Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
?? LONDON, ENGLAND
R owan paced back and forth, raking a clammy hand through his hair. Taking a deep breath in, he slowly gained control over his emotions before ringing the doorbell.
Not even a second later, Gabe opened the door, a smirk dancing on the corner of his lips.
“I was wondering when you’d finally grow the balls to knock,” Avery’sroommate commented as he stepped aside to let Rowan enter.
After he had dropped Avery off earlier, they had agreed on meeting up in the evening to have some time to get ready and freshen up. He had insisted on picking her up again and driving to her parents’ house.
Rowan scoffed. “Were you watching me?”
“Yes,” Gabe admitted bluntly. “Pretty funny to see the ruthless F1 driver lose his mind over my beautiful roommate. But y’know, I get it. I’d also be down bad for Ave if I weren’t gay. Oh, and that’s my boyfriend, Elijah.”
Gabe had pointed to the man spread out on the sofa, but Rowan only kept his gaze narrowed on the dark-skinned man.
“I’m not down bad for Avery,” Rowan hissed quietly. Gabe gave him a disinterested look, and Rowan wasn’t entirely convinced by his own words, either.
“Sure.” Gabe gestured to Rowan’s hands. “The bouquet you’re holding says otherwise, honey.”
Rowan was about to argue until footsteps echoed from the staircase. He glanced in the direction of the distraction, finding Avery walk towards him whilst securing an earring.
“Sorry for the wait.” She stumbled in front of him, invading his bubble with her addictive fragrance and radiant smile. “You ready to go?”
Rowan nodded.
He was speechless.
Why was he downright starstruck like this?
He dipped his chin in a polite nod, holding her gaze. “You look nice.”
Wry amusement started to shine around her pupils. “Thanks. Are these for me?”
“What?”
She glanced at the flowers he’d been holding and forgotten about. “The bouquet? Unless you have a thing for Gabe.”
“I’m not opposed to that,” Gabe chimed in from where he was leaning against the doorframe that lead towards the living room.
Rowan swallowed, unable to control the blush heating the back of his neck. “Yes.” He cleared his throat and extended the bouquet towards her. “Here. I hope you like them.”
She grazed a petal between her fingers, smiling softly. Knowing he was the cause of her delight made him feel alive. “I love them. You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I, uh,” he stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He was a total nervous wreck. “I went to get your parents something and I thought I’d give you flowers, just because you deserve them, too.”
Her smile only widened, her cheeks tinted with a rosy tinge. “That’s very sweet of you.”
He shrugged sheepishly. “It happens once in a while.”
Nothing else seemed to exist every time he stood in the same room as Avery. The more he spent time with her, the more he found himself lingering too close to the track limits, where the unknown lay beyond. But he also found himself wanting to shower her with goods and everything she deserved.
“So cute,” Gabe supplied with a dreamy sigh that was more taunting than anything. “Now off you go, or else Mama Sharma will be mad.”
Avery blinked, like she was also snapping back to reality.
“Right,” she whispered, handing her roommate the bouquet. “Let’s go.”
Rowan held the door open, allowing her to head outside first. Her arm brushed his chest and there it was again; his heart going into overdrive just by the contact of their bodies.
“Have her home by midnight,” Gabe chastised, waving dramatically.
Rowan snorted amusedly. “We’ll see about that.”
“Use protection!” Elijah, who had come to stand next to his boyfriend, shouted.
“I hate you two!” Avery shouted back before making a beeline towards Rowan’s Porsche.
Rowan had other plans, though. With the slight drizzle glistening the concrete, he didn’t want her to walk in puddles of rain. He caught her wrist, listened to her gasp of surprise, then lifted her up to carry her bridal-style.
“What the hell?” She winded an arm behind his neck, laughing softly.
“Don’t want you to dirty your shoes.”
He opened the passenger door, and she smiled brightly in return when he lowered her to the ground. “Look at you being a gentleman.”
He winked. “Always for you.”
In the car, he allowed her to put some music on as he typed her parents’ address into the GPS. He couldn’t keep his smile from widening when Zach Bryan’s voice echoed through the speakers.
“You into country, sugar?”
