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Something rumbles on the other side of the phone, and Maya protests before her voice fades away. “If it isn’t the dickhead of the decade. How are you doing? Not that I should care after you upset Maya,” Noah snaps.
Noah’s anger makes me instantly regret losing my cool with Maya. No one messes with his wife. Not even me.
I always wanted a man to defend my honor. But I didn’t expect it to be Marko, a four-year-old with a wooden spoon for a sword.
“Because, rather than choosing to be a role model for other people in similar situations as you, you’ve become a public example of what happens when you let life break you. And as your brother-in-law and best friend, I simply can’t accept that. If our roles were reversed, you wouldn’t let me do half the shit we let you get away with, so I don’t understand how you expect me to. I can deal with you avoiding the media and wanting a fresh start somewhere new where no one bothers you. But what I can’t wrap my head around is how one of the most badass people I’ve met—the very guy who threatened me
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“Please!” He squeezes my neck tighter. “You’re the bestest uncle ever.” “Thanks. It was a tough competition with myself, but I’m glad I won.”
He moves onto Chloe, crawling into her lap and holding her face with his pudgy hands. “Princess, can you take me? Tickle dragon is grumpy.” The little shit.
“Have you heard of Formula 1?” I can’t believe I’m asking someone this question. This is most definitely a first for me. “Kind of? Is that the one where they drive around in circles like the movie Cars?” A laugh bursts out of me. “No. That’s NASCAR. Please don’t insult me again by comparing F1 to that.”
Seriously, this man is a whole other level of irresistible. He cooks, he babysits, and he’s grumpy. My kind of kryptonite.
The only thing I know about cars is how the ones with the loudest muffler usually signal how there’s a man with a small dick nearby.
My voice drops as I prop my ass against the hood and spread my legs. I grab onto her hips and turn her toward me, securing her in front of me.
Me: Seriously. I can’t let you pay for something this expensive. Tell your sister to take me to a Zara or something a little more on par with my budget. Santiago: But I’m scared of her. Why don’t you tell her since you’re the one opposing this in the first place? Me: You’re afraid of your sister? I wish I could choke you through the phone. Santiago: Is that your kink? You really are quite the surprise.
I walk into our hotel room after having a spa day with Maya in her penthouse suite. She welcomed me into the life of the rich and lavish with manicures, pedicures, and a private makeup artist before our night at the gala. I never knew joining the dark side meant having champagne and a charcuterie board, but now that I’ve tried it, I’ll never look at pre-gaming the same way again.
Since when have I become an intimidating piece of shit? That was always Noah’s job.
“Thank you,” my voice rasps. Thank you? What the actual hell. Good God, she sucked your dick, man. You’re acting like she treated you to coffee.
“Life is about creating the memories that matter, while forgetting the ones that don’t.”
“I just want you to know I’m really freaking proud of you right now.” A blush creeps into my cheeks. “It’s just a game.” “It’s more than that.” “How so?” “This is your redemption.”
“I try hard to show you that certain things are more important than sex.” “That exists?”
“Been saving that for when you get lucky?” I smirk. “I’ve been lucky ever since you stumbled into my life. This is an added bonus.”
“I weigh a lot.” And what about the extra pressure on his leg? I couldn’t bear the idea of causing him more pain. He scoffs. “I could bench-press you on my worst day.”
“I said take it easy. That is not easy!” James laughs into the mic. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” “Sorry, you reminded me of Marko trying out his first kart in the pit lane.” “Seriously, you’re comparing my driving to my four-year-old nephew? Way to build my confidence.”
I lean against the wall, enjoying her amazement. Any discomfort I used to feel whenever I entered this room is absent. For the first time in what feels like forever, it doesn’t bother me to be surrounded by my past success. Instead, it fuels the beast inside of me that wants to return.
“Don’t let the opportunity slip away. You’ll end up regretting it, and that’s not your style.” “Since when did you get all enlightened and stuff?” “Since you came into my life.”
“Loving you feels like I found a life raft in the middle of a raging ocean.”
“Loving you is like being stranded in a desert without food or water. Like I’m half delusional, wondering if this whole damn thing is a mirage, because nothing should feel or look this good.”
“And most of all, loving you is realizing heaven isn’t a place, but a person.”
“I love you, Chloe. And it’s okay if you don’t know what it means to be loved by someone, let alone love someone else because I promise to love you enough for the two of us. To love you every day to make up for everyone else who failed miserably.”
