Page 54 of Break My Heart

“He’s pushing me.”

“Then don’t let him.”

I mutter, “What I love—strategic advice.”

I hold firm, letting the Ferrari decide whether he wants contact more than position. He blinks first as we head into Turn Twelve. His car slows for a fraction of a second—just enough to avoid the crash and remain in the race. By Turn Thirteen, I’m in third.

“Overtake complete,” Dario says.

“Tell Christin the interface held brilliantly.”

Silence before Dario snarks, “You just told her yourself. This is an open channel.”

I can’t pay much attention to his less than subtle reminder that Christin is listening in, because the second I do, I’ll be distracted. Instead, I focus on the drivers ahead and whether I can improve on holding third place.

Lap twelve. Dario warns me of a safety car threat in sector two but we’re green again before we reach it. The field compresses slightly anyway, everyone recalculating tire life and strategy.

“Box window opening in four laps,” Dario says.

“Copy.”

“You sound calm.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

I come through Turn Four, wider than I want, correcting on exit. “I’m waiting for the car to lie.”

“Has it?”

“No.”

“Then maybe stop expecting it to.”

That lands too close to every thought I’ve had since Christin came back into my world and proved she’d always belonged there.

I’m quiet for too long. Dario notices. “Talk to me.”

“I’m thinking.”

“Dangerous.”

“About predicting failure.”

My car rockets down the straight toward Turn One again.

“Is this about the car?”

“It’s about everything.”

There’s static for half a second before Christin’s voice chides me on the line. “Leo.”

“I know,” I say, braking hard into Turn One. “Bad timing for emotional development.”

“I think so. Yes.”

I take Turn Two cleaner than I have since the start of the race.