Avery’s laugh was akin to an addictive melody—a harmony of soft delight, slowly imprinting itself inside his mind like his all-time favourite song. “Don’t call me that again. But yes, you’re always humming to country. Indy sent me a playlist with her favourite country hits.”
“I’ll make you a playlist, too.” He started driving off, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “Indy has relatives living in Montana, doesn’t she?”
“Yes. Actually, Simon Romano’s daughter grew up with Indy’s cousins.”
Rowan peered at her, baffled by this new piece of information. “Really? Simon’s from Montana?”
“You didn’t know? And Charlie Beaumont, too. Well, his mum is. His father’s Monegasque.”
“Really?” he repeated.
She chuckled. “Yes.”
“I had no clue. Imagine if Beaumont and Romano’s daughter were hooking up. War would be declared.”
“I mean, Romano would definitely hate Imperium Racing and both drivers even more. A?da’s off-limits. Especially from Imperium guys.”
“They should bang,” Rowan encouraged. “There would be so much drama in the paddock.”
Avery fell silent for a few heartbeats too long. “What if we’re being spotted together? We would create some drama, too.”
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “So? I told you, people will have to get through me before they can even think of saying a bad thing about you.”
“And if I get fired because of my reckless choices?”
“Then you better teach me how to use PowerPoint, because I’m ready to walk into Sophie’s office and do a whole presentation as to why you’re a great publicist who deserves to keep her job.”
“Wow,” she breathed out. “That is the best compliment you’ve ever given me.”
“You’re a brat.”
“But still a good publicist?”
He smirked. “Depends.”
He caught a glimpse of her small smile before focusing back on the route.
Despite the serene ambiance in the car, Rowan couldn’t ignore the overpowering sensation of nervousness stirring inside his stomach. Taking a deep breath in, he tried to control his rapid heart rate, rubbing the palm of his hand on his thigh.
“Are you… I can’t believe this. Are you nervous?”
Her tone was edged with mockery, causing him to narrow his gaze on her when they stopped at a red light. “Yeah, so?”
He released a long sigh when he felt her gaze on his profile. She grabbed his hand, weaving their fingers together and causing his shoulders to drop with relief.
“Talk to me,” she asked softly.
“I’ve never done this,” he confessed, pressing on the throttle when the light turned green. He let go of her hand to change gears, then twined his fingers to hers again. “Never met my… friend’s parents.”
“This is a first for me, too.” She pecked the back of his hand. “This is the first time I’m introducing them to a boy.”
It was his turn to kiss her hand, repeatedly so, causing her to laugh softly. “Baby, I’m a gentleman in this world full of boys.”
“Right. A gentleman who fucks me real good.”
Nearly choking on air, he tried not to let shock lace his tone. “Behave, sunflower. Don’t make me act like a bad boy the night I meet your folks.”
“I grew up here,” Avery explained as she pointed to a building on their right. “Huxley was my neighbour. He lived across the hallway.”
“You’re kidding me.”
Rowan slowed down, a crease forming between his brows at the sight of the building. Small, private—a stark contrast to the World Champion he knew today.
“He lived there with his dad and big sister,” Avery said. “But he was the one to take care of his family.”
“What about his mother?”
“It’s not really my story to tell, but she’s not in the picture anymore. Hasn’t really been, anyway. I don’t think I’ve ever met that woman. All I know is that she started doing drugs with the money Miles won with karting competitions and all.”
“Shit. That’s tough. I had no idea.”
“Yeah,” she murmured. “Like a guy I know, he’s a pro at hiding his secrets.”
The rivalry between Rowan and Miles was burning, mostly on the track, but that didn’t mean he wished for Huxley’s downfall outside of racing. Rowan hoped the rude, cold, heartless World Champion would find his own sunflower one day—the person who would be able to see past the thick walls of self-preservation.
Avery pointed to a small house at the end of the street. “That’s me. We moved here before I got into uni.”
“This is lovely,” he acknowledged as he parked in the driveway.
Everything about Avery was his opposite, yet that was why he felt so complete and whole in her company. Like she was the other half his soul had yearned for his entire life. Like she was the missing piece magnetised to his heart, providing that sense of pure rightness he thought he’d never experience.
That’s when he realised he could accept being loved. That he wanted to be loved.
