Page 51 of Kiss & Collide
“So you and Sophie … it was love at first sight?”
He shrugged. “For me? Maybe? At least, I thought it was. For her, I guess not so much.”
Violet inhaled deeply, running her palms down her thighs. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I get the sense she wishes she’d waited it out with you a little longer.”
“Bullshit.”
“I saw the way she looked at you. There was a vibe.”
“Right. Because nowI’min Formula One.”
“Liam might have been a strategic move. But you’re a contender now.” Violet paused for a beat. “She could have the whole package. The access she needs and the guy she really wants.”
“No, she can’t,” he said firmly. It had never occurred to him that Sophie might regret what she’d done. But now that he considered it for a beat, he found it didn’t much matter. Whatever he’d felt for her back then was long gone. It felt like a faded memory from someone else’s life. So much for love at first sight.
“You wouldn’t want to … I don’t know … steal her back?”
He turned to look at Violet fully. Those dark-rimmed eyes were fixed on him, and that expression he knew so well was giving nothing away. His head told him she didn’t care. He could tell Violet that the two of them were done right now—tonight—and she’d shrug and move on without a backward glance.
But something else—his gut—told him maybe that wasn’t the case. That maybe there was something lurking in the depths of those dark blue eyes, some part of her that was hoping he wouldn’t choose Sophie.
Maybe he was just fooling himself. Maybe he was the one who didn’t want to let go. Maybe he was justhopingthat he mattered to her—at least a little. Because, as much as he hated to admit it, she was starting to matter to him.
He raised a hand and cupped her cheek. The delicacy of her features always surprised him, so unexpected for someone who grabbed the world in her teeth the way she did. “No,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to be chosen for status. And I don’t want her back.”
Violet didn’t move a muscle. No relieved smile, no flicker of happiness in her eyes. But she also hadn’t gotten up and left yet, and the Violet he’d known three months ago wouldnothave stayed. She wouldn’t be sitting next to him listening to all of this. She wouldn’t be … waiting.
Violet was too hardened to hope, or wish, or even want. Wanting anything—or anyone—was a weakness she wouldn’t allow. He knew her well enough by now to know that much. But she’d left the door open for him, which was not nothing.
He set his other hand on her knee. Her eyelashes fluttered, just a whisper of a reaction. “I’m sorry about tonight. I let them get in my head when I was with you, and that was wrong.”
“You don’t owe me an apology.”
“Yes, I do. Will you stay?”
She opened her mouth to reply, then hesitated.
“Stay and let me make it up to you.”
He slid his hand to the back of her neck, holding her still so he could lean in and kiss a spot just below her ear.
He could feel it in the air when she made up her mind, a shift in the energy around her, an infinitesimal softening of her body.
She was staying.
21Circuit Zandvoort, Netherlands
Violet leaned against the backside of the Pinnacle garage, scrolling Instagram, while beside her, Imogen was on her phone, patiently explaining to Reece, back at his hotel, how to work the faucet in his shower.
She checked in on Chase’s account to see what kind of traction he was getting on the last thirst trap selfie Maisie had posted of him, shirtless in the gym. She’d had to badger him for days to get him to take the damned picture. The post had twenty thousand likes, which was huge engagement for Chase’s account. One of the first comments was from Madison Mitchell:*melting*, and her reply was racking up engagement.
Madison had just posted a candid shot of herself from the Paris photo shoot, teasing her pink dress, and captioned itExciting stuff coming soon!
She was about to log in to Chase’s account so she could reply for him, something cute and flirty, when she caught sight of his handle in the comments.
How are you so gorgeous?
Maisie was currently helming an Instagram live event from the Pinnacle account, so that wasn’t her. Chase must have done it himself, which was a surprise, since he hated social media.
