If he knew I wasAlaina?The girl he barely looked at in juniors?
Before I can even guess at an answer, a blur catches my eye as another rider barrels into the rock garden at a speed that speaks of either confidence or stupidity.
But I know that posture, that helmet tilt, that fuck-you stance he carries into every race like he’s untouchable.
Raine.
He hits the rocks hard, and it’s messy and unrefined, but it’s still fast enough for him to get away with it.
Of course, he gets away with it.
He always did.
When I woke up in a hospital bed with metal in my hip and a lung that wouldn’t inflate, he walked away clean.
When my body forgot how to breathe, he just keptwinning.
My fists clench on the grips, and I stare down at the traillike I can burn a hole through it. I want him confused and shaken. I want him to feel powerless, as powerless as I did when I woke up in that hospital room. I want him to look up at the leaderboard andnot understand why he’s losing.
I want him gutted.
Humiliated.
Ruined.
I want to take everything from him and make himwatch.
Exhaling slowly, I try to ground myself, but I’m distracted when a rattle breaks through the trees.
Ah shit. Here comes Luc.Again.
He blasts into the clearing above us at high speed, but doesn’t slow as he approaches, just cuts the bars and skids to a stoprightnext to Mason. Way too close. Dust erupts around us in a thick, choking cloud, and the grit hits the back of my throat like a punch.
I cough hard. Once. Twice. But it’s no good, my chest seizes with it. Suddenly, it’s not just a cough, it’s fucking pain. There’s not enough space for air. I grip my handlebars for life as I fold forward, trying to swallow it down, trying not to make another sound. My pulse jackhammers, but the debris coats my throat, rubbing it raw.
I. Can’t. Breathe.
I look toward Mason as he tilts his head, angling his body toward me, and I catch my reflection in his goggles. I’m folded over, shaking.
Something about that forces my panic to pause, like a hand on a volume knob, turning the fear down just enough for me to remember myself.
Get it together.
I suck in a slow breath. It’s shaky and shallow, but it’s enough.
Calm the fuck down. You’re fine. You’re okay.
There isn’t a branch in your lung.
The air tastes like dust and shame, but I’m breathing again at least. As discreetly as possible, I slowly straighten my posture as if nothing happened.
An almost imperceptible nod comes from Mason, so small, I think I might’ve imagined it.
“Pardon, Petit.Did I leave you in the dust?” Luc lifts his goggles, eyes full of mischief and fire.
Mason lifts a foot and kicks Luc’s rear tire. Hard.
Luc’s eyes narrow dangerously. “Oh, you didnot.”
