Page 81 of Revved up & Ready

“Did you see that?” she yells.

“Hell yeah, Winslow! You won!” I yell, rushing to her.

Seeing her race lights me up inside. The fact that she’s willing to overcome her fears in order to let me share something I care so deeply about is overwhelming in an incredible way.

For what feels like the thousandth time, I’m blown away that her ex didn’t see how amazing she is. He’s still in my DMs talking shit and saying she wasted his time, but he’s the one who wasted his opportunity with her. He had her forso long.How could anyone know her, be loved by her, and not be completely taken to their knees in awe?

“Does it still count even though some of you guys got stuck back there?” she asks when I reach her.Got stuck. She doesn’t even call it a crash.

“Yes. Yes, it counts. You won. You’re a badass little go-kart racer,” I say, scooping her up in my arms.

She wraps her legs around my waist and rests her forehead on mine, whispering, “That wassofun. I want to do it again right now.”

Shifting so I’m supporting her with one arm, I use the other to hold her chin and tilt her face toward mine. “You were amazing out there,” I say, drawing her close and bringing her lips to mine. It’s the first time we’ve kissed since the day she let me taste her, but even if no one else was around to witness—to corroborate our relationship—I would still be kissing her right now.Nothing has ever felt better than celebrating her after she won her first race.

Resting my forehead on hers again, I whisper, “Youare amazing.”

Chapter 18

Sadie

Get two tattoos –from Sadie’s list of things she’s never done

“Nervous?” Cam asks, grabbing my hand.

“No,” I answer, squeezing his as we dash across the PCH toward a white stucco tattoo shop with black window frames and a sign that readsShadow’s Ink.

When we reach the sidewalk, he uses our connected hands to pull me in front of him, tilting his head and lowering his brows.

“Okay, alittlenervous,” I admit. “But I’m not scared. I’m okay with a little pain. It’s just new. Kinda intimidating,” I whisper, nodding toward the shop.

“You’re getting better at doing things that make you nervous,” he says, kissing my forehead and pinching my ass cheek at the same time. “You’ll be great.”

Today is the first day we’ve been together since he got back from his latest race. It was a charity invitational, so even though he won, it didn’t count toward the championship. All the prize money went to a children’s hospital,and I managed to watch the whole thing on TV without freaking out.

Neither of us has mentioned our arrangement or our actual relationship. Physically, we’ve kissed a handful of times, and we hooked up once. But it’s deeper than that. He’s one of my best friends. He’s the first person I want to talk to when something new happens—good or bad. I want him there when I cross things off my list. I miss him terribly when he’s away at races. I’d be delusional at this point to think what’s happening between us is still pretend.

So, obviously, the healthiest thing to do is get tattoos together.I snort out a laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

“What’s up, Winslow?” he asks, pushing open the door to the tattoo shop.

“Just excited, that’s all,” I answer, though we both know it’s a lie.

If any of my friends asked me if they should get matching tattoos with the person they’re dating after a few months, I’d sayno. And yet, here I am, about to get matching tattoos with a man who I’m nottechnicallyeven dating, who I cannot allow myself to love, and who I can’t get off my mind.

When Cam opens the door, there’s no one at the front desk, but he doesn’t seem concerned.

“Is it weird that I brought cookies?” I whisper.

“Not at all,” he answers in his normal volume. “They’re human. They’ll love them.”

“What are we supposed to love?” a woman calls from the back room. She’s short, with medium brown skin, dark hair twisted into a wild bun, and ear gauges. She must be Inez, the woman who did his Betty tattoo and is about to do mine.

“Sadie made you cookies,” Cam says, nodding to the container in my hands.

“I already knew I’d like you, since you’re attached to this giant sweetheart,” she says, taking the container from me. “But with cookies? Now I think I might like you even more than him.”

“You want me to go first?” Cam offers, sliding my hand back into his. “So you can see what it’s like?”

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