Chapter 10

TEN

Kate

I"m standing nextto Ben, my body tingling with the kind of electricity that comes from too many eyes on you. The air in the grand hotel ballroom is thick, almost crackling with anticipation as reporters shuffle their feet and cameras blink like a swarm of fireflies in a dark field. Flashing lights paint us intermittently, casting surreal shadows over our faces.

"Jesus, it"s like they"re all starved for the next big headline," I whisper, only half-joking. We"re at this ridiculously opulent podium, flanked by microphones that seem as eager as the crowd to gobble up our words. I can feel the heat of the moment—Ben"s warmth beside me, the buzz of a hundred conversations just waiting to erupt into a frenzy when we give them the cue.

"Ready to feed the lions?" Ben murmurs, his voice low and steady, betraying none of the nervousness I know he has to be feeling. His pilot cool must come in handy in times like these.

I flash him my best starlet smile, the one that"s graced countless magazine covers. "Only if you are, Captain."

The press, they"re a beast of their own making—hungry, always hungry for the freshest scoop, the juiciest bit of gossip. And boy, do Ben and I have a treat for them today. It"s not every day a movie star and a commercial pilot set the world on its ear.

"Let"s do this," I say, gripping the edge of the podium like it"s the only thing keeping me grounded. Because with Ben by my side, I feel like I could very well soar.

Ben"s fingers intertwine with mine, a silent message of solidarity. I sneak a glance at him, and in the brief moment our eyes lock, I see my own nerves reflected back—yet there"s a spark there, a fiery determination that tells me we"re doing the right damn thing.

"Kate," he whispers, his thumb gently caressing the back of my hand, "I"ve got you."

"Always have," I breathe, bolstered by the simple truth of those words. I squeeze his hand tighter, a lifeline amidst the sea of eager faces and probing lenses.

And then, as the murmurs crescendo into a roar of expectation, Ben steps forward. He clears his throat, and the room hushes as if on command. The cameras are rolling, the world tuning in, and for a moment, I"m struck by the surreal nature of it all.

"Good evening," Ben begins, his voice echoing through the ballroom. There"s no trace of the commercial pilot who navigates skies; this is the man whose love knows no bounds, who"s about to bare his soul to the world. "Thank you all for joining us tonight. I stand here before you, not as a pilot, but as a man completely and utterly captivated by the woman beside me."

The crowd shifts, sensing the gravity of his words, their collective breath bated.

"Kate Woodbridge," he continues, turning towards me, and it"s like we"re the only two people in the room. His dark eyes are intense, brimming with emotion. "From the moment I met her, she"s been an enigma—a starlet with the power to light up the screen and my life. She"s more than her cascading honey locks or her sparkling green eyes that seem to hold the mysteries of the universe."

He pauses, and I can feel the weight of every gaze upon us. But in this sliver of time, they melt away, leaving just his soul speaking to mine.

"Kate has ignited a fire within me—a passion and a purpose I never knew existed. Her strength, her vivacity...she"s not just my love. She"s my compass, my north star in the ever-changing sky that is life." Ben"s voice cracks, raw and real. "With her, I"m grounded and yet free to soar higher than any plane could take me."

Around us, the air feels charged, every word a live wire connecting hearts and minds. I blink back tears, liquid joy threatening to spill over. How did I get so lucky?

"Tonight," he says, his gaze never leaving mine, "I want to make the most public of declarations. Because love, the kind of love that we share, should be shouted from the rooftops. Kate, you"ve changed my life. You"ve given me a new course, filled with possibility, adventure, and the promise of a love that transcends distance and time."

His speech is a confession, a testament to a love that"s taken my world and turned it beautifully upside down.

"Who knew," Ben"s voice softens, "that landing the job of a lifetime would lead us here?" He chuckles, a sound that tickles my ears and tugs at a smile I"m trying desperately to keep professional. "I was just the pilot, she was the star—yet she saw me. Can you believe it?"

A ripple of laughter sweeps through the crowd. Flashbulbs pop like stars going supernova, capturing our every move.

"Kate," he continues, the timbre of his voice dipping into something so warm, so intimate, I feel exposed under the glaring lights, "taught me that true love isn"t about grand gestures or the miles we fly—it"s about sharing that deep most part of ourselves no one else gets to see."

The press and audience lean in, hungry for these morsels of candid humanity against the backdrop of their usual scripted fare. Their expressions are a mix—surprise, intrigue, some even with eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Every takeoff, every landing, I carry her with me. She"s more exhilarating than any jetstream, more captivating than the most exotic destination." His eyes lock on mine, and it"s as if we"re alone, his confessions meant only for my ears. "With Kate, I dream of a future where each day is a new adventure. Side by side, heart to heart."

