a fucking thing she’s said yet.
Mollie’s hand covers mine. “It’s just a year,” she repeats softly. “And then I’ll fully retire from the long-term traveling. I’ll sell the van. And besides… you’re going to be so busy with hockey this season and your own travels, so it won’t be that big of a deal.”
I pull my hand away, anger pulsing in my veins. “Now you’re just making shit up to make yourself feel better. And let’s be honest with each other, Mollie… the travel is in your blood. In your very DNA. It’s your love and it’s your passion. I know the part-time options I’ve offered don’t appeal to you because you like to go big and daring. You like to push limits. I don’t think a life here with me can compete with that.”