Updated Mar 22, 2026 • ~12 min read
Chapter 30: She Stole His Scoop
POV: Rory
Rory – THE PROPOSAL & HEA
Rory finds the ring box hidden in Henrik’s sock drawer completely by accident three weeks after their anniversary dinner—she’s looking for the specific pair of athletic socks Henrik claims are lucky even though she’s convinced all socks are functionally identical, and instead she finds a small velvet box that can only contain one thing.
An engagement ring.
Henrik is planning to propose.
Rory sits on their bedroom floor holding the box without opening it because looking at the ring feels like violation of privacy even though she’s already violated privacy by finding it, and she’s processing that Henrik wants to marry her, that he’s been planning this proposal she ruined by finding the evidence too early, that she needs to decide how to handle this information without just pretending she doesn’t know.
But also… if Henrik’s planning to propose, maybe she should beat him to it.
The idea forms fully developed—Rory proposing to Henrik instead of waiting for him to propose to her, taking control of this moment instead of just being surprised by it, proving that she’s all in and wants forever and isn’t scared of commitment anymore.
She puts the ring box back exactly where she found it, grabs her laptop, and starts researching engagement rings for men while simultaneously planning how exactly one proposes to a professional hockey player in a way that’s meaningful instead of just dramatic.
Margot helps her pick the ring—a simple platinum band that matches Henrik’s aesthetic, elegant without being flashy, expensive enough to be significant but not so expensive that it’s ridiculous—and they collect it from the jeweler two weeks before the Frost’s first playoff game.
“You’re really doing this,” Margot says, looking at the ring box Rory’s clutching. “Proposing to the hockey player. Beating him to the question.”
“I’m really doing this,” Rory confirms. “He’s been patient for over a year. Waiting for me to be ready. Never pushing even though I know he wants forever. It’s my turn to be brave. To actually choose him publicly and permanently. To prove I’m not scared of commitment anymore.”
“How are you going to do it?” Margot asks. “Please tell me you have a better plan than his office-flowers disaster from last year.”
“I’m doing it on the ice,” Rory says. “After morning practice. In front of his teammates. Because Henrik made our relationship public on live TV, so I’m making our engagement public on his ice. It’s only fair.”
“That’s either brilliant or insane,” Margot observes.
“Probably both,” Rory admits. “But that’s very us.”
She coordinates with Lucas the day before—telling him the plan, getting his help to make sure Henrik stays after morning practice, arranging for the team to be present but not actively practicing so they can witness without it being chaotic.
“He’s going to lose his mind,” Lucas says, delighted. “He’s been planning his own proposal for months. You’re completely stealing his moment.”
“I’m a journalist,” Rory points out. “I get the scoop first.”
The next morning she shows up at the practice facility in heels and a dress instead of her usual casual clothes, and she makes her way to rink-side where Lucas has arranged for the team to be allegedly having a meeting that’s actually just them waiting to see what Rory’s about to do.
Henrik spots her immediately—confusion on his face because she’s not supposed to be here, hasn’t covered hockey in over a year, definitely doesn’t have reason to be at practice in heels.
“Rory?” Henrik calls from the ice. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you,” Rory says loudly enough that the entire team can hear. “On the ice. Come help me out here.”
Henrik skates over looking concerned, and he helps her step onto the ice even though she’s wearing completely inappropriate shoes, and Rory immediately starts sliding in ways that would be embarrassing except it makes several teammates laugh and breaks some of the tension.
“What’s going on?” Henrik asks, steadying her with hands on her waist. “You’re wearing heels on ice. You hate ice skating. What’s happening?”
“Henrik Andersen,” Rory says, pulling the ring box from her pocket before she loses her nerve, and watching his expression shift from confusion to shock to understanding. “You’re the best mistake I ever made. You’re patient and loyal and honest in ways I didn’t think athletes could be. You’ve proven over and over that not everyone is going to hurt me. You’ve waited while I worked through my trust issues without making me feel broken for needing time. You’ve built a life with me that feels safe and exciting at the same time. And I’m done waiting for you to propose when I already know my answer.”
She opens the ring box, nearly drops it because her hands are shaking, manages to hold it steady enough for Henrik to see the platinum band inside.
“Marry me,” Rory says, and there are tears now because this is terrifying and perfect. “Be my husband. Let me be brave enough to actually choose forever with you.”
The team erupts—cheering and whistling and several teammates filming on their phones—and Henrik’s staring at her like he can’t quite process what’s happening.
“I had a whole thing planned,” Henrik finally says, laughing and crying at the same time. “Center ice after a game. Big romantic speech. Perfect moment. And you just—you showed up at practice in heels and beat me to it.”
“I’m a journalist,” Rory says, using the line she rehearsed. “I get the scoop first.”
“You found the ring I bought,” Henrik accuses, but he’s smiling so wide it looks like his face might break. “You snooped in my sock drawer.”
“I was looking for your lucky socks,” Rory defends. “The ring finding was accidental. But yes, I found it and decided to beat you to proposing because waiting felt wrong when I already know I want forever with you.”
“Yes,” Henrik says, taking the ring box from her hands and pulling out the band to examine it. “Forever yes. To marriage and life together and whatever chaos comes next. Yes to all of it.”
Rory kisses him while his teammates cheer louder, and she’s crying and laughing and sliding on the ice in her ridiculous heels, and Henrik’s holding her steady with one arm while examining the ring with genuine delight.
“This is perfect,” Henrik says, sliding the ring onto his finger. “You’re perfect. This proposal is completely insane and perfect and very us.”
“We don’t do anything conventionally,” Rory points out.