Murmurs echo around the space, each syllable of his speech seeming to echo in the vast space. There"s a collective intake of breath, a shared moment of vulnerability hanging between us all.

"Kate is not just the woman I love," he says, voice breaking ever so slightly, "she"s the soul I"ve searched for in every corner of the earth. And now, standing before you all, there"s no place I"d rather be than right here."

Gasps punctuate his declaration, the raw sincerity a slap to the over-polished facade of Hollywood romance. It"s real, it"s us, and it"s happening right now.

I blink back the tears, a storm of disbelief and joy swirling in my chest. Ben"s words, they"re like a melody that"s too sweet, too perfect. It"s as if he"s strumming every string of my heart with his voice alone. My hand trembles in his, and I squeeze tighter because, damn it, this man is shaking up my world in the best way possible.

"Kate," he whispers, and it"s like a secret just for us, despite the sea of cameras and eyes fixed on us. "You have to know..."

His gaze burns into me, igniting fires in places I didn"t even know could feel so warm. And it"s not just his words that are undressing my soul. It"s him. All of him. The way he stands, all pilot-like confidence and charm, but with this layer of something else—something soft and raw just beneath the surface.

He reaches into his pocket, slow and deliberate, and the room holds its breath. You can almost taste the suspense—it"s like a tangy candy on everyone"s tongue. A small velvet box appears between his fingers, and I swear my heart doesn"t just pound. It freaking somersaults.

"Ben..." I breathe, my voice a mix of thrill and fear, because what"s a girl to do when her every fantasy starts unfolding live on TV?

The whispers hit me like a wave, a hushed tsunami of "Oh my God" and "Is he?" crashing through the crowd as Ben"s knee meets the ground. The room feels like it"s spinning, every camera flash a pulse in the surreal heartbeat of this moment.

"Kate," Ben"s voice is a caress, rough around the edges with naked emotion. "I"ve flown across skies, touched clouds, chased horizons, but nothing, absolutely nothing compares to the journey I"ve been on with you."

My hand flies up to cover my lips, a dam against the tide of shock and euphoria threatening to escape. This wasn't in our plan. We didn't talk about this. My eyes widen.

"Will you make me the luckiest man alive? Will you marry me?"

The world shrinks to the size of this room, to the space between us, and to that tiny box holding what I"m positive is a ridiculously gorgeous ring.

"God, yes!" The words tumble out, a jumble of laughter and tears, so brimming with emotion they"re almost a physical thing, wrapping around us. "Yes, Ben, a thousand times, yes!"

There"s no script, no director yelling cut, and definitely no second takes. It"s raw, it"s real, and holy hell, it"s happening.

Applause erupts, a storm of clapping hands and cheers that flood the room with pure, unfiltered joy. Flashbulbs pop like fireworks, capturing the electric moment when my life—our lives—change forever.

"Wow," I murmur, the word barely audible over the cacophony, but Ben hears it. He stands up, his smile brighter than all those camera flashes combined. His hand, strong and sure, finds mine, fingers intertwining as if he"s swearing never to let go.

"Right?" he whispers back, a chuckle vibrating through his chest. It"s infectious, that sound, and I can"t help but join in, laughter bubbling up from some deliriously happy place inside me.

We turn to face the crowd together, our united front against a sea of faces that blur into one giant, exuberant mass. I stand on tiptoes, riding the high, planting a kiss on Ben"s cheek—a stamp of my affection for the world to see. He turns his head just so, and his lips meet mine in a kiss that makes a different kind of statement. It"s a promise, a seal on a pact we"ve just made—publicly, boldly.

"Let"s get out of here," he says, breathless as he breaks away, forehead pressed to mine. "Before they start asking us for wedding plans."

"Escape plan?" I tease, tilting my head to meet his gaze. The twinkle in his eye tells me he"s game for anything, as long as it"s with me.

"Always," he confirms with a grin, squeezing my hand before leading me through the maze of tables and well-wishers.

"Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell!" someone calls out, and the nickname hits me like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. I glance back at Ben, who winks at me, already owning the future that awaits us.

"Has a ring to it, doesn"t it?" I shout over my shoulder, not caring about the pun. I want this—all of it—the good, the messy, the utterly unpredictable whirlwind that is loving Ben Caldwell.

"Only the best ring for my girl," he retorts with that dashing pilot"s confidence.

"Your fiancée," I correct him, pride swelling in my chest as the word rolls off my tongue. It"s new, it"s shiny, and it fits perfectly.

"Damn right," he agrees, and then we"re out the doors, into the quieter halls of the hotel, where our laughter echoes off marble walls. We"re a little breathless, a lot giddy, and absolutely, irrevocably engaged.

"Kate Woodbridge-Caldwell," I test the name silently, a smile spreading across my face. It"s more than a name. It"s adventure, it"s love—it"s my happily ever after, taking flight.