This chapter goes out to my best friend D who has always urged me to pursue my dreams no matter how crazy they are. She supports me in all my crazy endeavors, including this book. D, I know the chances of you seeing this is slim but I want to wish you the happiest of birthdays, without you I wouldn't be who I am today. Thank you for being an inspiration for me, always pushing me to work harder and never leaving my side no matter how many times I get ya in trouble. I love you girl, forever and always.
*****

When we got to the top of the stairs, there was a black SUV waiting for us. "Let's go home," Ryan said as he opened the door for me.

"I want to go to the top of the rock."

"Mila, you almost had a panic attack, let's just go home," he pleaded.

"Ryan, I'm fine I promise. I haven't had a panic attack in years, just a lot has happened tonight, and I want to end it on a good note."

He shut the car door, clearly not happy with my choice. I took his hand and pulled him away from the SUV. "Mila..." he started.

"Ryan please, I want to have fun!"

"Mila...."

"What?" I turned around, frustrated.

"You're going the wrong way," he smirked.

As we walked Ryan pointed out little restaurants that he wanted to take me to, and pointed out places he's been. "How much further?" I asked as soon as I could get a word in.

"It's only one more block, you tired?"

"We've walked half the city!" I exclaimed, slightly out of breath, "How are you not tired?"

"I play football for a living, if I got tired after walking three blocks I'm pretty sure I'd be cut from the team," Ryan snorted. "How is it you used to be able to run the 3 miles from the Johnson's farm all the way home, but you can't walk three blocks?"

"That was one time and if I remember correctly the cops were there breaking up a party and I didn't want Rob to call my dad. And these three blocks are longer than those three miles for your information."

"I don't think that's possible."

"Trust me it is," I retorted.

"You could start working out with me."

I began to laugh with what little breath I had left, "I get all the exercise I need while we're in bed."

We crossed the busy New York street and I saw Thomas approaching us. "Did you get the tickets?" Ryan asked.

"Three VIP tickets. We'll take one elevator up, get off bypass the line, get on another elevator and head straight up," Thomas stated.

"How busy is it?" Ryan asked.

"It's Friday night, in New York City," Thomas replied. I couldn't help but laugh at Thomas's reply as he held the door open for us. Ryan pulled his hat down and held onto my hand firmly. I noticed how long line was at the first elevator, we stopped at the side of the line as Thomas went up and talked to the elevator attendant. When the doors of the elevator opened, Thomas nodded for us to enter and thankfully the attendant didn't let anyone else on.

"So because you're famous they let only us on?" I asked curiously.

"Yup, they only do this kind of thing for the best damn quarterback in a century," Ryan said laughing.

"$69.99 for VIP treatment at the ticket box," Thomas said quietly. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at this revelation.

"Still impressed?" Ryan asked holding his hand out for me to take.

"Always," I smiled, taking his hand as he lead me around the corner straight to the next elevator, where we once again skipped the line and got on by ourselves. I looked up at him and couldn't help but feel the butterflies, when his eyes met mine.

"Bro, is that Ryan Slate?" someone asked just as the doors closed.

"Fuck," Ryan groaned, turning to Thomas, "How long do you think we have?"

"Thirty maybe forty-five tops," Thomas replied.

"Have the car on standby. I have a feeling we'll need to make a run for it, and she's the first priority, make sure she doesn't get lost in the crowd."

"Already done," Thomas replied.

The elevator dinged signaling we were at the top. The doors slid open and I felt my eyes grew bigger by the second. All I saw was glass, the walls, the doors, all of it glass from the floor to the ceiling and on the other side of the glass were the bright lights of the big city.

"If you exit the elevator the view gets better," Ryan smirked, as he placed his hand on the small of my back to lead me out. I stepped out of the elevator and saw the decks on both sides were crowded with large groups of people.

"It's too crowded," I complained.

"There's three floors, the lady at the desk said the third floor won't have as many people," Thomas said speaking up.

"Also makes it harder to get away in a hurry," Ryan responded.

"I'll be ok," I assured them both, "I'm going to have to get used to the crowds anyways, unless you don't want me to come to the games."

"Third floor it is," Ryan said definitively. Thomas led us to the escalators on the other side of the gift shop. When we reached the third floor, I looked around and with the exception of a few people it was empty. My mouth dropped as I walked outside to the observation deck. "Welcome to New York," Ryan laughed as he lifted me up and spun me in a circle as if I were a child.

"Stop," I shrieked, as I tried not to laugh.

