He didn’t look at me. “It was a shitty move. I wanted a fight, and you were the easiest one to pick.”
“You weren’t going to win.”
He nodded once. “Yeah. Didn’t take me long to realize that. It’s not what I wanted, anyway.”
Could have fucking fooled me.
“Anyway.” Jesse set his bottle down and gave a tight, exhausted laugh. “It wasn’t my finest work.”
“Understatement.”
“Turns out all I proved was that I’m a prick.”
No one doubted that.
Nico whistled. “Character development in real time.”
“Fuck off,” Jesse muttered, but his mouth twitched.
The door swung open and an official poked his head in. “Gentlemen, podium in five.”
We stood, the exhaustion settling deep now that the adrenaline had burned off. Jesse paused at the door, turning back.
“For what it’s worth,” he said quietly, “you’re going to be brilliant at Rekford.”
Coming from Callaghan, that shook me. “Thanks.”
He nodded, then headed out. Nico clapped me on the shoulder. “Hell of a season, mate.”
“You too.”
The podium ceremony was bedlam in the best way. Champagne sprayed, the crowd roared, and the trophy felt solid and real in my hands. I lifted it high and let myself absorb the moment. Three-time world champion. No matter what else happened, they couldn’t take that away.
When the microphone appeared, I grabbed it without hesitation.
“Right, so.” I grinned at the crowd. “Three-time world champion. Still doesn’t sound real.”
Cheers erupted. I waited for them to die down, scanning the faces until I found her. Violet stood near the front, Hazel bundled in her arms, both wearing my name and number.
Six months ago, I’d been chasing something I couldn’t name. Approval that would never come. Success that tasted hollow the second I achieved it.
Then Violet walked in and turned my entire world upside down. She made me want to be more than just fast. She made me believe I deserved someone who saw past the headlines and podiums to the mess underneath.
She was the first person who ever made me feel like I was enough and she made me want to be the kind of man who stayed. Who chose her every single day, not because he had to, but because a life without her wasn’t worth living.
She’d ruined me for anyone else, and I’d never been more grateful.
“I’ve got some people to thank. My team at Aedris, who gave me a car fast enough to win even when certain people tried to make that difficult.”
Nervous laughter rippled through the crowd. I caught Julian’s thunderous expression in the team area.
Perfect.
“My race engineer Al, who’s somehow put up with me for six years. My trainer Liam, who keeps me from completely falling apart.” I paused, letting the moment breathe. “And most importantly, the two girls who changed everything.”
The roar was deafening. Violet’s face went pale, but her eyes locked on mine.
“See, this season wasn’t supposed to go the way it did. I wasn’t supposed to find out I had a daughter. Wasn’t supposed to fall completely in love with being a father. Wasn’t supposed to fall in love at all.” My voice dropped but carried across the crowd. “Wasn’t supposed to realize there are things more important than racing.”
