Page 76 of The Prize

Within ten minutes we were sitting in the back of an SUV and Marshall was speeding us along the FDR Drive. Seeing his driver from LA should have rattled me, but I was determined to go with this and, anyway, staying together felt right.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Tobias dragged his gaze away from the river to look at me. “I thought something Iconic was in order.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

WHENWEARRIVEDat the South Ferry station I realized we were boarding a boat.

“It’ll take us to Liberty Island,” Tobias told me. “We’re going to see the Statue of Liberty.”

“Seriously?” Though when I remembered our threat, being trapped on an island wasn’t the best idea and it sucked all joy out from seeing the famous monument.

“Why are we going there?” I all but dug in my heels.

Tobias folded his arms. “Let Marshall drive you back to the house.”

“You better not turn your app on while we’re on that island.”

“Because that would be insanity.” He widened his eyes to make his point.

He was trying to scare me so I’d leave. Instead, I flicked a stray hair off of my face and stomped off toward the ferry.

We bought two tickets and boarded just before the ferry pulled away, and a burst of the horn announced our departure from shore. We found a place where we had privacy from the tourists and both leaned on the balustrade, staring out at Brooklyn Bridge.

With the dramatic view of the city behind us, we turned and faced our destination. I remembered when Tobias had taken me out on his yacht in Malibu and it seemed so long ago. That early morning trip out on his boat to watch the sunrise, with me lying beside him as he recited ballads by William Wordsworth, would remain one of my happiest memories of us.

It was the time before everything changed irrevocably.

Tobias shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. “Do you want to go inside?”

“I like it out here.” I stared ahead at the Statue of Liberty looming larger, not wanting to look at him because his beauty felt like a strike to my reason. I tried to guard my heart for what lay ahead of us. There was so much uncertainty. When this was over I wondered how we’d be once I resumed my life back in London. I pondered him ever being able to givethisup, this adrenaline-seeking existence that would mean an end to his life’s purpose.

Something told me he’d get bored of me after a while. I was the careful type, the kind of woman who gave a great deal of thought to every decision. The kind of person who never took unnecessary risks. This cold breeze cleared my thoughts and reminded me I was taking the biggest risk of my life by insisting I join Wilder on this perilous jaunt.

When our boat docked on Liberty Island, we waited in the back so the crowd disembarked first. Hand in hand, Tobias and I strolled along toward the inspirational statue and Tobias told me what he knew about her including how she was a symbol of freedom and democracy given to America by the French.

How fitting it was for us to visit this place and draw on her historical significance; she was a symbol of freedom and righteousness. Tobias also told me her height was over 305 feet and that in 1986 her flame was covered in a thin film of gold.

Of course, he’d booked our visit in advance which allowed us to enter her and climb the double spiral staircase with 377 steps all the way from the lobby to her crown, and when we reached the top we caught our breaths and laughed at how strenuous our ascent had been.

A moment of doubt hit me when I realized Tobias might very well run off and leave me up there stranded. Staring at him, I tried to read what he was really up to.

My throat tightened with dread when he pulled out his phone. Tobias turned it on and posed beside me to take a selfie of us.

“I hope that thing isn’t on.” I shot him a glare.

“I’ll wait until we’re down.” He tucked his phone away.

“So they’ll see we visited here?” That made sense and I relaxed a little as I stared out through the statue’s crown and admired the view of water stretching out to meet New York. I mean, logistically, by the time we were off the island they’d have missed us if they tried to follow us now.

The trek down was harder and by the time we made it to the ground, my thighs were shaking. I was glad when we reached the Crown Café where we could get a drink and quench my thirst. We sat at a corner table sharing a large bottle of water and sipping tea and reviewing the photos he’d taken.

“We’re coming back here.” His thumb swept to another photo. “So we can enjoy it properly.”

“I’m enjoying it now.”

“Are you sure you’re not hungry?”