"Why am I embarrassing you?" he asked, grinning as he sat me on my feet, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Never," I whispered against his lips. "Where's my phone?" I asked as I pulled back.

"Somewhere in the backpack, why?"

"I wanted to take a picture of us with the skyline in the background," I pouted. Ryan pulled his phone out of his back pocket, and handed it to me. "It's locked."

"The passcode is your birthday," I looked up at him surprised, he shrugged, "It's easy to remember and if someone stole it they couldn't guess it," he explained. As I unlocked the phone I couldn't help but blush at the background picture, it was candid shot of me leaning against the balcony his beach house. "What is it?" Ryan asked curiously.

"Just admiring your background," I replied nervously.

"Just once, I wish you could see yourself through my eyes," he said softly. I opened up the camera and snapped a few pictures of the skyline, until Ryan took the phone from my hand and held it out to Thomas to take our picture. When Thomas handed me the phone, I scrolled through and found the best one and sent it to myself, just as a text popped up from Brooke.

"Brooke texted you," I told Ryan, I handed him the phone just as a young boy walked up.

"You're Ryan Slate, right? I watch you on TV!" the boy cried excitedly.

"Do you now?" Ryan chuckled.

"DAD!!! I TOLD YOU IT WAS HIM," the boy yelled, and all eyes turned to us. An older man walked over with his mouth wide open. "You're like the best football player ever! Can I have your autograph?"

"Kason, don't yell, and it's not polite to ask for things," the man told his son, as a small crowd gathered.

"It's not a big deal," Ryan laughed and held his hand out and Thomas slid a marker into his hand. He took his hat off and signed it, and handed it to the kid. "There ya go buddy." Thomas put his arm around my back and led me off to the side. I looked behind me as I heard Ryan tell the boy bye. "I've got her," Ryan said as he stood behind me on the escalator. Thomas pulled out his phone as we got off the first escalator. I looked behind us and noticed the people following us, when I turned around I saw even more people at the bottom waiting for us.

"There he is!" someone yelled.

"That's Ryan Slate!" yelled another.

"But that's not Brooke," someone replied.

Ryan held my hand tighter, almost hurting me. "Just keep following Thomas," Ryan demanded. When we got to the first level of the observation deck I looked around and everyone had their phones out, taking pictures. Thomas lead us to the elevator where another security guard was holding open the door for us, and held back the people who tried to get in with us.

"There's press outside waiting," Thomas said once the doors closed, "The news of your engagement has already been published."

"That was fast," Ryan snorted. The door pinged and Thomas led us to the final elevator.

"There's more," Thomas started, "TMZ also picked up the news of Brooke's pregnancy, and she told them you're the father."

"Fuck, can today get any worse? Please tell me the car is waiting for us," Ryan demanded.

"It's at the front of the building," Thomas said as the elevator dinged.

Ryan turned to me, "We're going to make this a quick exit."

I nodded, and followed Ryan as swiftly as my legs would carry me, never letting go of his hand, as Thomas was right behind me. When we walked outside I couldn't even see the SUV for the flashing lights. The yells from people continued, "Is Brooke pregnant with your baby?" "Whose baby is it?" "When's the big day?" "Is your new fiancé pregnant too?"

"No comment," Ryan stated firmly.

That's when I heard it. "MILA," someone yelled. Without thinking I turned my head, and was instantly hit in the face by something, causing me to fall to the ground.

"Get the fuck out of her face," Ryan demanded through gritted teeth. To them he may have seemed calm but I knew this was the calm before the storm, I saw Ryan clench and unclench his fists as he tried to calm himself down. The camera man who had hit me with his camera, then thrust his camera into Ryan's face. In the blink of an eye, the man's camera was on the ground and Thomas was between Ryan and the man. Ryan rushed over, helped me stand and put me in the car, and slammed the door shut with so much force that the car shook. The next thing I knew Ryan was beside me, and we were merging into the busy streets of New York City.

"How bad is it?" I asked.

Ryan turned to face me, and put his hand on my face, and ran his thumb over my eye, causing me to flinch. "It's gonna bruise," the rage was evident on his face as he asked, "Are you ok?"

"No Ryan I'm not," I cried, "Every time were together I always get hurt, if not physically then emotionally and mentally. I'm tired of this, I mean look at me this time it was a camera to my face, I don't know how much more of this shit I can take!"

"What can I do?" he asked taking my hand in his.

"You can let me go back home, back to my normal life."