Rush: Part One & Two (The Pitstop Series Book 3)

It’s been three weeks since Adrian and I were in Maranello for testing. Being away from Valentina is still not easy, but I’ve been to see her a couple of times. Apart from that, I had to be away for an entire week for the race in Montreal and then another for the one in Texas.

I won the Canadian Grand Prix with Adrian in second, fucking Eduardo in third, and Kyle in fourth. It was a great race with important points for the whole team, and it also expanded my championship lead again. Adrian won his first race of the season in the U.S., with me in second place, Jonathan in third, and James in fourth.

I shouldn’t get my hopes up because the season isn’t even halfway done, but I can’t stop myself from imagining how it’d feel to finally hold that trophy, carry the title any F1 driver dreams of having. I push the thought aside, not ready to let myself linger on that scenario yet.

Valentina has been kicking His Royal Grossness’ ass in every category except strength. For some inexplicable reason, Christian is a lot stronger than her physically, but one category, especially that one, won’t stand in Val’s way of getting the Formula Three seat. It can’t.

She’s excelled at everything they have given her, the practical and the theoretical, analysis and racing itself. If they give him the seat instead of her, there will be no other explanation except that Christian is a royal and a man.

“Are you okay? You’re in your head a lot today,” Adrian says as he stares at me from across the room.

We’ve just finished filming a video for our team to upload for the fans. I look outside the window at the Texas track, counting down the minutes until I can get on a plane and back to my sunflower.

“Would you hate me if I won the championship this year instead of you?” I ask, the question surprising both of us.

Adrian shifts in his seat, the awkward silence creating a veil of tension that makes us both uncomfortable.

“No, I wouldn’t hate you. We’re teammates, and we’ve been friends for years. This sport is brutal, and if you are the one to win this year, then I’ll be happy for you.” He truly is the best guy I’ve ever met. “I’ll snatch the title from you sooner or later if that happens,” Adrian adds, and I let out a small laugh. “You’re family, Gabriel, whether you want to be or not. I could never hate you unless you hurt my sister. That’s where I draw the line,” he warns, and I nod.

“I’d never hurt her, not if I can do something about it.” Adrian leans back in his chair, caressing his temples. My answer bothers him.

“What if you don’t have a choice? What if something happens, and you have the power to spare her more pain if you did something that hurts you more than it will her? Are you capable of putting Val first, always?”

I want to answer him, tell him I’d give my heart and soul to her, for her, but Adrian lifts his hands to stop me.

“You can’t answer because you haven’t had to make that decision. I hope you never will,” he says, shutting me up for good.

I go back to staring outside when Eduardo and James step into the room. I can’t catch a fucking break.

“What’s up, lads? Why the serious expressions?” James asks, and I have the urge to punch him in his fucking face for being who he is.

Adrian would never doubt the Brit because James has been proving himself to my teammate for their entire lives. He probably thinks his best friend would be perfect for his sister. Great, now I’m fucking nauseous.

“Oh, so you’re talking to me again? Why, thank you, Your Majesty, for blessing us with your presence,” Adrian says, annoyance in his voice.

I sit upright, surprised at this shift in the atmosphere. My senses switch to high alert as I watch the situation in front of me unravel.

“I think you’ve lost your bloody mind, mate,” James replies, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“I have lost my mind? You’re the one who’s been a dick to me for the past month, and now you come in here like everything’s alright? What the hell?”

Eduardo steps away when Adrian gets in James’ face, but both of us are ready to separate them if they need to be.

“Figuring shit out counts as being a dick now?” Adrian rolls his eyes.

“When your best friend ignores and avoids you for four weeks without an explanation, yes, it counts.”

His words come from a place of hurt, even if he’s letting anger work as the spokesperson at the moment. Yelling won’t do anything but frustrate both of them.

I’m about to tell him to calm down when James throws something into the room that knocks the breath from my chest.

“Maybe your best friend is struggling with the fact that he’s going to be a fucking father!” He sinks down on one of the chairs while my hand lifts to my mouth, subtly covering it to keep it shut.

“You what?” Adrian asks, his tone soft now.

James drops his head, and I signal for Eduardo and me to give them some privacy. He gives me a slight nod, and the last thing I see is my teammate’s arms wrapping around his best friend. 3

“Could you imagine having a kid right now?” the Spaniard asks when we’re out of the room, and I give him a look that I hope says ‘why-the-fuck-are-you-talking-to-me?’.

We make our way downstairs toward the exit.

“What? I just mean I’m glad Valentina and I always used protection. I couldn’t imagine having a child right now.” I stop dead in my tracks, anger making my shoulders vibrate. “What? Does it bother you she and I fucked?” he says, a smug smile on his face.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

It takes everything in me not to punch him in his crooked white teeth. He’s taken it too far now, but he knows it. This was his intention when he started speaking to me. Eduardo wanted to piss me off, and he has succeeded.

“Maybe if you’d done a better job, it would, but Val doesn’t even remember you exist. That’s how much of an impression you left.” I walk past him, my shoulder hitting his.

There was a time in my life when I would have beaten him up, make him pay for his comments, but that’s not who I am anymore. I don’t start fights.

“Sure, if that’s what you need to tell yourself,” Eduardo calls after me, but I’m done with this conversation.

He’s a coward for saying all of this to my face without Val present. He knows she’d mess him up for everything that just came out of his mouth.

I’d hold her fucking purse and cheer as she did it too.