Fear

56 • Emotional reunion

The next morning, Tyler woke me up with a mischievous smile on his face. "Good morning, fiancée," he said, placing a soft kiss on my lips.

I grinned up at him, admiring his handsome face. This man... the man who kidnapped me, put me through hell, then fell in love with me... was to be my husband. Unbelievable.

"I have another surprise for you," he murmured, his sexy, husky morning voice secretly doing things to me.

I raised an eyebrow with an amused expression. "Oh? What else could you possibly have in store for me?"

He grinned and bit his lip. "You'll see," he replied, buzzing with excitement.

We then proceeded to make out for like half an hour, before he unfortunately made me stop. "Come on, we have to get ready."

We got dressed and he led me through the corridors into the old building to leave the institution. I kept trying to ask him where he was taking me, but he refused to say.

Tyler led me to the helicopter and we set off in a comfortable silence, my curiosity growing. I glanced at him in the pilot seat as he carefully navigated the aircraft, a look of focus and determination on his face.

As we descended, the helicopter's rhythmic thrum gradually softened. A sprawling cityscape came into view, the vibrant streets alive with activity. Tyler guided the helicopter to a gentle landing on a private helipad, and as the rotors slowed, I felt a wave of anticipation wash over me.

Once on the ground, he helped me out, leading me towards a waiting taxi. The driver, a middle-aged man with a friendly smile, greeted us as Tyler held the door open for me.

I slid into the backseat, and he joined me, his hand resting on my knee. The taxi pulled away from the helipad, merging into the bustling city traffic. I couldn't help but glance at him, trying to decipher his cryptic smile.

"Where are we going?" I asked again.

He just smiled cheekily, his eyes refusing to look at me. "You'll see," he said, his voice low and teasing as he stroked my thigh.

As we navigated through the city's streets, my eyes wandered to the passing scenery. The vibrant storefronts, the busy pavements, the towering buildings. I hadn't been out in any city like this in a long time, and the bustling energy was almost exhilarating. In fact, it suddenly occurred to me that Tyler had never actually told me where we were.

"Ty? You know you've never actually told me where we are, right?"

He paused and looked down at me, raising an eyebrow. "No? I thought I had," he said with a smirk, his tone teasing.

"So, where are we?" I persisted.

"Can you guess?" he teased further. I sighed, realising he wasn't going to tell me, so I continued looking out the window.

The taxi soon turned onto a wide boulevard, and I noticed the traffic thinning as we approached the outskirts of the city. Suddenly, a large sign came into view, and my heart skipped a beat as I read the words:

"Vancouver International Airport."

I audibly gasped and spun my head to Tyler, my eyes wide. "Vancouver?" I asked, a mix of excitement and confusion in my voice.

Tyler's smile grew wider, and he chuckled. "We're going on a little trip. Call it your engagement gift."

My mind raced. Where were we going? What had he planned?

"But... h-how?" I stammered, my mind racing. "My passport..."

He chuckled and playfully squeezed my thigh.
"I may have pulled a few strings. Let's just say I have a few connections."