Page 44 of Crash Course Omega
It’s my fault. I put myself directly in the line of it. I have to take responsibility.
And the first thing will be to talk to Jacob and apologize for messing up his sister’s race.
Maddock
Everest stands at the entrance to our pit, staring with wide eyes at the tarmac like he’s suffering from shell shock. He hasn’t moved from the spot since Harmony took off.
I’d come down to ask him what had happened and how he’d fucked up so badly. But he doesn’t look like he can take a joke right now.
“What are you doing?” I ask, coming up behind him.
The rest of the pit team looks dejected, and Everest droops over.
He looks up at me with blank eyes, and I almost flinch. Strawberries and cream hang thickly around him, but I can’t exactly lean in and sniff him when he looks like he wants to cry.
“Eight seconds,” he croaks.
“Yeah, I know,” I say. “But everyone has a shit day. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
And more that Harmony still hasn’t fixed her habit of perfuming when she drives.
She should have warned the team before that happened.
Back when she raced professionally, her pit crew was made up of betas for exactly that reason. Even when she used to cover herself in enough scent-blocking spray that her skin shone, it didn't matter. Cars have always made her horny as hell, and Jaxx hasn’t fucking helped.
“She’s not…” Everest trails off. “It’s not her fault.”
He looks so dejected that I don’t know if anything I say will work.
“She's like that with everyone. Trust me, most alphas get affected by her.” Though, out of all the alphas I know, I thought Everest would be safe.
But he still sighs heavily.
“Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. I know what you’re like.” At the beginning of the season, they did a four second pit stop when a front jack wobbled, and Everest was on edge for weeks.
“Just focus on the fact that it means you can get better in the future. On the bright side, you’re probably never going to do that badly again.”
As soon as I say the words, I realize I absolutely said the wrong thing, especially from the way his eyes widen.
“Everest, Jaxx is cooling down next lap, then he’ll return,” Jacob says over the radio. “Harmony has two laps left.”
“Has she reached 1.45?” he asks.
“Negative.”
Everest nods with a hard look before glancing at me. He’s probably blaming himself even though lifting the car has absolutely nothing to do with her final lap time.
“Yeah, okay,” I say. “I get it when I’m not wanted.”
I clap him on the shoulder again. This time, he gives me a nod before I leave.
I’m not exactly the king of motivational speeches, but I hope it helped. Somehow.
I really want to know what kind of favor Harmony had in mind for Jaxx, especially from the way they had been flirting with each other non-stop since they met this morning.
Which is why I made a beeline for the comms box to where Jacob and the rest of the strategy team set themselves up.
No one makes a comment as I hover behind them, focused on the screen.
