“This is ridiculous,” Nora grumbled, shaking her head. “I’m going to HR.”
“Do it,” Everly ordered. “Please. Because I’ll be safeguarding this conversation anyway.”
Nora’s frown said it all.
“The grid,” Ever snapped. “Both of you. Now.”
Nadia gave me a soft smile and followed Nora, a few paces back. When Nora turned and stopped to talk to her, Nadia waved her on.
“She’s a good friend,” Everly said. “I’m glad you have her.”
“Yeah.”
She could still tell everyone. We’d been friends for a fewweeks, and she’d been friends with Nora for far longer, but I didn’t trust where her loyalties lay.
I started to pack up the remaining calendars. The press tent kept most of the wind at bay, but every now and then, the walls flapped about.
I didn’t want more mess to clean up.
“Are you okay?” Everly started to gather the pens, but I felt her eyes on me.
The map on the leaflet in front of me showed my pit box, where I should be. Where Zolt would be getting ready to race. I wanted a hug. I needed his voice.
He’d never given me any inkling that he cared about her.
You belong wherever you choose to stand.
I belong wherever I choose to stand.
“Fia?”
Everly was blurry. I tried to blink my vision away, but then she was holding me, and I was scrunching my eyes to stop myself from sobbing.
“It’s okay,” Everly shushed, rubbing my back. “It’s okay.”
“Isn’t,” I blubbered into her hair.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” she said. “Nora blabs, and no one believes her because she’s a jealous ex who left Zolt for another racer within like two weeks of his accident.”
“Imre will know.”
She stopped stroking. “So maybe your fling has to end.”
I pulled away and looked into her dark eyes for any instance she was joking. All I found was pity in the sad turn of her lips.
“What?”
Her expression shifted, brows lowering, eyes widening. “This isn’t… this isn’t a fling, is it?”
“I…” Of course, that was what she thought.Because how could we ever actually be together?
I sniffed and rubbed at my eyes. “It’s complicated.”
She scoffed, almost laughing. “You don’t need to tell me that.” Her face softened. “So it’s not just sex?”
“No,” I sighed. That would make things nice and simple. “He told me he loves me.”
Everly nodded slowly, looking away.
