Page 38 of Fast

She looks at the main table, where her mom is deep in conversation with the president of Star Cove’s chamber of commerce. “Ok.”

Lev’s gaze stays on me as I help Zara out of her chair.

You snooze, you lose, my friend.

I guide Zara outside, through the full-length patio door that leads out to a classy patio, and a perfectly manicured garden.

We walk in silence, breathing in the scent of the late blooming jasmine, and listening to the sound of the rolling waves on the beach at the end of the garden.

“Zara, I owe you an apology.” I say once we’re far enough from the dining room that we wouldn’t be seen by someone casually looking out of the windows.

When she looks at me, her pretty face raised toward mine, I almost lose my train of thought. If anything, she’s become more beautiful in the last two years.

“What for?” she asks, her tone kind.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot; of what I would say if I got to see her again.

“We had promised you a ride home. After Atlas got hit, it was chaos, and when we finally remembered that you must have been waiting for us, you were nowhere to be seen. I’m so sorry we let you down.”

Her eyes widen, surprised by my apology. “Are you joking? You absolutely don’t owe me any apology, Chance. If anything, I owe you, Lev, and Ares one. I was in the restroom when it happened. When I realized what was going on, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to help, to make things better. But it was clear that there was nothing any one could do. I waited a little to make sure that you guys didn’t need anything. I saw Heather being taken away by an ambulance and your dad—” her voice breaks.

My fingers find hers out of pure instinct. “You’re right. No one could help us that day. Unless they could bring my brother back.” Emotion constricts my throat, as I fight the tears I can feel welling in my eyes. “But that night, after the initial shock wore off, I went looking for you. I was so worried about you, since we should have been your ride home.”

She squeezes my hands. “When I realized that you guys were gone, I took a cab to the bus stop. I got home late that night, eventually.”

Zara doesn’t look angry, but the way she explains how she got home tells me there must be more to the story than what she’s putting into words.

“Did you get home safely? Did anyone bother you?”

“No.” She sighs. “No one bothered me. It was a long journey. I had missed the last direct bus. When I got home, my mom was furious.”

Guilt surfaces all over again. “I’m so sorry, Zara.”

She shakes her head, but doesn’t let go of my hands. “Seriously, Chance. It’s not your fault. I got home late, so Mom had figured out that I wasn’t really at my friend’s house. But that wasn’t what she was more upset about. One of her friends’ husbands saw the Blue Lightning video on YouTube. Remember that race we were in at that after party?”

How could I ever forget? “Yeah.”

“My mom saw that,” she sighs. “She was so mad. She asked me where I was the whole time. She had seen me once talking to Cal outside school and she started pressing me about it. So I told her I had followed him to Bridgeport to watch him race, and she freaked out.”

Fuck.

“My dad freaked out too, after what happened to Atlas. He got into protective mode and when he saw that video…” I don’t need to elaborate about Dad’s reaction. I’m sure her mom was just as angry.

Zara sighs. “Yeah, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised they fell for each other. My mom has had a huge chip on her shoulder about motorcycles and racing since the divorce. She blames Dad’s cheating on thelifestyle, or whatever it is. She had warned me countless times to stay away from the racetracks. When sherealized that I had been dating a racer behind her back, and after seeing me on the back of your bike in that video, she decided she was done.”

“Done?” I frown.

“She said I was out of control. That I was hellbent on defying her and that I was chasing after guys who raced—older guys—to get my dad’s attention. That’s why she shipped me off to boarding school. Dad wasn’t able to talk her out of it, and so I was gone within a week. We have barely talked the entire time I was in Connecticut. Now I know I had a big part in that shit show, so I want to try to repair our relationship. I thought it would be easier because I would live on campus, an hour away. So I would be close, but not too close. The whole engagement and moving in with your dad was a surprise. I don’t know how much this sort of forced proximity is going to help us mend things between us.”

I hang my head. “I really feel responsible. For leaving you stranded in Bridgeport, and for letting you race with me at the party.”

Zara’s voice is soft. “None of it is your fault, Chance. You and your brothers helped me out of a stupid situation. I have no one to blame but myself for getting involved with Cal. I knew he was no good, but I kept seeing him. And I wanted to race with you. It was fun. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

I still feel guilty. “Are you sure you aren’t mad at me?”

“No,” she squeezes my hand. “I actually wanted to message you back then, after I got home. But my mom took my phone and all my devices. I didn’t get them back until I had been at boarding school for over a month. As soon as I did, I tried to find you, but I couldn’t. You, Lev, Ares. None of you were on social media. Not even Heather. I just wanted to check on you and to let you know how sorry I was about Atlas.”

Hearing my brother’s name always causes me pain. “Thank you.” I bite out around the lump in my throat.

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