My gaze flits about the room, landing on the small camera bracketed high in the corner, opposite the bed, and I realize Allie has been watching us, which actually makes me feel a lot better. I release the breath I’ve been holding and tuck my phone back into my pocket, following Lucky across the landing and up the stairs.
I’ve never been up here before, but it looks like another sitting area, and maybe another bedroom to the left, another set of stairs going up that we ascend until we make it to the top floor.
“That’s where Allie lives,” Lucky whispers, pointing to a set of double doors we creep by.
We stop at another door, only this time, we go inside, and,confused yet again, I’m met with another set of stairs, my eyebrows knitting together because by my count there should be no more levels to this townhouse.
“Where are we going?” I ask nervously, despite Allie’s earlier encouragement.
“It’s a secret,” Lucky whispers over her shoulder, beginning up the stairs.
I follow closely behind, and we come to a glass door at the very top that opens to the darkness of night outside. Lucky looks up at me and points, and I follow the direction of her finger, noticing a bolt at the top.
“Are… you sure we’re allowed?” I ask tentatively.
She nods, and I slide the bolt, the door unlatching, and Lucky pushes it open and steps in. She reaches off to the side, flicking something, and less than a second later, I’m left breathless at the sight of the rooftop in front of me.
It’s so much more than just a rooftop; it’s a secret garden, an oasis high above the chaos of the city below, framed with neatly pruned trees and pots overflowing with flowers. High walls surround the space, with huge arches cut out, wrought iron bars securing us yet allowing the view of the city in all around. Fairy lights have been strung up all over, some sparkling every color of the rainbow, others glowing soft white and gold like fireflies against the darkness of night. And right there, up above, the sky, dotted with stars, a rare sight to see in the middle of a city like New York.
“C’mon,” Lucky grabs my hand again, leading me between two lush topiary trees to the clearing in the middle. She sits down on a wooden bench seat and pats the space next to her.
Speechless and in awe of my surroundings, I take a seat next to her, unsure where to look, wishing I could take it all in at once. “Wow,” I say on an admiring breath.
“This is where Daddy brings me when I can’t breathe,” Lucky says softly.
I look down at her, shocked by that admission, noticing theway her tiny hands wring together in her lap. I hate that this little girl is only five years old, yet she suffers through so much no little girl should have to.
“You feel like you can breathe up here?” I ask, wrapping my arm around her.
She nestles in closer to me, her body relaxing into my side. “Yeah. This is our special spot. No one else is allowed up here.”
I bite back my smile. “Well, thanks for sharing it with me. I love it.”
Lucky peers up at me, and I meet her eyes. She smiles a dimpled grin that looks so much like her father, it momentarily steals my breath. “You can come up here any time you want.”
I give her a slight squeeze, unable to respond with words because there’s suddenly this painful lump of emotion that’s wedged itself into the back of my throat. I’m afraid if I try to speak, I might cry. And neither of us needs that right now. So, instead, Lucky and I sit here, neither of us speaking a word as we exist together—me and my new best friend—beneath the blanket of stars, surrounded by the glow of fairy lights as the gentle breeze whips the subtle hint of jasmine and gardenia all around.
CHAPTER 27
HAPPY
Itrail behind the guys as we head down the tunnel to our locker room. We won against Houston, 9-0. By the time the final siren sounded, we were left with less than a third of the crowd that we started with. But a win is a win, and as we file into the locker room, we celebrate nonetheless.
“You fellas did good tonight.” Coach claps his hands, wrangling our attention. “We fly out in the morning, so you’re free to go out tonight and celebrate, butnofunny business!” He points a warning finger in my direction, and everyone laughs, Alex Henry reaching over and playfully slapping me on my back.
I hold my hands up in surrender, looking around right to Dallas, who waggles his eyebrows up and down, a knowing smirk curling his lips, and I flip him the bird.
“Where we heading tonight, Tex?” Robbie asks Dallas, the resident Texan.
“I know a place,” Dallas says as he begins the arduous task of removing his goalie gear.
I turn to grab my phone from my bag, pulling it out to check it like I always do. And when I see messages and calls from Allie, my heart lurches up into the back of my throat, and I feel the blood drain from my face. Looking around, I quickly exit thelocker room, shouldering my way through the people crowding around outside, finding an out-of-the-way nook to call Allie.
She answers after the first two rings. “Hey, sorry, I?—”
“What’s wrong?” I interrupt her.
“Did you read my last message?”