“Okay,” she started when the engine of the car was turned off. “Fair warning, my parents are still teenagers in their minds, so don’t be freaked out if they’re more outgoing than what you’re used to. They had me at a young age, so that can explain their chaotic energy.”
“Yeah? How young were they?”
“Nineteen.”
He blew a breath. “Wow.”
“Yep. But they’re my best friends. I think you’ll love them.”
Rowan smiled. “I’m excited to meet them.”
She flickered her gaze between his, her features softening. “Really?”
“Really,” he whispered. “I can’t wait to meet the people who helped you become the incredible woman you are today.”
She swallowed, an emotion he couldn’t name misting over her eyes. “Rowan…”
“Listen.” He pivoted to face her, reaching for her hand. Until her, Rowan wasn’t the biggest fan of being so touchy with another person. Wasn’t one to seek the comfort of someone else’s skin. But there was something so grounding about her, which was why he felt so desperate to touch her. Absentmindedly, he started tracing intricate shapes on the back of her hand. “You know I’m not really good with big words, but I think you’re the most exciting woman I’ve ever met.”
She teased him by arching a brow. “Are you professing your unconditional love to me?”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Stop being so unserious.”
Avery’s lips parted to argue, but the front door to her house opened. She rolled her eyes in faux annoyance and turned to wave to a woman who was standing in the doorway, smiling brightly.
No doubt this was Avery’s mother.
“Ready?” Avery asked.
“Ready.”
Rowan stepped out of the car, rounded it, and opened the door for Avery. The base of his neck was burning, his cheekbones tinted with blush. That ball of anxiety stirring inside his gut hadn’t diminished yet, but he took another deep breath in to remain calm.
Rowan was so used to messing everything up, but he wouldn’t dare ruin it with Avery.
He couldn’t lose the only person who had faith in him.
As Avery went to hug her mother, Rowan opened the trunk to retrieve a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers.
He stepped towards the threshold, smiling timidly to the woman who was eyeing him curiously with a beam on her lips.
Avery looked exactly like her. Rowan had to blink a few times to understand they weren’t twins.
“Good evening, Mrs. Sharma,” he said, extending the flowers. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Rowan.”
“I know who you are. Please, call me Zoya.” She chuckled, accepting the flowers. “These are gorgeous. Thank you.”
He cleared his throat, meeting Avery’s gaze. She smiled, and he smiled in return. “You’re welcome.”
“Come on in,” Zoya urged eagerly. “I was so happy when Ava told me she was coming over with someone special.”
Rowan grazed his fingertips to Avery’s arm as he took a step inside the foyer, closing the door behind him. “Oh, I’m flattered.”
Avery narrowed her gaze when he grinned broadly. “You’re not that special, Rowan. Get your head out of the gutter.”
Zoya chuckled at her daughter’s remark before disappearing into another room.
Her home was small, but cosy. Welcoming. Warm. No wonder Avery was such a good person deep in her core.
Footfalls echoed from the staircase, and Rowan watched a man descend the steps whilst shrugging a jumper over his shirt. As he halted in the foyer, he instantly found Rowan’s gaze, his mouth gaping as he blinked once. Twice.
“Zoya?” he called out slowly, not looking away from Rowan. The latter dipped his chin in a polite nod, unsure of what to do.
“Yes?”
“Have I gone to heaven?”
“I’m pretty sure there’s a place for you in hell,” Zoya snapped.
“But, love, Rowan Emerson is in our house!” he exclaimed excitedly, causing Avery to grunt. “Holy freaking hell.”
“Dad,” Avery sighed.
“Oh, hey, kiddo.” Avery’s father glanced from Rowan, to Avery, back to Rowan, and to Zoya who had returned. “You’re dating Rowan Emerson? No one has prepared me for this day.”
“Not dating,” Avery clarified as she walked further into the house.
Rowan wasn’t sure why those words had felt like receiving a punch straight into the gut, the pain spreading ever so slowly towards his heart to wrap around the organ like lethal vines.
“Shagging then?”
“I’m not answering this question.”
Smiling, her father stepped towards Rowan and offered his right hand to shake. “Come in, man. I’m Andrew. I’m honoured to meet you! I’m such a big fan.”
