“This is crazy,” I whispered toward Mac, who was smiling as he followed behind me, his hand on my hip.

  He’d probably flown first-class a hundred times, but I’d only walked past it and not really paid attention because I wasn’t sitting there.

  I moved into the seat closest to the window and moaned as soon as I sat. I swore it hugged me, the cushion all plush and soft. There was a blanket waiting for me to unwrap and just ... so. Much. Leg. Room. The seat in front of me was nowhere near the rest of my body, and I knew that even if they reclined all the way, they still wouldn’t hit my knees. This was a far cry from the seats in coach.

  “I could really get used to this,” I said as Mac buckled his seat belt.

  The smiley flight attendant appeared in our row. “Can I get you two something to drink before takeoff?” she asked.

  I looked at Mac, a little unsure, and he ordered for us.

  “We’ll just take two champagnes,” he said, and she disappeared.

  “I can’t with this,” I said, and Mac reached out, taking my hand in his and squeezing. “I mean, I knew it was fancy up here but champagne?”

  “Wait until you see the food,” he said, and I grabbed my stomach.

  I was still full from all the mini sandwiches I’d inhaled earlier.

  “Why’d you let me eat so much?” I whined. “I’m little. I don’t have that much room in me.”

  “I just want you to enjoy yourself.” He smiled so sweetly, and I wanted to launch myself into his arms and hug him.

  I loved this side of him, all caring and considerate, wanting me to be happy.

  “What’s that face for?” he asked, his eyes pulling together.

  “I was just thinking about how lucky I am.”

  “You and me both,” he said right as the flight attendant returned, carrying a tray of champagne and other drinks.

  She handed us each a flute before disappearing again.

  Mac and I clinked our glasses together and said, “Cheers,” at the same time before taking a sip.

  I guessed it was good, but I knew nothing about champagne. Mac downed his in one gulp, and I stared at him with wide eyes. I wasn’t even sure I could finish mine, let alone down it the way he had.

  The flight was uneventful unless you counted the sheer amount of food and snacks they plied us with throughout. Even though I was stuffed, I still took what they offered anyway, storing the bags of chips and individually wrapped cookies in my purse for later. Mac just smiled at me, seemingly enjoying my level of crazy.

  When the plane landed, I shot up in my seat, dying to get off and see Danika.

  Mac looked up at me, that gleam in his hazel eyes, and smirked. “You’re so cute when you’re excited.”

  “Oh, please, like you aren’t just as excited to see Chance,” I teased, but he was still firmly in his seat, his seat belt wrapped around his middle as he made no move to stand.

  “Get up. I want to be the first ones off,” I said as I looked around at the other people in first class, who were still seated. I must have looked insane to them.

  “Sunny,” Mac said, his voice soft and low, “sit.” His hands grabbed my hips as he tugged me onto his lap, and I did as he’d asked. “Stop squirming,” he added, making me feel like a petulant child.

  After we got off the plane, I wanted to run through JFK Airport until I reached Baggage Claim, where Danika was waiting for us, but Mac forced me to walk, holding my hand tight and yanking me back like a dog on a leash whenever I got too far ahead.

  “Come onnnn,” I whined and looked back at him, but he only smiled and gripped my hand harder.

  He enjoyed torturing me, and he knew it.

  When I spotted the sign for Baggage Claim, I started hopping up and down, and Mac let go of my hand. I took off, speed-walking like a lunatic until I rounded the corner and spotted Chance and Danika craning their necks impatiently.

  Danika shouted, and before I knew it, we were both running toward each other, arms wide open.

  “Oh my gosh, I’ve missed you so much,” she said as we hugged and bounced around.

  “Me too.”

  “Your hair,” she said as she grabbed it, admiring each strand.

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it! I mean, I saw the pictures, but it’s so much prettier in person.”

  “Thanks. I’m sort of obsessed with it,” I admitted because I’d already colored it more than once. I’d felt myself growing a little bolder, buying that icy-blue color the last time, but I had gone with the silver again. I really liked it.

