Page 42 of Sparks Fly
I watch her with intent and when she turns around, I give her a tight smile and focus on the sleeping city beneath me.
She stands next to me, and I can feel the way her eyes are tracing my side profile. My lips twitch because I know she is looking at me. I cover them almost instantly as I take another mouthful of the amber liquid in my glass.
She mirrors me; I can see her out the side of my eye and she focuses on something out of the window.
Moments pass before she is turning on her heel and reaching for her phone. She places her glass on the bar, moving herself back in front of the window and snapping a photo of the view.
“Pretty, huh?” I ask as I continue looking. You can see the marina in the distance, the reflection of the moon bouncing off the water, with the stars bright in the violet sky.
“Very,” she agrees, snapping another photo then dropping her arms as she posts it to her social media, or so I assume.
Her fingers dance across the screen quickly, a small smile on her lips. Placing her phone on the bar, she replaces it with her whiskey.
We stand for a moment more in silence, watching the way the stars sparkle against their backdrop. Once she has drained her glass, she wishes me good night and tucks herself into her bedroom.
Sighing, I finish my own drink and leave it on the bar. Locking the doors, I grab a glass of water and shut myself in my room.
After a shower, I slip into my bedsheets, arm around the back of my head as I scroll through her feed, trying not to like any photos as I nose.
She really has made a career out of this. I eye the comments that roll in on her new post, my lips pulling into a smile as I read them. The odd sly comments is there, some about Royce, but most are kind and genuine. Some tell her how proud they are of her after everything she has been through, and some tell her how happy they are to see her happy.
She documents her life on here, Royce included. They worked well together, but I totally get why he wanted out. His dreams are not her.
It’s sad. But it’s the truth.
He wanted different things, and he could have gone along with it to appease her, or, do the right thing and walk away.
It’s brave.
She could have shrunk back, shut herself from the world and lost herself in heartbreak, but she picked herself up and showed the world what she was about.
Both of them have eyes on them for different reasons. They have to still show up, whether they want to or not.
I know Royce is also hurt, but his career means more to him than she ever will. I get it. I was once like him. Hungry for the world drivers’ championship, and I got it, twice. After that, I let the ball drop. I began to slip because I wanted more. Needed more.
I fought hard to progress in my career, but I also wanted a partner, a family, so I sacrificed all of that for her.
I can’t be too mad. She gave me Royce. A precious gift, but she also left me shattered on the floor.
Sighing, I swipe up and close down the app before placing my phone face down and picking the remote up instead. Turning the television on, I flick through the sports channels to see Cowan.
My lips lift at the corner as they hound him for answers. He says nothing, keeping his lips firmly locked, but he does give the odd smile now and then.
His manager looks anxious as fuck. Walking on eggshells, waiting for Cowan to drop the news by mistake. But he doesn’t.
He remained professional and said he would see them in Zandvoort.
Top boy.
I watch idly for a while longer when I hear the floorboards creaking outside my door. I mute the television, listening again.
Sitting up at the noise, my eyes are on the back of the door before I am kicking my legs out of the sheets and walking towards to where I can hear the noise. Opening the door, I peek out to see her standing in the kitchen, eyes all wide like she has been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she stammers, peanut butter and spoon in hand.
“I wasn’t asleep,” I grumble as I lean against the door frame.
Her long legs disappear into frilly shorts, but I discard my gaze and lock them on her eyes.
