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Angel flattened me with the same unentertained stare. “I know exactly who you are, Bauer.”

“Harsh.” I rolled my eyes. “And not even one comment toward my period-accurate commentary?”

“Don’t even pretend you know anything about my historical romances, Bauer,” Angel barked out a laugh at me, shooing me away.

“Theo, this is our new strategic analysis commentator. She comes from a background of racing, and you two will be working closely throughout the season. We will have a dedicated section for Kaz Racing with pre- and post-race interviews.” One of the Kaz Energy team members, Aaron talked on for a while about this new contract with PitSpark, though I wasn’t entirely paying attention to the short man rambling about. I still had yet to be given a name for the elusive new presenter. My interest piqued at the background in racing; maybe she would actually ask interesting questions, unlike every other presenter on track brought in by endless sponsors.

“Her name”—Aaron nudged my shoulder to get my attention again—“is Maisey Andrews.” My brain completely stopped working, and my eyes blinked quickly because I couldn’t fathom the name Aaron had just said, a name I hadn’t heard in a decade. A name that crept into every single one of my endless, restless nights.

Maisey.

Maisey.

Maisey.

Her name repeated in my head like a mantra, quickly in time with my heart as it picked up pace. The door opened, and Angel walked through, holding it open behind her. In walked the ghost that haunted my thoughts. Long red hair all pulled up, long pink ribbon strings hanging down the ponytail. Crystal blue eyes locking with mine. Eyes I used to know better than my own. A shade of blue I had imprinted into my very soul.

Maisey. My Maisey.

Before any words could leave my mouth, before I could even form a coherent thought, my brother was shoving past me with a beaming smile.

“Maisey Andrews! As I live and breathe! Look at you!”

Maisey’s eyes, however, were attached to mine. Her lips parted, ever so slightly, on a small gasp. A memory long since stored and filed away, one I had no right to recall, came to mind. So, I clamped down the emotions, shoving them so far down, they’d be lost in everything else I had hidden away. It was all ancient history. I never once deserved her. I didn’t have the right to think of her eyes or lips or the soft memories of starry nights, lying on the hood of a car or on that grassy hill when she would sneak out and meet me in the spot we would escape to when the world was too loud.

I steeled my expression. Looked the way everyone expected. Uninterested and cocky. That was safe, the thick walls I had spent a decade building, still in place and secure around it all.

“Hey! Wow, look at you all grown up!” Maisey was pulling my brother into her arms, squeezing him tightly. A waft of strawberry hit me, and another memory pulled at me. One I wasn’t entirely sure was a figment of my imagination or a sense memory from the last time I saw her.

I blinked hard, trying to readjust. My brother was speaking, Maisey listening and smiling. They were catching up like old friends. The thought made my insides go sour. Something I couldn’t have, didn’t have. Because there was only ever one path, and that was racing. No distractions, no ties to anything but the track. My brother, however, had more freedom. The minute I was on my own, I got him and my mum out of that house. It had just been just us for about eight years. Sebastian was basically a glorified house sitter before I promoted him to manager. He was better than the last one and the one before that, a series of people picked for me. This time it was just me and him.

“Theo.” Maisey’s voice snapped me back to reality. Or a version where everything was well and truly fucked. Because I was looking down at a still rather short version of the only girl I had ever loved. The only one who I had ever let down walls for. The one person who could tear me apart, but instead I had done the betraying.

“Hey, Maise.” I tried to keep my voice emotionless, but there was nothing simple about our past, there was nothing small or meaningless about the girl in front of me. I blinked again, clearing my throat. Because gone was the girl I had known. But she still had the same bright red hair, longer now and tied back with a bow, the same eyes. She had always been beautiful, but Maisey Andrews was downright striking now.

“Okay, what did I miss? Does everyone know each other here? I feel like I missed something.” Angel cut in, hands on her hips.

“Sorry!” Maisey apologized, making me bristle in annoyance. I hated that she was apologizing as if it was her fault. She had nothing to apologize for. “I’m Maisey, the new strategic analyst commentator for PitSpark. We used to compete against each other in karting and F2,” she explained simply, as if we were just two acquaintances.

“Maisey here was the only one who could beat this idiot!” My brother spoke up, walking over and knocking his shoulder with mine.

“Wow! Okay, amazing! I mean, I knew you used to race and all, I just—” Angel was fumbling her words; she didn’t like not being prepared and knowing the ins and outs of things. “But I should have known.” She nodded to herself sternly.

“Maisey was the Formula Two champion about, what?” Seb looked at Maisey. “How long now?”

“Eleven years ago,” Maisey replied, her smile strained.

“She’s a damn good driver.” My brother shook his head up and down like a bobble head, making me elbow him in the side. “Fuck, what?”

“Shut up,” I sneered.

“Maisey, this is Angel, Theo’s lead engineer, and Sebastian is his manager,” Aaron quickly spoke over us.

“Wow, moving up in the world!” Maisey smiled brightly at my brother, making me grind my teeth. Maisey had always been bright and sunny and cheery. She was literally standing in front of me wearing a bright pink sweater with little flowers all over it. But I didn’t want her sunshine on him.

I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve been instructed to be nice to you. The team’s and my own relationship with PitSpark is a good one, so we need to make this work.” It came out much harsher than I meant. Guilt immediately flooded my system as her smile dropped for a small moment before coming back more forced.

“Understood. I am excited to have a professional relationship with you all.” The smile didn’t reach her eyes or crinkle her nose like when she actually meant it. No, the smile she flashed at me, the white teeth, thin-lipped force of a stretch was one I recognized. One she reserved for people she didn’t like. Long ago that was me, so I guess we were right back where we started.