Page 31 of Drive To Survive

Tate’s brows shot up. “That was fucking months ago. Fuck me. No wonder you’re such a broody bastard. You should definitely fuck her before your dick falls off.”

“Helpful,” I drawled.

“Stop being such a pussy. She likes you, you like her. You kissed her. She told you to back off, not because she didn’t like you kissing her but because you butted into her business when you had no right to. Let her cool off for a bit and then make a move. And please, have sex soon. I’m worried for your health.”

I laughed, shaking my head at him, and downed three inches of my beer. “She’s still married.”

“To a dick who abandoned her and her kid,” Tate scoffed. “A worthless piece of paper. That’s all.”

I ran my tongue along the inside of my cheek. He had a point.

“How’s the kid doing?” Tate asked, changing the subject.

“He’s got real talent.” I broke into a grin. “And I mean real talent. A natural ability that’s fucking rare. If he wants it bad enough, he can go all the way.”

“Hmm. I might have to carve out some time in my schedule to come see him drive before I head back home. And check out the mother at the same time.” He winked.

“I’m sure Madison would love to hear about those kinds of antics.”

He scowled. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” I said. “But it doesn’t hurt to put you in your place every once in a while.”

NICO

I arrived at the track the following day with a lightness to my step that’d been sorely missing for as long as I could remember. The reason for my bright mood was obvious to me, even if Adele’s noticeable shock when I breezed in with a tray full of donuts, two venti cappuccinos, and a wide smile told me it wasn’t obvious to her. At four this afternoon, Rhett would arrive for his scheduled session, which meant so would Everly. After my talk with Tate yesterday, I’d spent the night mulling it over, and I’d decided to follow his advice and ask her on a date. Dinner, drinks, maybe a movie. Nothing too heavy.

“Jesus, he smiles, and before one o’clock, too,” Adele said.

I set down her coffee, then opened the box of donuts and picked up the chocolate-covered one filled with custard. I took a huge bite.

“First time for everything.” I sauntered down the hallway to my office, still wearing the same broad grin.

Today was gonna be a good day.

By five o’clock, I’d changed my mind. Rhett and Everly hadn’t shown up, and all my calls had gone straight to voicemail. Shit, what if they’d had an accident on the drive over? I opened Google and searched for any traffic accidents between Wilmington and here. Nothing reported, which meant any prangs weren’t serious.

If they hadn’t been caught up in an accident, I could only think of one other reason why they’d not turned up for today’s session: Everly had gone through with her threat to pull Rhett from the program. But why? Why would she do that over something as trivial as me shoving my nose in where it didn’t belong and then kissing her when she called me out on it? She adored the bones of Rhett, a fool could see that, so why would she punish him over something I’d done that she was struggling to reconcile?

I grabbed my jacket and headed out to my car. Rush-hour traffic meant the freeways were bumper to bumper, and it took me ninety long minutes to arrive at Everly’s home, with me cursing the whole way. I locked the car and prayed some jealous little twat didn’t key the paintwork while my back was turned. An Aston Martin DBS wasn’t exactly a common form of transport in these parts and I fucking loved it enough to be majorly pissed if some little shit keyed the paintwork.

I rapped on the door and waited. Nothing. Knocked again. Silence. I was about to knock for a third time when the chain rattled and a lock slid back in its housing. The door opened a crack. I sucked in a sharp breath. On the other side was Everly, wrapped in a blanket, a sheen of sweat on her forehead and her eyes dull and lifeless.

“Jesus, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m sick,” she replied, her voice hoarse and rasping, and not in a good way. “Go away, Nico. I don’t want you to catch it, too.”

“Sick with what? The flu?”

She nodded. “I think so.”

“Where’s Rhett?”

“My neighbor is looking after him for today. I’ll be fine tomorrow. I just need some rest.”

“You won’t be fine.” I’d only had the flu once, in my early twenties, and it had knocked me on my arse for a week, despite being fit and healthy at the time. “Let me in, Everly.”

Her shoulders sagged, and evidently too exhausted to fight me, she turned around, leaving the door ajar.

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