Page 57 of Cross the Line
I don’t look away from her as Steven moves on to Reid, and I only faintly register the question he asks about how Reid thinks D’Ambrosi will fare this weekend. Willow’s staring right back at me, a question in her eyes, making it impossible to focus on anything else. I answer the look she’s giving me with a wink. I barely notice the flashes in the crowd of photos being snapped, and I’m sure there will be a video clip of me online in no time.
But that’s fine. Let them wonder who I’m trying to charm. All that matters is that she knows.
And that she understands that I’m not holding back any more.
——
‘Reid. Wait up.’
He turns and steps aside in the hallway, waiting for me to catch up. We have fan signings to get to, but he waves off his own comms director so we can have a little privacy.
‘I’m amazed Steven asked either of us a single question,’ he says once I’m leaning against the wall next to him. ‘They should have just called Zaid and Axel up today instead of making the rest of us sit through that rivalry bullshit.’
‘Agreed,’ I say, though I quickly lean in closer and drop my voice. Their rivalry isn’t what I want to talk about. ‘Hey, I wanted to ask . . . Did you go to Buck’s dinner the other night?’
Reid shakes his head, leaving me simultaneously relieved and disappointed. ‘Nah, I had something else come up. Didn’t go to the party either.’
I blow out a breath. ‘Okay. Got it.’
‘Dev.’ He puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes once. ‘I have no interest in going to Argonaut, no matter what Buck offers. I’m happy where I am, and’ – he shifts his gaze to the hallway behind me and then over his shoulder – ‘between you and me, I’m about to sign a new deal with D’Ambrosi. I’m staying for three more years.’
‘No shit,’ I breathe out in shock. ‘That’s amazing, man. Congrats.’
He squeezes my shoulder again, levelling me with a hard stare. ‘You tell a soul, and I’ll make what Jani did look like child’s play.’
‘Your secret’s safe with me.’
We part ways a minute later, my head swimming. At least I don’t have to worry about Reid taking my race seat. Buck will have to go back to the drawing board if he wants to find another American driver to partner Nathaniel, which will buy me a little time. It doesn’t alleviate my fears, but it’ll do for now.
I can take a breath, shallow as it might be.
And I take a deeper one when a soft hand lands on my arm.
‘You ready to head out?’ Willow asks, looking at me with a smile. ‘You were great up there.’
I relax under her touch. This hint of contact is enough to soothe my frenzied thoughts for the time being. ‘Were my answers up to your standards?’
‘They’ll do,’ she teases, but she quickly sobers, her expression softening. ‘I’m really proud of you. This situation has sucked, but you’re facing it now, and you’re going to come out stronger because of it.’
‘AndI’ll be less of an asshole to the people who work for me,’ I joke. ‘Trust me. I never want this to happen again.’
‘You’re not an asshole,’ she says, perfectly serious, making something in my chest twist. ‘You’re human. We have our good days and bad. We put up with as much as we can until we can’t take any more, and sometimes we react in less than perfect ways.’ She slides her hand down to mine and grasps my fingers. ‘But you’re learning to do better and you’re moving forward. That’s why I’m proud of you.’
Would she still be proud of me if I dipped my head and kissed her, right here, right now?
Because that’s all I want to do.
I want to taste the words on her lips. I know they’d be sweeter than honey, because everything about her is. That sweetness is sliding over me now, working its way into my veins, reinforcing the truth of what she’s said. Making me want to live up to who she thinks I am.
‘Thank you,’ I force myself to say. There’s so much more I want to tell her. But this isn’t the time or the place for a confession, even if shitty places – like back hallways in sketchy nightclubs and hotel stairwells – are where all our big moments have happened thus far. ‘You coming to the signing?’
I change the subject because if she says another kind word to me, I might lose the last bit of control I’m hanging on to.
She nods. ‘I’ll be out in the crowd taking some videos. Once we’re through with the gratitude tour for the team, I want to focus on the fans. I might try to do some mini interviews with a few of them today.’ She shrugs, but she’s undoubtedly in her element. ‘Who knows. We could end up with something great.’
Just knowing she’ll be there, watching and helping, is enough to make the rest of the tension leave my shoulders. With her faith in me, I can face anything.
‘Whatever you want to do,’ I say, ‘I support it.’
