She Let Him Propose with My Ring. I Ended the Show.

"Go stand next to Derek. You're blocking the main camera." Lydia Harlow's voice came through my in-ear monitor. Holding the ring box, I stopped in front of the flower wall. The fill lights blazed around us. A crew member held up a cue board with the proposal I'd spent 3 months memorizing. But the first thing she said wasn't a cue to begin. She wanted me to step aside. Derek Walsh stood beside her, adjusting a microphone. His suit was the same color as mine. At her words, he smiled and raised a hand. "Lydia, come on. This is Adrian's big moment, after all." She glanced at me. "Even his big moment has to look good on camera. You knew this was a joint livestream with a brand tonight. Why are you standing in the wrong place?" "I'm not." I looked down at the tape with my name on it. "This is where the director just told me to stand." She frowned. "Does the director know how to tell a love story?" Derek jumped in. "It's fine. I'll move over. Come here, Adrian." He took half a step back, but on the monitor, he was still the one closest to Lydia. I looked like a last-minute extra. The live chat raced across the screen. A: [Derek and Lydia look so good together.] B: [The boyfriend is so stiff. No wonder they've had to redo this so many times.] C: [He needs someone to teach him how to propose. I'm dying.] Lydia couldn't see my face. She was watching the monitor, her voice impatient. "Start. Don't mess it up again." I lowered my head and opened the box. I'd designed the ring myself. Our anniversary was engraved inside the band. For this proposal, I'd taken time off work three times, traveled to four cities, and stayed with a master jeweler until the early hours as he made adjustments. On camera, though, it was just another prop that needed the right angle. Before I could speak, Derek murmured, "Lift the box a little higher. Otherwise, we won't get a clear shot of the diamond." I did. Lydia immediately stopped me. "No, Adrian. Your hand is too stiff. This is a proposal, not a homework assignment. Can you act natural?" I tightened my grip on the box. "I've practiced this so many times." "And this is the best you can do?" She removed her in-ear monitor and came over. "Do you know how many sponsors are watching tonight? One mistake from you affects the whole team." I looked at her. "Lydia, isn't this supposed to be our moment?" She hesitated, then looked even more irritated. "Here we go again. Every time I bring up work, you act like I've wronged you." Derek sighed. "She's under a lot of pressure, Adrian. Try to be understanding." He took the box from me and smoothly dropped to one knee. "It's really simple. Watch." He looked up at Lydia, the lights falling across his face. The image on the monitor looked much better than mine had. Lydia didn't stop him. The corners of her mouth even lifted in an unconscious smile. Derek recited the declaration I'd spent 3 nights writing. "Lydia, I want to give you every spring I have left." My breath caught. I'd written that line for her because when we first met, she'd told me spring was her favorite season. He said it with such easy confidence, as though he were the one who'd stayed beside her from the days when nobody knew her to the day she reached 10 million followers. The chat went wild. A: [You two should be together!] B: [Now THAT'S a proposal!] C: [Can we replace the actual boyfriend?] Lydia read the comments without a word of denial. All she said to me was, "See? That's how you show emotion." My throat went dry. "So you want him to propose for me?" "He's just demonstrating," she said. "Stop making it sound dirty." Derek handed the ring back with an innocent smile. "I didn't mean anything by it, Adrian." I took it, but I didn't kneel again. Lydia ran out of patience. "Are you going to sulk again? We're still live. Don't embarrass everyone." I looked into the camera. That dark lens had been pointed at me for 7 years. It had recorded me cooking for her, helping her move, and staying up all night editing her videos. It had also recorded her telling me, over and over, that I looked bad on camera, that I wouldn't cooperate, that I didn't know how to love her. Suddenly, I couldn't see the point anymore. I really couldn't. I walked to the equipment desk and stopped the stream. The room fell silent. Lydia's expression changed instantly. "Adrian Mercer, have you lost your mind?" I placed the ring box in her hand. "Derek's already acted out that perfect ending you wanted." She stared at me as though she hadn't understood. I picked up my jacket and headed for the door. Behind me, her voice came low and furious. "Walk out today, and we're over for good."