  “Now, where’s that man of yours?” she asked, looking around me for any sign of Mac.

  “I might have sort of run here and left him behind.” I turned around as well.

  He couldn’t be that far behind.

  “There he is,” Danika said with a smile as she pulled me over to where Chance stood, taking pictures of us with his cell phone.

  He reached down and gave me a huge hug, lifting me up in the air, and instead of fighting back, I allowed it.

  “Are you guys hungry?” he asked as soon as Mac walked up, and they embraced.

  “I don’t think I could eat another bite.” I grabbed my stomach. “But he might be hungry.” I thumbed toward Mac.

  “I’m good for now,” Mac said before wrapping an arm around me and walking toward our correct baggage claim carousel.

  The airport was as packed as LAX had been, but I could tell just by looking around that we weren’t back home. Everyone was dressed for winter in coats and beanies. I’d brought some hoodies with me, but I didn’t even own a jacket. Hopefully, Danika had an extra one I could borrow.

  The four of us made small talk while we waited for our suitcases to drop down the chute and make their way toward us. Apparently, our bags got unloaded before anyone else’s because within no time, I spotted them. Another perk of flying first class, I figured. Mac pulled both of them off the belt, and he and Chance lugged them through the crowd as I followed Danika’s lead. I had no idea where I was or where we were going.

  “We have a car waiting outside,” Danika said.

  I looked at her like she’d lost her mind as she sent off a quick text. “What do you mean, a car waiting outside? Like an Uber?”

  “No. My dad has a driver. We don’t really drive here. I mean, people do,” she started to say before Chance interjected.

  “But she doesn’t.”

  “So, you have a car and a driver, and he just takes you everywhere?” I asked again, feeling like we’d stepped into some alternate universe where people were just chauffeured around all day like royalty.

  “I borrowed my dad’s. Usually, we take a cab. Sometimes, we take the train.”

  “But it’s fucking hot,” Chance said, and I wondered what he meant.

  “What’s hot? The train?”

  “Yeah. The subway. Not all of the cars have air-conditioning, so you run the chance of being a ball of sweat by the time you get off.”

  Everything I knew about New York I’d learned from TV shows or movies, so even though Chance had made the subway sound unappealing, I still wanted to experience it. There was no way I was leaving here without having gone on at least one ride.

  We stepped outside of the double doors, and the blast of cold air hit me right in the face. I shivered, wrapping my arms around my middle.

  “Holy fuck, it’s cold,” Mac said, and I looked at him, agreeing.

  “Here’s the car,” Danika said right as a black SUV pulled up and stopped.

  The four of us piled into the back, Danika and me in one row while Chance and Mac sat in the two captain’s seats. The driver took our bags and tossed them into the trunk before getting into the front seat and buckling up. It all felt very fancy, being driven around in a big black car with tinted windows darker than what was allowed in California. As he navigated the unfamiliar-to-me streets, Danika pointed out the names of the neighborhoods even though it was too dark for me to see them clearly.

  The drive was longer than I’d expected, but the moment the lights of New York City finally came into view, I started tearing up. I’d never seen anything like it before. I’d been to San Francisco once, but it was nothing like this. New York had so many tall buildings, all lit up, just begging to be looked at and admired.

  “Are you crying?” She nudged her shoulder against mine as I wiped at my eyes.

  “Maybe. It’s so pretty,” I said as I stared in awe.

  There had to be a hundred structures all stacked around each other, vying for the same space. It was mesmerizing.

  “Wait till you see her,” Danika said, and before I could ask who she meant, she pointed out the other window in the opposite direction.

  In the distance, I spotted a statue with her arm in the air, her fist holding a single ball of light. “Oh my. Is that the Statue of Liberty?” I asked before leaning forward to hit Mac’s arm. “Look, babe. Look!”

  Mac laughed. “I am looking. Pretty cool.”

