Page 114 of Tipping Point

“I do.” He nods. “I understand. I wouldn’t have given me a second chance, either.”

He gives me a nod and starts to turn away.

“What?”

He pauses, looks at me with regret. His face is back to what it was before. A mask.

He’s hurting.

“What do you mean?”

He blanches, frowns. “I was hoping to…”

He takes a deep breath.

“Fuck.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I thought it was obvious that I was asking you for a second chance.”

Heat flushes my neck.

“How would that be obvious?”

Before he can answer, I interrupt him. I want to cry again, but this time from anger.

“You accepted the contract with Delta Victor.”

He eyes me guardedly.

“Yes.”

“You did that before I even came for the interview.”

“Yes,” he says, as if stating the obvious.

“You can’t be a race car driver and have a life.”

He flinches, as if slapped.

“So,” I barrel on, “you never intended a second chance for us.”

He swallows again. His eyes are black again, and I can see he’s struggling, searching for words.

“I was actually thinking that, this time, it can be your choice.”

20

Chapter 20

FINN

Even though it’s winter break we’re expected to keep up with our training regimen. I drop my gym bag on the floor and make my way to the terrace, where the wall of glass has been thrown open. She’s sitting on the terrace, her bare feet up on the table next to an empty cup of coffee. I can’t help but think back to that day at the hotel. I hadn’t slept the night before. I had willed her to come to me, like she always did, and somewhere in the small hours of the morning I realised she wouldn’t. That she never would again. She had broken free of that spell, the one that drew her to me despite her best intentions.

I was proud of her.

I had to go to her.

Pacing furiously up and down the room, I had rehearsed what I’d say to her.

And when I finally made my way down to her room, after having to phone Dixon, no thanks to the hotel staff, everything I had so carefully rehearsed flew right out the fucking window.

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