She turns away, but not before I catch the faint blush rising to her cheeks.
“Wait—what aren’t you telling me? Is there someone?” I press, suddenly intrigued.
Another wrench clanks to the concrete, and she pretends it’s going to take three to five business days to retrieve.
“Remi?” I sigh, cursing this stupid cast. I can’t even crouch and shake her by the shoulders the way I want to. “I can’t believe you kept something like this to yourself.”
Remi whips around, one brow arched, incredulous. “Now you know exactly how I feel.”
“Okay, okay. Touché.” I lift my hands in surrender. “But technically, you didn’t know I had a secret at the same time I didn’t know you had yours—so that makes us even.”
She laughs. “How did this get turned on me? We’re talking about you telling everyone you’re sleeping with the man who used to feed you applesauce as a toddler.”
My jaw drops. We both burst out laughing.
“You bitch! That was low.”
“It was.”
“Take it back.”
“Absolutely not.”
Her laughter dies. When she meets my eyes again, something softer slides across her face. “I haven’t slept with him yet. We’re just…friends.”
There’s a wistful smile and the ghost of a blush. “Yet? Who?” I prod, draining the last of the energy drink.
Remi leans against the Supra, exhales, and looks at me like she’s deciding exactly how much to give. “Remember that night at the speedway? What happened with Ryuji.”
My stomach flips with each word. “Kuroda?”
She nods. “He did something that night I wasn’t expecting. Putting himself between me and the gunfire like that, when he could have run to his brother. And before you say anything, this isn’t me feeling like I owe him anything—I owe no one shit. But he’s…different than what I thought. We actually click. We have fun. Maybe that’s all I need right now. No strings. No expectations.”
I give her a slow, approving smile. “You sound…lighter. That’s good. Just let him know if he ever hurts you?—”
“You’ll kick him in the dick.” Her grin is all mischief.
“And destroy his ego on the track.” I grimace. “That is, if I ever go back.”
Remi pulls me into a hug. “Another week down. You’re almost there.”
As if the universe hears my thoughts and decides it’s the perfect time to fuck with me, her phone goes off—a ringtone I recognize instantly.Furiabusiness.
She goes quiet as she reads the message.
“Okay,” she grumbles. “Now this is interesting.”
“What is it?”
She doesn’t answer right away, just hands me the phone.
UNKNOWN: Is it true about Val? Word is she’s out. Like, out-out.
I sigh. “Balterra?”
“Who else?” She takes the phone, scrolls once, then lifts a brow. “He’s telling people you’re too embarrassed to race after catching your ex fucking that bitch, Romina.”
My jaw tightens. “He really said that?”