  “It never gets old,” Chance added with a grin of his own as we all craned our necks to stare out the windows as she grew smaller with each passing second.

  “New York is amazing,” I said with a fascinating grin.

  “You haven’t even seen anything yet.” Danika smiled. “I’m so glad you guys are here.”

  “Me too.”

  “Mostly, I’m glad you two finally figured your shit out.” Danika pointed as she ping-ponged her stare between me and Mac.

  “Yeah, it’s about time,” Chance added, and Mac just lifted both hands in the air.

  “You’re one to talk,” I reminded them both because it wasn’t like them getting together had been some easy feat. “If I remember correctly, it took you both a bit to figure your own shit out as well.”

  “Yeah,” Mac backed me up, and the four of us busted out laughing.

  The car continued driving through the busy rush of the city, and I found myself even more fascinated than I’d just been moments ago. Yellow taxis rushed by, horns honked, and there were so many people outside, walking around, even though it was damn near freezing. New York bustled with life.

  We finally stopped outside of a building in what I assumed was a neighborhood. I didn’t know; New York was different. One second, we were on a street lined with fancy boutiques and bougie stores, and the next, there wasn’t a single store in sight, except a Dunkin’ Donuts.

  “We’re here. Thanks, Francisco,” Danika said as we hopped out of the car, and he moved to get our luggage from the back.

  “Call me if you need me to take you anywhere,” he said, a thick accent permeating every word.

  “We’re good, but thank you.”

  I stared up at the mile-high building. “We’re going in there?”

  “Twenty-third floor,” Chance said with a grin, and Mac laughed.

  “Shocking.”

  “Why? Why is that shocking?” I asked, wanting to be let in on whatever joke I wasn’t getting.

  “That was my dad’s number. Twenty-three. He said that when he and my mom looked at this place, he took it as a sign that it was on the twenty-third floor,” Chance explained, and I thought that was cool.

  “I would have thought the same thing. About it being a sign,” I added as we started heading inside.

  “Once they toured it though, they fell in love. Wait till you see the views.”

  We walked into the building, the door opened for us by an honest-to-goodness, real-life doorman. I’d thought they were only in the movies, but here we were, being greeted by one.

  Stepping inside the brightly lit lobby, I noticed another person sitting at a desk.

  “Good evening, Mr. Carter, Miss Marchetti. Are these your guests from California?” he asked as he slid out from behind the giant desk and tipped his hat.

  “Marcel, this is Sunny and Mac,” Danika introduced us, and he shook our hands.

  “I’m here if you need anything. Here’s a guest key, so you can access the pool and fitness center,” he said, handing me a key card.

  “Thanks,” I squeaked out, but my mind was racing. Pool? Fitness center? This wasn’t a hotel, but it had all the earmarkings of one.

  Marcel walked us toward the elevator and pushed the button for us. Once it arrived, he stepped inside, pressed the button for floor twenty-three, and stepped out, waving as the doors closed.

  “This isn’t a hotel, right?”

  Danika laughed. “No.”

  “But there’s a pool and a gym?” Mac asked, clearly as bewildered as I was, which made me feel a little less stupid.

  “Yeah,” Danika said. “We’re in a more upscale neighborhood.”

  “And,” Chance started to talk, “My dad wanted my mom to be safe. They lived here when he played for the Mets, so he was on the road a lot, and there were some issues with fans. He didn’t want her somewhere without a doorman and a lobby. And having a gym and a private park meant that she could work out and do some things without being harassed.”

  “That’s actually really sweet.” I thought about how that sounded exactly like something Jack Carter would want for Cassie.

  “Anyway, we’re here,” Danika interjected as the elevator stopped its upward ascent.

  Once it dinged, we all stepped off and into the hallway. When we reached the front door, Danika opened it, and my eyes instantly went to the floor-to-ceiling windows, noticing the views Chance had mentioned.

