I ignored the nickname I hated and followed him to the living room. A few people stood chatting with drinks in hand, while a cluster of guys lounged on the couch, girls in short dresses perched on their laps.
The only face I recognized was Hugh, Ethan’s crew chief. Twenty years younger than Dawson, he’d been with the team six years. The few times we’d talked, he’d come across as friendly—less fake than Ethan.
“What’s up?” I said, stepping closer.
Hugh nodded. “Asher. Happy birthday. How’s it going?”
“Thanks. Not bad.”
He shifted over, making room, and I dropped onto the cushion beside him.
“Excited for the season?” he asked.
“Yeah. Can’t wait to race.”
A guy with a buzz cut on Hugh’s other side smirked. “Ethan said he left you behind on the track during training. Watch out. This is the big leagues now—you won’t have it easy.”
Heleft me behind? Only in his dreams. Lucky for him, I didn’t care enough to set the record straight.
“I’ll definitely need to be careful.” My eyes found Ethan. Red blotches covered his cheeks and neck, and his stiff posture confirmed he’d run his mouth, betting I’d never hear about it.
“Want a drink?” he asked evenly.
Could I trust him not to poison it? Hardly. “Yeah. Water’s fine.”
He barked a laugh. “Water? That how you party in Spain? You’re the baby here—we wouldn’t want to call your parents if you got wasted.”
My parents.
What a dick.
I glanced at my watch. “Fuck, Ethan. I gotta go. Almost forgot—my daycare’s throwing me a party tonight. See you at training, yeah? Can’t wait to lose again.”
The room went silent. Ignoring the stares, I pushed to my feet and strode past Ethan, who muttered something about me overreacting.
Dad used to say if something made me uncomfortable, I didn’t need another excuse to leave. I could’ve stayed and laughed it off, but my time was worth more than that. Ethan and I would never be friends.
Twenty minutes later, silence and darkness greeted me at Russell’s house. Everyone was already in bed. I slipped off my shoes, hung up my coat, and climbed the stairs.
I needed sleep after that disaster of a birthday, but when I flicked on the bedside lamp, adrenaline spiked. A wrapped gift rested on the comforter. I sat and peeled back the dark blue paper to find a black T-shirt withBorn to Winprinted in small white letters. Beneath it sat a box of tiny chocolate trophies.
¡Feliz cumpleaños! Kaia,the card read.
My chest tightened. Of course she thought of me—cared enough to give me something even though I hadn’t celebrated at home. I pulled paper from the desk drawer and scrawled,Gracias, peque. Then I stepped into the hall and headed for her room.
I wanted to see her, to thank her face-to-face. A note wasn’t enough. She deserved more. But her light was off, and I couldn’t just walk in.
I slid the note under her door and stepped back. Just as I turned to leave, a soft click broke the quiet.
Kaia stood in the doorway, staring at me. “Ash?”
My pulse faltered at the sight of her in a short nightdress. She was beautiful—maybe even more tonight, or maybe I’d just missed her.
“Hi,” I whispered.
Her lips twitched, fighting a smile. “Come in.”
I crossed the threshold and shut the door behind me. Alone with her, my birthday finally felt like one. There was nothing I wanted more than to spend the rest of it here.
