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