Page 93 of On The Edge

“That sector was your fastest yet. Grim is P4.”

My teammate Schilling is after McElroy. That means he can’t help me fend him off and buy time.

“One to go.”

I drive fast and tight and come out of turns with inches to spare between my tires and the walls. I can see Evans in front of me. My sector time might be fast but there is no goddamn way I can close that gap in one lap.

I need to hold on to second.

Preserve it.

“And that’s P2, Cruz. Well done. Great race.”

“Fuck, yeah.” I pump my fist and shout as euphoria washes over me. We’ve had race after race where things haven’t gone our way. One bad mishap after another at the start of a race making the next sixty laps a crash course—pun intended—in trying to recover.

I’ve been placing well, but it’s been a battle.

This time it was smooth and that’s a welcome change.

* * *

Champagne stings my eyes and my suit sticks to my body. My cheeks hurt from smiling. My head dizzies with the euphoria of a podium and the points earned to keep us in second place on the overall leader board.

I walk off the stage with trophy in hand and all I see is Maddix. She’s standing in the midst of all the chaos with her Gravitas racing shirt on, her smile bright, and a press pass around her neck.

“Woo-hoo!” She throws her arms up in excitement.

Without thought, I do the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I got out of the car. I walk over to her, hug her so that when I stand straight her feet leave the ground, and then kiss her soundly on the lips.

It’s brief—there are people all around us. Professionals. Press. Other teams. And what was once all for show, doesn’t feel like it anymore.

And it’s something I’d rather keep private.

So I keep the kiss brief, but fuck it grounds me. And when I put her feet back on the ground, she doesn’t let go. She leans into my ear.

“I’m proud of you.”

Four simple words spoken by a woman who isn’t supposed to mean anything to me—and yet her words pack an unexpected punch.

When I look at her, eyes narrowed, all she does is blink away tears and lift her hand to my cheek.

Her smile is full of hope and excitement and something else, but I’ll fucking take all of it.

“Go do what you need to do,” she says and steps back, giving me clear sight of Sofia standing there.

Oh shit. The two of them together? Alone? That’s fucking trouble.

But I’ll take the trouble. I’ll take my sister being here. And I’ll definitely take the hug she squeezes me with before I move to recovery.

“Thanks for coming,” I say as I catch sight of Amandine leading Maddix away.

“Monza is always lucky for us Navarros. Glad to see some things haven’t changed.”

“Me too.”

“Great race.” I look over to the voice and accept a handshake from Spencer Riggs. Longtime friend and competitor from way back in our karting days till now.

“Thanks, man.” I place a hand on his shoulder and squeeze. “You too. You had a hard fight today.”