The aid car arrived quickly, and the medics rushed to check on me. Their faces were blank, but I could tell they were worried. I forced myself to sit still as they checked my vitals, making sure nothing was broken. I wanted to be angry, to get back out there, but the fog in my mind made it hard to concentrate. The dizziness lingered, and the pain in my neck felt like a dull throb. I had to close my eyes for a second, just to breathe. I focused on the sounds, the smells like Lucia had done with me earlier, and the haze began to lift.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Alex,” the medic said, though I could tell he wasn’t entirely sure. They helped me into the aid car, and I let myself be driven back to the garage, the low hum of the engine doing little to calm my racing thoughts.
As the car pulled into the garage, my mind still felt like it was underwater. My focus was blurry, but I couldn’t shake the thought of what I’d just done—or how stupid I’d been to push that hard. The team was going to be pissed.
But then, I saw her.
Lucia.
She was standing at the edge of the garage, her eyes wide with worry, her face pale. And as soon as the aid car came to a stop, she was running toward me.
I could barely make sense of the scene. My body was stiff as I climbed out of the car, but all I could focus on was her—her hands reaching for me, her face full of concern.
“Alex!” she cried, her voice shaking.
She reached me in an instant, her hands gripping my face with such urgency, such tenderness, that it felt like a shock to my system. She looked me over, her eyes searching for any sign of injury, her fingers brushing against my jaw.
“You’re okay?” she asked, her voice breaking as she searched my face, her touch gentle but firm.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I muttered. I could see the worry in her eyes, and it hit me harder than I thought possible.
But what really knocked me sideways was the realization that, in that moment, it wasn’t just concern. It was something deeper, something that went beyond the surface.
No one had ever cared for me this way. Not like this.
Her hands were still on my face, holding me steady. I just let myself feel the weight of it—the connection between us, raw and real.
“I’m fine,” I said again, quieter this time, my voice softer.
“Please, don’t ever do that again,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Her hands lingered, tracing my features gently, her touch a lifeline in the chaos of everything.
I could see the worry, the fear in her eyes, and I hated that I had put her through it.
“I’m okay,” I promised, my voice thick, the words harder to get out than they should have been. I couldn’t help but pull her closer, needing to be near her. I didn’t want to lose her. I didn’t feel invincible, not when I had someone waiting for me at the end of the track.
21
LUCIA
The crash rattled me. The moment Alexander’s car hit the barrier, my stomach dropped, and I barely registered anything else until I was sprinting toward the garage. Now, sitting beside him on the couch, my hand gripping his, I was struggling to steady my breathing. His face was pale, a small bruise already forming near his temple, but he was here—alive, unbroken. That was enough.
We stayed there as the race continued, watching the screens in the garage. Matteo was putting in a stellar performance, and as the final laps counted down, we cheered when he crossed the finish line, taking second place. Alexander grinned, clapping along with the team, but his grip on my hand stayed firm, as if he wasn’t ready to let go just yet.
Then my phone pinged. I pulled it from my bag, a chill creeping up my spine as I read the message.
Unknown Number
Seems like your new man ain’t that great anyway.
You can’t hide from me.
My stomach churned. I swallowed hard, willing the panic to stay at bay.
Alexander noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?”
I tried to brush it off, but my shaking hand betrayed me. He didn’t wait for an answer. He took the phone from me, his eyes narrowing as he read the text.
His expression darkened. “This him?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
