“And why is that? Give us something here,Papi,” Luc says, blowing up again. “Why is shelying?”
“She’s not lying, she’s?—”
“Fuck this!” Luc shoves Greer out of the way and charges past him into the hallway.
I don’t think as I follow right after him, because yeah,fuck this.
CHAPTER TWO
Alaina
“C’mon, Al.” Dane grins as he loops back toward me, tires skidding just a little.
We’re out past the neighborhood, where the streets get quieter and the houses spread farther apart, where the sidewalk runs out, and there’s just open road, dirt, and space to ride. The kind of place Dane says is good for practice because no one yells at you for going too fast.
I’m on my bike—blue, with a white stripe—and I’m actually pretty good. I can pedal fast and take corners without falling, and Dane says I’m better than most kids twice my age. He’s showing me tricks, like standing up on the pedals, and riding without holding on to the handlebars at all, but I can’t do that part yet.
“You gotta loosen up. Just one hand. Look, like this.” He pulls one hand off his handlebars and glides past me, stealing my nose in the process and making me giggle.
“I am loose.” I huff, sitting up straighter. It’s fun riding with him out here, but it also makes me sad again. “I want to come ride with you.”
Dane slows down, coasting next to me. “Youareriding with me.”
“No.” I pout. “I mean with you. On the World Cup.”
He snorts. “You’re six.”
“You’re sixteen,” I shoot back, like that proves something. I’m not even sure what.
He laughs that loud Dane laugh that always makes my stomach feel warm, but then it fades, and his face does that thing where he tries to look all grown up.
“I have to leave next week. You know that.”
“I know,” I grumble, kicking at the sidewalk. “But I don’t want to be home all summer. Just me and…” I wrinkle my nose, “…the nanny.”
“We like the nanny,” Dane counters.
“We do…” I admit, “…but I don’t wanna be with her all the time. I wanna be withyou.”
My lip trembles, and I try hard not to let it, but Dane sees it immediately. His whole face softens, and he gets off his bike and sets it down next to us before he crouches down in front of me.
“What if I talk to Dad? Ask if he can fly you and Sabine to Europe during your school break? You could come watch me race.”
My breath catches. “You think he’d say yes?”
He huffs. “Of course he would.”
Dane is probably right. Dad doesn’t care where we are as long as Sabine is with us.
I nod quickly. “Okay!”
“But…” Dane lifts a finger, like this is very serious business, “… you have to train while I’m not here. Ride your bike all the time, so when you’re old enough, you can come on the circuit with me.”
My heart jumps. “For real?”
“For real.” He smiles. “But you have to be good enough.”
“I am good enough! I can come now.”