“No we don’t,” Henrik agrees. “And I love that about us.”
Lucas organizes an impromptu celebration in the locker room—champagne someone had stashed for playoff wins, teammates congratulating them and asking about wedding plans and making jokes about who proposed to whom, Elena showing up with Margot who apparently has been in on this plan from the beginning.
“I can’t believe you actually did it,” Elena says, hugging Rory while Henrik gets teased mercilessly by his teammates. “Proposed to him on the ice in heels. That’s legendary.”
“It felt right,” Rory says. “Dramatic and public and completely lacking in careful planning. That’s very us.”
They go home that afternoon engaged and happy and already discussing wedding logistics—Henrik wants something small and intimate, Rory wants to make sure both their families can attend, they both agree that having it in Chicago makes sense since it’s where they met and fell in love and almost destroyed this relationship multiple times before figuring out how to make it work.
They make love that night with the energy of newly engaged people who still can’t quite believe they’re actually getting married, and afterward Henrik traces patterns on Rory’s bare shoulder and says, “I’m glad you proposed. I’m glad you found the ring and didn’t just wait for me to get my act together. I’m glad you chose to be brave first.”
“I’m glad too,” Rory admits. “I spent so long being scared of commitment that actually choosing it feels amazing. Choosing you feels amazing. I’m done protecting myself against happiness.”
“Good,” Henrik says. “Because I’m planning to make you very happy for the rest of our lives.”
They get married six months later in a small ceremony at the same Italian restaurant where they had their first date—just close family and friends, Henrik’s teammates, Margot as maid of honor, Lucas as best man, simple vows that they write themselves that make everyone cry.
“Rory,” Henrik says when it’s his turn, holding both her hands and looking at her with so much love it makes her chest ache. “You taught me that love is worth the risk. That commitment doesn’t mean losing yourself. That showing up consistently is more important than grand gestures. That patience and communication and grace can overcome almost anything. You taught me how to actually be a partner instead of just someone who wants one. And I promise to keep showing up. Every day. Even when it’s hard. Even when we fight. Even when fear makes us want to run. I’m staying. Forever.”
“Henrik,” Rory responds, tears streaming down her face. “You taught me that not all athletes are the same. That some promises are actually kept. That being vulnerable isn’t weakness. That love can survive crisis and distance and our worst tendencies toward self-protection. You taught me how to trust again. How to choose partnership over independence. How to be brave enough to want forever. And I promise to keep choosing you. Over fear. Over protection. Over anything that threatens us. You’re worth the risk. You’ve always been worth the risk.”
They kiss as married couple while their small gathering applauds, and Rory thinks about how they started—drunk one-night stand that was supposed to be a mistake they both forgot, pregnancy scare that forced them to actually talk to each other, months of navigating professional conflicts and trust issues and almost destroying this relationship multiple times.
All of it led here.
To this moment.
To choosing each other permanently.
To forever.
After the ceremony they have dinner with their families—Rory’s parents finally fully comfortable with Henrik, Henrik’s mother already planning visits to Chicago, both families treating them like they’ve always been together instead of like they nearly destroyed this relationship multiple times before figuring it out.
Later that night when they’re back at their apartment exhausted and happy and married, Henrik pulls Rory onto their couch and says, “We did it. We actually made it from drunken hookup to marriage without destroying each other.”
“Barely,” Rory points out. “We came very close multiple times.”
“But we didn’t,” Henrik says. “We fought for this. We worked through our respective trauma responses. We learned how to actually communicate instead of shutting down. We chose each other even when it was terrifying. That matters.”
“It does,” Rory agrees, curling against his side in the way that’s become natural. “We did the work. We earned this.”
They sit in comfortable silence, both processing that they’re actually married, that they chose this commitment permanently, that they get to build the rest of their lives together.
“Best mistake of my life,” Rory says, using the phrase from her proposal. “Sleeping with you that first night. All of this came from that one drunk decision.”
“Mine too,” Henrik agrees, kissing the top of her head. “Best mistake I ever made. And I’d make it again. Every time. In every universe. I’d choose you.”
“Even knowing how hard it would be?” Rory challenges. “Knowing we’d almost destroy this multiple times? Knowing we’d both fuck up repeatedly?”
“Especially knowing that,” Henrik says firmly. “Because the struggle made us better. Made us actually work for this instead of just assuming it would be easy. Made us choose each other consciously instead of just falling together. I’d choose the struggle if it means I get you.”
Rory kisses him properly, and they make love on their couch as married couple for the first time, and it feels simultaneously exactly the same as before and completely different because there’s permanence now, there’s chosen commitment, there’s forever instead of just hopeful present.
Later, when they’re in bed trying to sleep but too wired from the day to actually rest, Henrik says quietly, “Thank you for taking a risk on me. For trusting me even though your ex destroyed your ability to trust athletes. For choosing me over your fear. For proposing on the ice in ridiculous heels. For marrying me. For all of it.”
“Thank you for being patient while I figured out how to trust you,” Rory responds. “For proving through consistent actions that you’re different. For staying even when I made it difficult. For loving me enough to fight for us. For proposing back when I proposed to you. For all of it.”
They fall asleep tangled together the way they always do, and Rory’s last thought before drifting off is that this is it—this is happiness, this is partnership, this is love that survived every obstacle they threw at it and came out stronger.
They started as a mistake.
A hot hockey mistake.
A drunken one-night stand that was supposed to mean nothing.
And they ended as partners choosing each other consciously and permanently.
Love won.
Despite fear.
Despite trauma.
Despite every reason it shouldn’t have worked.
Love won.
And that feels like everything.
THE END
🔥
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