Page 44 of Bound

“Jackson,” I whisper. Because I’ve heard him too.

The small things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches forty-two minutes before game time.

And the bigger ones—about that heavy past that still weighs on him.

“Come on, kitty cat. Now’s your chance for an adventure,” he teases lightly. “You’re not going to chicken out on me, are you?”

From this fantasy? This dream?

This chance at something I never thought I’d have?

Never.

“Oh my God!” I squeal—yup, squeal—as the pilot pulls up on the handle thing and takes us into the air.

I expect it to be a rush of speed and gravity like a plane, but it’s smoother, quieter, especially with the heavy duty headphones covering my ears.

And the mic in front of my mouth.

Capturing my—likely—ear-piercing squeal.

“Sorry,” I say, wincing at Jackson who just grins and takes my hand.

“It happens all the time,” comes a calm female voice in my ears. Becky, our pilot, is confident as she navigates us higher and higher into the sky as she zooms us toward New York City.

I didn’t realize we’d driven out of the city proper, not until I found myself on that tarmac, but the view back in is incredible.

Skyscrapers rise in the distance, highways dotted with hundreds of cars moving like ants form a maze in front of us. The Hudson looks grand and busy, dotted with ferries and boats. Flashes of color—green parks, silver mirrored windows, red brick buildings. It’s too much to track, and yet, I can’t stop taking it in.

“There’s the Statue of Liberty,” I gasp, interrupting our pilot as she’s telling us about some of the city’s history. It’s interesting stuff—learning about the men who built those tall towers and the many bridges, Wall Street and the 9-11 Memorial, Central Park and the Empire State buildings. Things I may have heard or read in a history book but made more interesting.

Or maybe I’m just finally at a point in my life where I can appreciate the grandeur of this city, this experience, this…

Date.

I glance over at Jackson as Becky smoothly pivots topics and starts discussing the sister statue in Paris and how it’s meant to represent the Roman goddess, Libertas. He’s listening, but he’s also watching me, studying me, taking in those small details.

“Thank you,” I mouth, hoping he knows how much this means to me.

His eyes warm and I think…

Maybe he does.

“And she’s struck by lightning about six hundred times per year?—”

My eyes go wide and I focus back on Becky. “Sixhundred?”

My shock didn’t stop with the electric facts about Lady Liberty.

It continued as the tour wrapped up and turned back, but instead of making it all the way to that tarmac in what I learned was New Jersey, we find ourselves on top of one of the tall buildings, wind buffeting all around us as Becky pulls open the door for us and deposits us inside before waving goodbye and disappearing back into the sky.

“That was incredible,” I whisper, amazed by all the noise—the motor of the helicopter, the traffic far below, the wind blowing intensely.

It was so quiet in the air, watching the world go on below us.

Now I feel dropped back into the center of everything.

“Thank you,” I add, stepping close and rising on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek. “This was literally the best first date ever.”

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