29. Luke

Chapter 29

Luke

M ichael Graham may have his chicken restaurant chain, but he also has a couple of high-end establishments throughout the southeast. Tonight, he gave us reservations at his crown jewel, Baiser.

This is the perfect place for what I have planned, a place with a romantic ambiance and impeccable food. I want this night to be special—more than just a dinner, a turning point for Keke and me. I’ll show her the man I can be.

I’d spent the entire afternoon running over every detail in my mind, convincing myself that this is the right move. I love her, and I want to create a future together.

We’re seated at a quiet candlelit table in the corner, away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. Keke looks beautiful, her hair cascading in soft waves around her shoulders. I can tell she has a lot on her mind, just as I do. It’s certainly understandable, but I needed to check in.

“Everything okay?” I ask, reaching for her hand across the table.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking,” she replies, offering a small smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

I want to push her for more but I hold back. I have to show her that I understand her boundaries, and I respect her enough to abide by them. Tonight is also about showing her that I’m serious about wanting to build a life together. The weight of her worries has been pressing down on both of us, but I’m determined to make this work.

After ordering, I ask, “How are you feeling? I know I was pushy about coming out tonight and I apologize for that. I should have asked earlier?—”

“You’re fine, Luke. Why do you sound so upset all of a sudden?”

“I just want tonight to go perfectly.”

She smiles at that. “Let’s not put that kind of pressure on ourselves. Perfect is a tall order?—”

“It’s what you deserve.”

She huffs a laugh under her breath. “Hardly.”

“You do.” I’m not about to back down on that fact. “It’s my job to give it to you.”

She smiles shyly and stops arguing.

The meal is exquisite, each dish flawlessly crafted. We laugh and reminisce about our first meeting and the ridiculous things we’d said to each other at Smokey’s that night. For a moment, I feel a sense of normalcy, as if we’re just two people on a date, without the complications of impending parenthood hanging over our heads. But as dessert arrives, my nerves get the better of me.

The waiter sets down a beautifully constructed chocolate mousse, and as I take a bite, I gather my courage. This is it—the moment I've been waiting for.

“Keke,” I begin, my heart racing. “I’ve been thinking a lot about us and what the future holds. I know things have been crazy lately, but I want you to know how serious I am about you. About us.”

Her eyes go wide, wary. “Luke…”

Before she can finish, I reach into my pocket and pull out the small velvet box I had tucked away earlier. I drop down to one knee, holding the ring out to her, my heart pounding in my chest. This is the moment I envisioned—the moment that will solidify our commitment to each other. “Keke, I love you. Your laugh, your smile, they’re the reason I get up in the morning. The reason I sleep peacefully at night. There is no one else in the world for me. You are everything to me, and I want to build a family with you. Will you marry me?”

“Absolutely not,” she hisses. “I will not take a pity proposal, Luke!”

The words cut through me like a knife. My heart sinks, and I scramble to regain my footing. “Keke, that’s… that’s not what this is! That’s the last thing on my mind. I meant every word I said!”

“I can’t believe you thought this would solve anything,” she mutters under her breath, rising from her seat.

“I thought?—”

“I need a minute.”

Before I can react, she storms out of the restaurant, leaving me stunned, the ring glinting in the candlelight.

My chest tightens as I process what just happened. She said no. She thinks I’m doing this out of pity. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Bile rises in the back of my throat.

The entire restaurant is staring at me. This was supposed to be a beautiful moment, a memory we would always cherish. Something to tell our kids and grandkids about. Instead, my whole world is collapsing.

I turn to sit just as a flurry of flashes erupt outside the restaurant. Fucking paparazzi. They had gotten the entire scene through the windows. I rush out the door, hellbent on stopping this before it goes anywhere.

“Hey! Put that camera down!”

“You’re on Atlanta Firehouse, Smith,” they tease.

Fuck. Just what I need. Our unofficial stalker-slash-team blogger, livestreaming me to the masses. I can see the headlines now: “Hockey Star Proposes to Pregnant Girlfriend—She Rejects Him!”

“Hey!” I shout again, trying to shield my face from their cameras. “Don’t use those pictures!” but they don’t care, and it doesn’t even matter anymore. They keep snapping away, capturing every angle of my humiliation. I turn back toward the entrance only to find Michael running out.

“Luke! What happened? Who are—get the hell off my property! Every last one of you vultures! Now!” he shouts and points them away. Most are too afraid to argue, but one lingers until Michael faces off with him, blocking their view of me. He glowers at the far smaller man as his voice rumbles, “You’ll be lucky if I call the cops to take you out of here.”

The paparazzo lifts a brow. “Alright, alright,” he mumbles as he walks away.

“Thanks for that.” Michael nods and we wait until they’re in their cars before speaking again. I sigh heavily. “I thought this would fix everything. I thought if I proposed, it would show her how serious I am, how much I care for her. But she didn’t believe me, she hated it. She called it a pity proposal.”

Michael's brow furrows in confusion as he glances back at the paparazzi, still clamoring for attention. “What do you mean she hated it? You just proposed to her in a nice, romantic restaurant! Girls love that shit!”

“I know!” I run a hand through my hair in frustration. “But she thinks I’m only doing this out of pity because of the pregnancy. She stormed out, and now I’m being humiliated in front of everyone. I thought I was doing a good thing, the right thing.”

“Dude, this sucks,” Michael says, casting a glance out on the parking lot. He glares at the last paparazzo until the bastard finally leaves. “It sounds like she needs some space. Keke’s not good with emotions, if you haven’t noticed.”

“I don’t want to lose her,” I tell him, desperation creeping into my voice. “I thought this would bring us closer, help us figure things out together. I need her to know I’m serious about this.”

“Maybe it’s too soon,” he suggests, a hint of sympathy in his tone. “You guys have a lot going on right now. Proposing in the middle of all of it may have felt like a lot to her. Keke likes predictability. Blindsiding her with a proposal might have been the wrong play.”

“I thought it would show her I’m committed, that I want to be there for her and the baby. I want to prove that I’ve changed, really changed.”

“You are going to have to show her with your actions, Luke. Actions speak louder than words. A proposal is just a symbol, so you need to prove you’ve truly changed. And right now, she needs to know you’re in this for the long haul. And she has to have the space to figure out if she even wants that from you.”

His words sting, even if I agree with them. She needs to be able to sort out whether she wants me as much as I want her. The thought of her choosing a different path terrifies me. I want a life with Keke.

I want her to say yes because she wants me, because she chooses me. And I couldn’t force that the moment I proposed. She has to figure this out for herself.

I swallow that bitter pill. “I can do that. I’ll show her. I just need to find her first.”

I can’t let this moment destroy our relationship. I have to find Keke and make her understand that I’m not going anywhere. She is my future, and I need her to see that.