“I’m letting you touch me.”
I want to stay right there, skin on skin, hearts just barely beating in sync, but I can’t because that want terrifies me. So I yank my hand away like I’ve been burned, even though I alreadymissthe heat of him.
What the fuck am I even doing here?
Mini Crews smirks softly, but there’s nothing mocking about it. “Another reason not to let Raine win this year.”
I snort. “It was his sister, not him.”
His eyes narrow again. “And who do you thinktoldher to do that?”
Wait, what?
“You think?”
“Pretty sure. Yeah.”
Well, that’s just…fuck.
I rake a hand through my hair, exhaling hard. “I need that World Cup overall win anyway. Everything depends on it.”
“What does?”
I want to regret saying that, but after everything I just spilled, holding back now feels like bullshit.
“Dad lost everything because of me,” I explain with a heavy sigh. “His job. His home. His money. Everything. We’re living off scraps, holding this whole thing together with duct tape and debt. If this season doesn’t work, if I don’t win, I can’t afford another year as a privateer. We’ll have to give it up. The dream.Everything.”
I stare down at the dirt. Saying it out loud feels too real. All of it.
“And right now…” I add, my voice dropping, “… it’s not looking great.”
Mini Crews leans back on his hands, considering me. “It’s been two races. You’re only 125 points behind first, everything’s still possible.”
“Keeping track of points?” I ask with a raised brow.
He shrugs. “Aren’t you?”
Busted.
“And you’ve already pulled two overalls in your career,” he adds.
“Yeah…” I grumble, “… before Luc showed up.”
That French dickhead.
It used to befun, the way we pushed each other. He’d win one weekend, I’d take the next. Trading places, shit-talking in the pits, always one mistake or miracle apart.
Now he treats me like I’m actual shit on his shoes, and maybe that wouldn’t sting so much if I didn’t spend half the damn season noticing the way his sleeves cling to his arms, or how everything he does seems effortless, even when he’s being a smug asshole. I miss when it was simple.
I missbefore.
“Well, he showed last race he’s not invincible anymore. You could do it.”
I roll my eyes. “Thanks for the TED Talk.”
“Anytime.” Mini Crews grins, but then it shifts to his cocky self again. “You won’t winthisrace, though.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”