Whoever made thong bikinis deserves a thank-you card signed by yours truly—a man who will be undoubtedly stuck with a permanent boner today.
“Then how about I keep you on yours and offer you the best news. Bandini is willing to extend a racing contract to you. It’s only for a year as a trial run because the investors are picky bastards, but if I have it my way, they’ll see how successful you are next season and offer you a permanent deal. You could be in a Bandini race suit as early as two weeks if the Corp says yes.” The phone slips out of my hand and drops onto the floor.
I wish that Chloe Carter falls in love with someone worthy of her eighties-loving heart. That she finds that soul-crushing, heart-mending, passion-fueled love. A love that leaves her desperate for more because nothing that amazing should ever be done in moderation. The same love I found with her.
Where most people see weeds, I only see you—my beautiful wildflower, untamed and free.
I called you a wildflower the moment you showed up at my house with a bouquet of them. That day, I asked myself what kind of person would go picking those crazy flowers in the first place. I thought they were just inconvenient weeds, but now I have my answer after all the time we spent together. You might not realize it, but you’re a wildflower. You grow in the most unexpected places, no matter who tramples on you or ignores your beauty. You can grow in a field, or through a crack in the sidewalk, but the result will always be the same. No one can stop you from flourishing in a world set on
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“You really want this?” “More than anything else.” “That can’t be true. There has to be something else you want.” “There is. But some things take time and even you aren’t ready for that.” What on Earth does that mean?!
“Because I ate the last couple of Oreos last night after you fell asleep.” “Seriously? You didn’t bother saving one?” I shrug. “Do crumbs count?” He shakes his head as if he can’t believe he was lucky enough to score someone as thoughtful as me. I know. I’m such a catch, even the Oreos couldn’t resist me.
A field of wildflowers stretches on forever. Flowers of every color dance in the wind, swaying together in perfect harmony. There’s not a single soul nearby except for the birds chirping in the distance. It’s absolutely stunning, and all I want to do is run through them. I resist the urge. “How did you find this place?” “I have my ways.” “It’s gorgeous.” “It’s how I see you.”
Santiago makes quick work of unbuttoning his shorts and tugging them down his legs.
He’s wearing shorts 😭
“Loving you is like the first day of spring after a harsh winter.”
“And most of all, loving you is realizing I don’t have to make a wish ever again because I already have everything I could ever want.”
Noah smacks my back. “The racing world isn’t the same without you. I’m so proud of you for giving this and me a chance because everything he said was true. There’s no one who should be racing more than you.” I pull away and look him in the eyes. “Thank you. For creating the wheel. For pushing me to realize the mistakes I was making. And thank you for never giving up on me, even when I gave up on myself.” “That’s what brothers are for.” He smiles.
“For a little while, at least until she gets on her feet and lands herself a job. Not to mention when she suggested staying at the same place you did, I told her I couldn’t allow that. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy… Well, maybe Noah, but only because it would be a humbling experience for our Royal Highness.”
“How do you feel about the car?” “Are you sure you want the answer to that? You might get jealous.” Her shoulders shake as she laughs to herself. “Me? Jealous of a car?” “I loved her before you,” I tease. She sticks her tongue out at me. “She might be your first love, but she won’t be your last.”
Every child, from little babies to teens with smug grins, wear variations of Iron Man clothing. Some wave their prosthetic arms in the air, holding up posters with my name. While everyone looks different, from their ethnicities to their ages, they all have one thing in common. They’re all like me.
You might be the hero in my story, but you’re the legend in theirs.
I look out at the crowd of kids who all have prosthetics because of the foundation I started. All it took was one video of a kid crying as he looked at his stump to show me that I had a different purpose besides racing. Parents struggle to afford the prosthetics to begin with, but add children’s growth spurts into the mix, and they have whopping medical bills. With Chloe’s help, I created my foundation in the hopes of setting an example. I’m not only racing for me anymore. I’m racing for them. For the people who need someone to look up to who can show them that they’re bigger than a
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“I won more than a Championship. I won a woman who makes me appreciate every day how lucky I am to have survived that crash in the first place. Because I couldn’t imagine never meeting the one person who completes me. I never believed in soulmates before you, but I’ll be damned if you didn’t make me a dreamer with your wishes and wildflowers and smile that could make any bad day instantly better.”
I’ll love Santiago Alatorre for as long as the wildflowers keep growing in beautiful chaos.
