Chapter 23

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By late afternoon, we had made no progress in the search for Tyler.

While the rest of our crew were questioned by hotel security, they were able to convince management not to kick us out as long as we returned the stolen vehicle. I think it took some bribery on Dennis' part, but Jarred found it all hilarious and Bree was less than impressed.

"Jarred and Kayley went to Chinatown," said Dennis over the phone. "They're on foot so maybe Bree and I can catch up to them."

I squinted up at a few giant billboards as a yellow taxi flew past us. "Well, Reid and I are still looking. We're in Queens."

"Manhattan," Reid corrected.

I narrowed my eyes at him which he ignored, taking a sip of his coffee instead. We made a stop an hour ago to get food and there were a few cold, greasy burgers and other snacks sitting in the backseat. Speaking of which, I grabbed the paper bag and dug out the last cookie.

Bree said something over the line, the irritation in her voice clear.

"Anyway," Dennis sighed. "Keep me updated."

He hung up before I could reply.

"So," Reid started as we pulled into a more suburban area. "I heard that you two were the talk of the town at Homecoming."

"Hm." I munched on my cookie, trying not to get crumbs all over the pristine car that we still had to return. "What's your excuse for not being there?"

"I was... preoccupied."

I gestured for him to elaborate but he only watched the road ahead, waiting for the light to change. Finally, he let out a dejected sigh.

"I was going to ask someone," said Reid coolly and my eyebrows rose in speculation. He didn't look at me, shrugging. "Another guy got there first."

I finished my cookie, wiping my hands on a napkin. "You snooze, you lose, Reid."

He waved a hand vaguely, a slight smile tugging at his lips but he changed the topic. "I thought this trip would be a nice break, you know? Especially with the MLS SuperDraft coming up - and Christmas with my extended family is always the worst."

"How are you feeling about the Draft?"

Something flashed across his face - frustration, I figured but it was gone too quickly. He met my gaze for a second before focusing back on the road, shoulders relaxing a little.

"Irritated, mostly." Reid's response surprised me and I looked away hastily once I realised I had been staring at him. "I can't be sure if these clubs want my family's sponsorship or me, as a player."

From my limited knowledge of soccer, I knew Reid was a great attacking-midfielder and forward hybrid. I also recalled Tyler bragging about how Reid's entitled upbringing also made him incredibly bossy and therefore a great leader on and off the field. Reid had all the resources to achieve his dream but it came down to whether or not he considered himself a fraud - whether or not he thought he deserved the opportunity to play professionally. I, for one, thought he did.

"That's exhausting," I said at last. "Surely they've seen your trophy wall?"

"Only you've had the pleasure."

It was then when I realised that Reid had stopped the car. Leaning forward, I looked up at the towering sign in front of us and then back at him. "You're not serious," I said flatly.

"I am," Reid insisted, unlocking the doors with a click. "Come on - we need to hurry. Considering how Tyler ran off like that, he might be in trouble..."

Unbelievable.

I wasn't sure how and why Tyler would wound up at an amusement park but followed Reid's lead, almost bumping into a family of three. After apologising quickly, I chased after Reid as he shoved a wad of cash at the ticket collector and strolled inside.

"Reid!" I huffed, annoyed. "Why would Tyler be here?"

He grabbed my hand instead of replying, dragging me over to the line for the Ferris wheel. The queue was short as most people opted for the more exciting rides. I didn't even know what to say as he got tickets and told the workers to keep the change.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I want to go on the Ferris wheel." He looked skywards, squinting when the sun got into his eyes. "It'll be fun. And don't worry - Tyler will show up when he's ready."

I looked at him dubiously. "Fun?"

"Well, there are other ways too - would you like a one on one demonstration later?"

Ignoring him, I forced a smile at the worker, a pretty girl who was eyeing Reid like he was a piece of meat. She was furiously preening herself as she waved away the group in front of us. Reid noticed the exchange of fake smiles and to my surprise, wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. I almost didn't notice the girl shooting me a dirty look, desperately willing away the distracting flutter in my stomach.

We ducked into one of the coaches, the door locking behind us.

"Now what?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Reid patted my knee in a way of telling me to be patient. "Now we wait for the view."

"If you wanted to see New York City in broad daylight, the roof of our hotel would suffice."

