Page 71 of Fast

Maybe it’s worse than I thought. Maybe Zara likes Ares, and there’s nothing either of us can do to change that. I almost tell him my theory out loud, but it doesn’t make sense.

If that was the case, why would Ares look so pissed off?

“It’s a fucking shit show.” Chance finally says.

He spills the beans, and it’s worse than I thought. I was correct that Ares wants Zara, too. But that’s the least of our problems.

“Did Scott really say that he expects the two of you to treat her like a sister?”

He nods. “Kelly too. You’ve seen them this morning. They want to pretend we’re one big, huge family. As if we’d grown up together. As if Atlas didn’t leave a gaping hole in all of our lives. They don’t give a fuck about what we want and how we feel. They expect us to march to their tune, and they’re prepared to cut us off if we don’t do as we’re told.”

That’s crazy.

“Come on. I don’t believe Scott would really cut you off.”

Chance shakes his head, his tone more bitter with every word he says. “I thought so too, but you should have heard him,Lev. I’ve had time to think about it all night. I didn’t sleep a fucking wink. Dad by himself would probably try to threaten us with consequences if we didn’t fall in line. But Kelly? She’s the fucking enforcer. She shipped Zara off to boarding school for disobeying her two years ago. And that ridiculous motorcycle ban Dad persuaded the council to vote on? It was her idea.”

That isn’t news to me. Both parents helped Scott draft the proposal for the new bill banning motorcycles within city limits. Kelly was the one who inspired our newly elected mayor to ban all kinds of motorcycles, and the ban includes quad bikes too.

“So, what are you going to do?” I ask.

He tells me his plan to wait until the dust settles and get to know Zara better in the meantime. “I like her more than I’ve ever liked anyone,” he admits. “But if I’m gonna hurt my dad and my brother, I need to be one hundred percent sure that she’s the one. Our parents will have to come around, eventually.”

I’m surprised that Chance is willing to be this patient. His temper usually runs hot, so if he’s keeping it in check, he must care about Zara more than I thought.

“Does Zara know about all this?”

Chance sighs. “I couldn’t let her believe that I didn’t want her anymore. She also needs to know what Kelly expects from her. Staying away from her isn’t going to be easy, but we have no choice.”

I clap him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, dude. For what it’s worth, I think your parents’ idea of you being siblings is totally ridiculous.”

His reaction surprises me. “You don’t need to pretend that this isn’t good news for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I frown.

He barks out a bitter laugh, climbing out of his truck and slamming the door as if it had personally offended him.

“Chance.” I run after him, grabbing his shoulder to make him slow his roll. “What the fuck did you mean?”

“With me and Ares out of the game, you’re free to pursue her without any interference. We’ve always been like brothers, but my old man can’t tell you what to do.”

Fuck.

I don’t even know what to say. Technically, he’s right, but it’s not that simple.

“Do you really think that I can be happy if you and Ares are hurting?” I grind out, tightening my grip on his forearm. People are walking around us to get into the buildings, throwing curious looks in our direction, but I don’t give a fuck.

“Does that mean that you aren’t going to ask Zara out?” his jaw ticks with barely repressed anger.

“No.” I admit.

“Then I rest my fucking case. Don’t pretend that our parents’ fucked up plans don’t pave the way for you to swoop in and ask Zara to be your girlfriend.”

I run a hand over my face.

This is why I don’t do relationships. This shit’s fucking complicated.

“If you’re asking me to wait until you figure out how to see Zara without hurting your family, the answer is no,” I say honestly. “I want to get to know her better and ask her to be my girlfriend, eventually. But I also know that she likes you, too. And by the looks of it, she isn’t indifferent to Ares either. I don’t want Zara to choose me because I’m the only one who isn’t off-limits to her. But I’m also not going to wait for weeks, maybe months, and let someone else get her attention.”

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