  I walked right for it, realizing that there was a balcony outside. “Can I?” I asked, and Danika was at my side instantly, pulling open the slider and stepping into the cold air with me.

  “You need a jacket,” she said.

  “I don’t even own a jacket,” I reminded her.

  “I have one. It might be huge on you though.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, not caring how big the thing was as long as it kept me warm. “This is incredible.” I looked around at all the lights and listened to the sounds of the cars as I took it all in. “What am I looking at?”

  “Basically, the Upper East Side.”

  “Well, whatever it is, I love it.”

  She giggled as the guys stepped outside, and my body was instantly enveloped in Mac’s arms. I leaned into him, appreciating his warmth.

  “This view is sick.” Mac sounded almost starstruck.

  “It’s crazy, right?” I nudged my head against his.

  “The buildings. There’re just so many,” he said, literally stealing the words from my mouth before he started yawning.

  “Tired?” Chance asked, covering a yawn of his own, and before I knew it, I swore all four of us had done it.

  “A little,” Mac admitted even though we should have been wide awake since we lost three hours, traveling here. “Why is flying so exhausting? All I did was sit the whole time.”

  “You should try to get some sleep, so you can adjust to the time difference. It’s not real jet lag, like traveling abroad, but still,” Danika mentioned, and we agreed even though the last thing I wanted to do was sleep.

  As we started to head back indoors, Danika grabbed my arm, stopping me. “You two look really happy.”

  “We are.”

  “And things are good? There’s no drama or anything?” she asked.

  I was sure she was expecting the answer to be yes because we both knew that Fullton State had its fair share of tabloid-worthy dilemmas whenever it came to their baseball players.

  “Not really. I mean, aside from his ex, but she’s all talk, I think.”

  I hoped it was true. But really, all Hayley had been was all bark and no bite. She was jealous and competitive, but that was as far as her ire went. She had no real power.

  “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled, feeling like I’d just said the same thing to her not that long ago.

  “Who would have thought that you’d be the one to tame the player?” She offered a laugh as the realization hit me.

  Is that what I’ve done?

  “The same people who thought you’d nab the elusive Chance Carter.” I laughed back.

  “Touché.”

  Once we were through the door and back inside, I looked around, noticing the framed J. Carter jerseys on the walls and bookshelves lined with photographs and at least twenty random jars filled to the top with quarters.

  “What’s with all the quarters?” I asked out loud as I leaned down to look at one.

  “Don’t ask,” Chance said, and that was the end of it.

  “Okaaayy then.” I made my way to the kitchen, and even though I could tell it was dated, it still looked brand-new. “Hey, do we need to go to the grocery store tomorrow?” I asked.

  Danika shook her head as she held on to Chance. They looked so comfortable here, together, like they’d always been this way.

  “I already got everything. My dad’s bringing some fancy wine from Italy. And I might have gotten all the ingredients you’ll need to bake us some cookies.” She sounded a little terrified of my reaction, and that made me giggle. The last thing I knew I did was scare Danika in any way.

  “Sounds good then. I’ll bake us a cookie cake.” I was actually excited to have something to do. Not that I hadn’t planned on helping, but baking always calmed me.

  “And I’ll try not to ruin Thanksgiving dinner. Just so it’s out there.” She pointed at each of us. “I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’ve never done this before.”

  “We don’t care. We’re just happy to be here.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Mac said from over my head as he walked up behind me. “I care. I need food to function. You gotta feed me, Danika.”

  Chance looked around for something, found a sweatshirt, and tossed it at Mac’s head, which almost hit me instead. They both took off running, chasing each other around the living room, dodging between the couches and coffee table like children.

  Danika and I stepped closer to each other, eyeing our boyfriends as they stomped around, clearly not caring if they woke the neighbors.

  “I know you’re dying to go do things, but everything’s closed for the holiday. We’ll start exploring first thing Friday morning, okay?”

  Her words relieved me. I was going crazy, being in New York but not getting to experience it. “I can’t wait.”