Page 26 of Formula Freedom
Her American accent is adorable. I’ve spent time traveling the States with my job and I’d peg her as from the southeast. “It was nice of you to take me under your wing.”
“I don’t have anything else on my agenda today so I’m looking forward to some girl talk. I mean… I’ve really come to love racing, but I can only hear so much about tire compounds and DRS zones.”
I laugh without reservation, deciding that I instantly like this woman.
We chitchat about our careers as we dive into breakfast. I’m fascinated by Posey’s occupation as a romance writer. I read all about her undercover operation to sneak into Crown Velocity FI pretending to be a sports reporter so she could get an inside view of their operation. It wasn’t to write an article but rather so she could write authentically about the sport in a romance novel. Talk about having lady balls.
“Are you pretty much traveling with Lex full time?” I ask.
“Being a writer, I can do that anywhere, so yeah… where goes Lex, so too do I,” she chirps.
“Sounds like a wild ride,” I say, genuinely intrigued.
“It is—no pun intended—but I love it. Well, I guess I love Lex, so I love anything involving him. What’s your story?” she prompts.
I toy with my coffee cup, nerves flickering. But then I exhale slowly. “It’s a little messier.”
“I don’t scare easy,” she says warmly.
And I tell her.
About growing up next door to the Hemsworth boys. About Lance—the charming, golden boy everyone loved—and how that charm soured into control. About the jealousy. The manipulation. The slap. Reid coming to my rescue and the way he’s facilitated my path out of this mess.
Posey’s face hardens as she listens, her eyes flashing with protective anger on my behalf.
“I’m so sorry,” she says fiercely. “You didn’t deserve any of that.”
“I know,” I whisper. “It just took me a little too long to figure out how to extricate myself from it.”
She’s quiet for a beat, then leans in. “Your tone is guarded when you talk about Lance. But you sound different when you mention Reid.”
I blink, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”
Posey smiles knowingly. “I mean it sounds like your heart’s been tangled up with someone else for a lot longer.”
The heat rushes to my cheeks but I don’t think to lie about it. My truth is nothing to be ashamed of. “I… there’s history,” I admit. “Reid and I—we kissed once when we were fifteen. Then we slept together one summer after uni. But he pulled away after. Said he needed to focus on his career. We never really talked about it again.”
Posey arches an eyebrow. “And now?”
“And now I don’t know,” I say honestly. “I’m messed up. I’m trying to figure out how to stand on my own two feet again. The last thing I should be doing is thinking about falling for someone.”
“But sometimes,” she says, “the right person is the one who helps youfindyour feet, not kick them out from under you.”
I stare at her, stunned by how easily she’s put words to something I haven’t dared acknowledge out loud. “Sounds like something a romance author would say.”
“Just because I write romance fiction doesn’t mean it can’t be real. Besides, I think this is more than just romance. It’s about history and connection.”
Before I can answer, a familiar voice cuts through the air. “The two prettiest girls in all of FI racing.”
Reid.
He strides toward our table, his smile bright and genuine, but there’s a slight tension behind his eyes. He’s already in race mode.
“You surviving her?” he teases Posey, nodding at me.
Posey laughs. “Barely. She’s a firecracker when she warms up.”
I roll my eyes. “Not the one who pretended to be a reporter to sneak into Crown Velocity,” I quip, knowing instinctually that Posey will laugh at my dig. Because I’ve learned enough about her over the last hour to know that we’ll be fast friends.
