Marissa nodded. “Not for a second.”
Cassidy tipped her soda can toward Reese. “We’d be insufferable about it, actually.”
Reese laughed, surprised by how close it was to a choke. The room felt warmer now, not from the temperature, but from the way they were all oriented toward her, like she was the center of something solid.
She’d spent so much of her career pushing forward on her own, bracing for impact, assuming support came with stringsattached. This didn’t feel like that. This felt like hands at her back, ready whether she leapt or hesitated.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Reese said.
“That’s okay,” Delaney replied. “You don’t have to know tonight.”
Cassidy squeezed her shoulder. “Tonight, you just get to exist.”
Reese leaned into it because it was clear she wouldn’t be facing it solo. Somewhere between the sparkling water and the mediocre hotel lighting, these women had become more than teammates or travel companions.
They were her people.
And because of that, Reese felt less afraid of the door opening and more grateful for who would be standing beside her if it did.
CHAPTER 17
HOTSHOT
Sloane should have known this was coming. The quiet she’d come to rely on had been slashed apart when the news that Tyler had been truly hurt hit her phone. He was a veteran of the sport, and they’d shared the track for two seasons. He was one of the most respected drivers in the lineup, careful, measured, and talented. Injuries were part of the sport, but they landed differently now. Heavier.
Each new report pulled her back into her own accident: the impact, the long recovery, the months of rehab, and the final, irreversible loss of her ability to race. In the end, it hadn’t been the physical damage that sidelined her. She could have come back from that. It had been the emotional wreckage. No matter how many times she slid behind the wheel, she couldn’t complete a full lap without the panic setting in, which made her a danger to herself and to others. To drive at that level, you needed a clear head and nerves of steel. She no longer had either. The biggest tragedy of her life.
By the time she made it back to the hotel, Sloane had barely had a few minutes alone before Reese knocked on her door. Her mouth curved into a smile. It had only been a few hours, but she already missed the green of Reese’s eyes, the sideways glanceshe deployed so expertly when she was being funny, and the way her eyebrows dipped when she was deep in thought.
She took a breath, let it calm her, then crossed the room. When she opened the door, Reese was still mid-knock, her hand hovering awkwardly in the air. She dropped it, grinning, unrepentant.
“Hey,” Sloane said, like they hadn’t already spent half the day together. She felt so much better just for laying eyes on Reese, her shiny dark hair loose and gorgeous tonight. It cut across her forehead just shy of her left eye.
“I love the way you open doors.”
Sloane paused. “I can’t say that’s a compliment I’ve ever received.”
“Well, you should hear it more often. You have door flourish.” Reese demonstrated with an exaggerated sweep of her arm. “Confident. Decisive. Strong hinge work.”
Sloane stepped aside to let her in, suddenly aware of how small the room felt once Reese crossed the threshold, how easily she filled the space just by existing in it.
Reese glanced around, taking in the aggressively neutral furniture and forgettable art. “I didn’t examine your room the last time I was here.”
“Well. We were … occupied. Have at it.” She folded her arms and waited as Reese walked the perimeter.
“Thrilling accommodations,” she deadpanned. “Very corporate retreat chic. I notice the absence of a single cactus painting.”
“Ah, yes. I’m told the club-level rooms were remodeled,” Sloane said, adding a deliberately superior wince. Teasing Reese was quickly becoming one of her favorite pastimes. “The rest of the hotel is aspirational.”
Reese spun around, eyes wide and blazing. “You’re club level? Do you have a lounge?”
“I’m afraid the first rule of club level is you don’t talk about club level.”
Reese’s eyes went wide. “You brought it up.”
“I have no idea what you’re referring to,” Sloane said, flashing her slyest smile.
Reese’s mouth fell open. She then grabbed Sloane’s hand and gave it a small, decisive tug, pulling her closer. “What is happening right now?”
