“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone else.”The words came out as a sigh, my hand gesturing vaguely toward Lily, who kept smiling at me like she’d won something.
She always looked so happy, and it was infuriating.
Lily turned to my sister, not remotely attempting to hide her smug grin.“Well, as much fun as I’m sure this”—she motioned, dramatically, toward me—“will be, I need to go get ready for dinner.”
Georgia rolled her eyes but said nothing.Over the past six months, my sister had often found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to Lily and me.Lily was her former teammate and close friend.They’d entered Formula 1 together, two women on the grid full of men.They’d battled sexist journalists and won three Constructor’s Championships.That bond went deep.
Lily and I had always bickered when it came to driving, but after Las Vegas, the casualness of our friendship and “oops, sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come across that way” had disappeared.It’d escalated from professional rivalry into something sharper, more personal, bleeding into every interaction.With each race, the discomfort between us seemed to grow into something neither of us knew how to control.
Or knew how to stop.
I looked up at Lily, who’d thrown on a maroon blazer over her outfit, the fabric settling perfectly across her shoulders.The color brought out the warmth in her auburn hair, making her green eyes seem brighter somehow.
“Dinner plans before a race?”I scoffed, raising a curious eyebrow.“Who’s the poor bastard?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”She cocked her head, auburn strands brushing her cheek as that bright, infuriating smile returned.My heart skipped, just for a second.
I couldn’t look away—my gaze was drawn back in like a magnet.She looked at me like she knew exactly what effect she had; like she enjoyed watching me squirm.
“Lily has dinner with Ollie.”Luca wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before propping his feet up on the coffee table.
Something sharp and ugly twisted in my gut—a feeling I had no right to feel when the choice to not be together had been mine.
Lily took my silence for confusion.“You know, devilishly handsome, blond hair, bright blue eyes.”
“Oh, Henri knows who he is,” Georgia interjected, shooting me a look.“They were teammates in F2.”
Lily’s eyebrows lifted, genuine interest sparking in those green eyes as she properly looked at me for the first time since I’d walked in.My pulse kicked up traitorously.
“Well, must be off,” she said brightly, moving toward the door.She passed behind the couch where I sat, and for one brief moment, I felt the warmth of her presence at my back, caught a drift of her floral perfume.My entire body went rigid, like if I moved even slightly, I might do something stupid.Like reach for her and ask her to stay, just as she’d done in Las Vegas last year.
She paused—I felt rather than saw it—and I wondered if she was looking down at me; wondered what her expression would be if I turned around.
But I didn’t.
Then she continued past, now finally in view, turning back to me from the safety of the doorway with a look of pure mischief.“And don’t worry, Dubois, I’ll be sure to stay out of your way tomorrow.”
“See that you do.”I turned to face her, narrowing my eyes, heat prickling at the back of my neck as I crossed my arms.
Still paused at the door, she looked at me with an expression far too smug for someone starting P2 in tomorrow’s race.“Though if you drive like you did in free practice, I won’t need to.I’ll be too far ahead.”
Her wink hit harder than any insult could have.Something hot and frustrated coiled in my chest, making it difficult to breathe properly.The door shut behind her, and the suite fell silent.
“Henri?”Georgia’s voice cut through the fog.“You’re gripping the armrest like you’re trying to strangle it.”
I released my death grip on the leather, relaxing my fingers.
“She’s just messing with you,” Luca offered.“You know how Lily is.”
“Unfortunately.”Glancing at the biscuits scattered across the coffee table, I grabbed one, shoving it into my mouth.
That was the problem.I did know what she was like.Knew exactly how she could unravel me with a single look, a throwaway gesture.The way she’d winked, casual and teasing, sent my thoughts spiraling to places they had no business going.Under no circumstances could I have Lily Blackwood.After all the bad blood this season, we weren’t the same people who’d fallen into bed together last year.
I couldn’t allow us to be.My only goal was to win this championship.Georgia had won the Driver’s Championship three times, but I hadn’t even won Monaco, my home race.This year had to be different, and with how fast my car was, I had to take advantage of this year.
There would be no distractions, especially not from the one person who wanted more than anything to take my dream away.
Luca shifted uncomfortably, sipping his tea as if it might save him from being caught in the crossfire of my anger.He made eyes at my sister, and I could see they were having one of those insufferable conversations couples had without speaking.
