Page 122 of Runner 13
The race might be over. But the rest of my life is just beginning.
57
Stella
The rest of the day is a whirlwind. Adrienne is swept away by Henry and taken for medical checks and interviews. She doesn’t protest. I’m glad. They insist she goes to hospital in Ouarzazate, and by the time we all get there she’s received an offer from Blixt to be a part of their team – a full-time sponsored athlete with a healthy salary attached. She and Pete and Ethan discuss moving closer to Ethan’s tennis academy but still close enough to the fells that Adrienne can get her runs in.
My fingers still play with the diamond, twisting it round on the band as I sit in the lobby of our hotel. It’s a beautiful building, more used to hosting Hollywood stars shooting desert movies than beaten-up runners with bruised toenails.
I’m not worried about Pete and Adrienne. They’ve got their shit sorted; they’re co-parenting heroes. And besides, I think there’s a certain Italian doctor she’s intrigued by. If lingering touches and eye contact are anything to go by. But I’m worried for Pete and me. He still doesn’t know the full story.
I don’t want to lose him. I love him. But I haven’t been honest. If we’re going to have any opportunity for a future, he needs to know the truth.
He won’t forgive me. Adrienne won’t forgive me.
Or maybe I’m underestimating her again.
A shadow falls over me, interrupting my train of thought.
‘Stella?’
It’s Emilio.
His face is lined with sadness, his mouth downturned. He’s holding his hands behind his back.
I take a deep breath. I know what he’s about to say.
He confirms it. ‘I’m so sorry to tell you this but …’
‘He’s dead,’ I finish.
Emilio nods. He hands me an envelope. ‘He told me to give this to you. If this happened.’
My heart skips a beat as I take it. Emilio gives me a small nod, then walks away. I think about finding Pete, but he’s in the pool with Ethan. Besides, this is between me and Boones. Me and my father.
I slip my finger under the seal and remove the papers. Something small rattles inside. I tip it out and a memory stick tumbles into my hands. The number thirteen on the front.
There it is, just like that. Dad is giving me the choice. Reveal the truth – or bury it forever.
I can imagine him watching me, wanting to know what I will do.
I close it in my fist, gripping it tight.
It takes me a while to get through all the papers. Eventually, Pete finds me. I don’t know if Emilio has told him about my father, but his expression is solemn. He waits for me to invite him to sit down, giving me that space. That respect.
I reach out my hand and he takes it, then sweeps his other arm round my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. ‘I’m so sorry.’
I close my eyes, pressing my face into his shoulder.
When we finally separate enough for me to talk, I take a deep breath and fill him in. ‘He left the races and the prize money – all of it – to me. The Ampersand elite races are mine.’
Pete whistles through his teeth.
‘All I have to do is sign.’
‘So are you going to do it?’
I think of all the good I can do. I could keep the promise Boones made to Mariam to rebuild a school in her village. Work with Blixt and other companies to put on amazing races, preserving the ethos of the Ampersands while keeping runners safe. While allowing them to support themselves through running. Giving them freedom.
