Page 129 of Red Flag
“If she has such a hold on you, maybe she should work elsewhere,”Crisargued, face reddening. “You won’t ever give up the sport, Nix. Don’t give empty threats, they’re beneath you.”
Don stood between the two men, shaking his head. “Tensions are high. Let’s all calm it down. Nix, we’ll arrange a flight for you, but we simply can’t have—”
“I’m taking him to the airport,” I lied. “And I’m taking him now. While you’re all here talking…” We don’t have much time left.
I didn’t have to say it aloud.Crisnodded and we were then in the car, racing to the airport. Nix didn’t have to run back to hisAirbnb, seeing as he always had his passport on him, and I had started to keep mine with his.
At the desk, he went to buy a ticket, but I stopped him.
“Two.”
He glanced, then looked back at me. “What?”
“I’m coming with you,” I told him. “You said you needed me there.”
He smiled at the ticket agent, asked him to give us a minute and pulled me to the side.
“Livie—”
“No, if you want me there, I’m there.”
“Your job,” he said.
“You were quite compelling as to why they shouldn’t get rid of me.”
“AndCrisfought back,” he sighed. “And he’s not— he’s not wrong, is he? Once this breaks, you’ll be needed to cover the releases and everything is going to change for a while. I shouldn’t distract you from your job. Because that’s what willhappen. This isn’t… I’m not going to handle this well.”
“Then I want to be there for you,” I pressed.
But he was shaking his head. “Livie, go back to the track. I’m not letting you risk your job. Not for me.”
But wasn’t that what we had been doing for so long?
Every touch, every thrust, every damn text I’d sent him over the last few months had been a risk. We’d even moved in together, for god’s sake.
And he’d been so desperate for me to come with him.
“Are you… are you sure?” I asked, my hand falling from its grip on his arm.
He nodded and his hand held mine for a split second. Out here, in the airport, even with his cap on, we could still get caught easily.
“I’ll text you as soon as I land.”
Before I knew it, he was passing security, and I was back in the car on my way to the track.
He didn’t text.
Not for a whole day.
When I heard the news, I messaged saying that I was sorry and tried to hold back that I loved him. I wanted to comfort him with my feelings and make him feel safe, but it really wasn’t the time to come out with that declaration.
Then he texted me every day. A picture ofZig, how he missed me.
But we didn’t discuss Alv. Nor Cally.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t there.
When she called me, I’d been packing from the race the week after, ready to fly to Finland. Seeing her name on my screen churned my stomach, but I sat on the edge of my bed and, with a brave index finger, pressed accept.