"Maybe," he agreed cordially. He looked over at me and seeing my apprehension, rolled his eyes. He decided to explain himself nonetheless. "I was a quiet kid - troubled, didn't know how to express myself. Every now and then, I would get so overwhelmed and run away from home. Every time, I would wander to that amusement park - you know, the one with floating jellyfish lights over the water? Next to the petting zoo?"

I knew exactly which one he was talking about. "With Toby - the talking parrot that always tried to steal your hat and laughed like a maniac when the kids cried. I used to be terrified of him."

"That's the one." Reid smiled, softer around the edges and it made my chest ache. "I would go to the amusement park by myself and ride the Ferris wheel. It was so quiet up there. The nice old man let me stay for hours - he retired a few years ago but I always see him buying flowers for his wife at the stall across the road from our training centre. Anyway, in the end, my sister - Savannah - always knew where to find me."

I tried to imagine a younger Reid throwing tantrums and slamming doors but could only go as far as to wonder how he managed to evade his bodyguards. I sensed that there was something else that he wanted to say but didn't as we started our trip upwards. The carriage swayed with the wind, Reid's arm brushing against mine as the air grew cooler. Sneaking a look at him, I saw that his attention was on the view below.

Everything that had looked larger than life from ground-level didn't matter when we were five hundred feet above it all. The sliver of sunlight through the grey clouds, the people and the noise all faded away and breathing felt like a weight had finally been lifted from my chest. It was so simple, enough for the boy next to me to laugh, something that sounded so close to genuine.

But the view wasn't even the best part.

The best part was when all of Reid's defenses fell away the moment we reached the top. I was watching him while he was watching New York lapse into routine below and the look on his face was as if someone had gifted him the sun, the moon and the stars. Suddenly, I wanted to hold onto that moment forever and frame it in my mind - the boy with the world at his mercy, entranced by something so small and so insignificant against everything else.

I didn't want him to look at me and see the hollowness in my chest, written all over my face. So I forced myself to laugh lightly; "You must really like Ferris wheels."

It sounded stupid but he leaned closer, clear green eyes sweeping over mine. "Sentimental value. Have you ever loved something so much?"

"No," I told him. "I don't think so."

Yes, I thought to myself. Yes, I did now.

-

When we arrived back to the hotel, security flocked from all directions.

Reid and I were both yanked violently out of the car and patted down. It all happened very quickly but minutes later, we were both released with no further questioning.

That's when I realized that something was wrong.

Dennis was being escorted towards a police car and behind him, Bree caused a scene. She was screaming, furiously protesting that Dennis hadn't done anything but her voice was drowned out by authorities. Kayley appeared out of nowhere and pulled her aside.

"Hey!" Reid shook off the security with a glare like glaciers. "Where are you taking him?"

"He's being charged with motor vehicle theft," an officer told him. "We will clarify the details, Mr Castellan but in the meantime, we understand that this young man has taken full responsibility."

"Full responsibility?" Reid let out an incredulous laugh, tossing the car keys in his hand before holding it out for the officer. "He had nothing to do with it. I just got out of the car - so explain that for me." He looked around then, frowning. "Where's Jarred?"

"He's dealing with the hotel management," called Kayley.

The officer looked uncertain, eyes darting over Reid's shoulder at me. "Is that your accomplice?"

Reid immediately held a hand out to stop him as he stepped towards me. "She had nothing to do with this. And neither did he. That's Dennis Sinclair. Let him go."

The officers looked at one another, then at the security guards who had all fallen back. Even the hotel management were looking anywhere but at Reid. The shorter one, especially, had a fading resolve and I found myself holding my breath.

Something dangerous sparked in Reid's gaze. "Perhaps you're not hearing me. Let him go and I'll cover the charges."

Finally, the officers released Dennis and the look he shared with Reid spoke volumes.

The sound of loud voices brought my attention to a family that just walked out of the hotel. It was a man and a woman with their daughter who was probably my age, all dressed in expensive designer brands and angrily discussing their missing car.

But that wasn't what got my attention.

It was the way Reid froze at the sight of the girl, colour draining from his face. It was the way he looked at her – as if she had just broken his heart with her perfect smile and glossy lips.

As if she was the only thing that mattered in his world.


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