Rowan emitted a quiet laugh and shook Andrew’s hand. “Thank you. Pleasure’s all mine, sir.”
Andrew turned to his daughter, wide eyes glittering with surprise and admiration. “You’ve hit the jackpot, girl.”
“Stop being weird,” Avery mumbled, unable to hide the blush coating the apples of her cheeks. “He brought you some wine.”
Rowan then handed Andrew the bottle he’d been holding, a sheepish grin spreading across his lips.
Andrew whistled as he read the label. “Ava, I hope you say yes when this guy asks you to marry him.”
“Dad!”
But all Rowan could do was look at Avery and imagine what eternity resembled like with her by his side.
And it looked golden.
“Smells divine in here, Zoya,” Rowan commented as he walked into the kitchen.
He had spent the last twenty minutes conversing with Andrew, sometimes about Formula 1, sometimes about his career as a divorce lawyer, all the while snacking on appetisers.
Zoya turned around, smiling. “Thank you. Do you eat Indian food often?”
“As surprising as it might sound, it’ll be my first time.”
“There’s a first for everything, right? I think you’ll love it.”
“I don’t doubt it. Do you need help with anything?”
Zoya took her apron off, shaking her head. “I’m all good. You can take the naans out into the dining room, if you’d like.”
After Rowan had deposited the plate on the table, he couldn’t help but glance at Avery and her father sitting on the sofa, laughing together.
“So, what are your intentions with my daughter?” was the question Zoya asked when he emerged back into the kitchen.
“Isn’t that supposed to be Andrew’s question?” Rowan teased as he took a seat on one of the stools surrounding the central island.
Zoya’s lips tipped upwards. “Touché. But he doesn’t see you as a threat.”
Slight panic flared through him. “You do? I’m sorry, Mrs. Sharma. It was never my intention.”
“I’m messing with you.” She leaned the small of her back against the counter behind, holding her glass of wine. “I’m just curious. Ava hasn’t introduced us to her friends in years. To be honest, her only friends I remember meeting are Gabe and our ex-neighbour, Miles, who you race with. When Ava lets us meet her friends, it means that she trusts them with her life.”
“I trust her with everything,” he said softly. “Your daughter is an incredible woman. She’s intelligent, works with an intense professionalism, and knows how to handle every situation with beautiful delicacy. She’s caring, passionate, sensible. Sometimes, I feel like she understands what I’m feeling more than I do. She’s funny, sarcastic, and she’s brave. I’d protect her with all I have.”
Zoya’s brown eyes shone with a veil of unshed tears. She took a step forward, setting her wine glass down with a trembling hand. “Is this how you’re asking for my blessing to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage?”
Rowan barked out a laugh. “I see where she’s got her snark and wit from.”
A soft chuckle erupted from Zoya’s mouth, her features softening. “You know it only comes once in a lifetime, right?”
“What does?” Rowan asked, unable to ignore the lump clogging his throat.
“What you and Ava have. Don’t ever, ever let it slip away from your grasp. Once it’s gone, it’s terribly difficult to find something close to that spark again.”
“I don’t plan to,” he whispered truthfully.
“And don’t hurt her. Because if you do, Andrew will kill you. Favourite F1 driver or not, no one harms his baby girl.”
Rowan swallowed. “I won’t hurt her. I promise.”
“God that’s a nice car.” Andrew whistled as he leaned against the doorway, hands tucked in the front pockets of his trousers as he looked at the Porsche.
A gust of wind blew Rowan's hair away from his forehead whilst thunder rumbled in the dark sky.
“Hit me up when you’re free,” Rowan told the man. “I have an old 911F sitting in my garage. You could take her for a ride.”
“Seriously?” Andrew’s eyes were wide with excitement. “I’d love that.”
“Dad,” Avery chimed in as she exited the house, planting a kiss on her father’s cheek. “Did you just become best friends with your favourite F1 driver?”
“Yep,” Andrew said proudly.“Biggest life goal has been accomplished.”
Rowan chuckled and extended his hand for a handshake. “Thank you for having me for dinner. The butter chicken was excellent.”
“That’s all Zoya’s culinary talent.”
“Are you flirting with me, Andrew?” Zoya mocked, tucking herself into her husband’s side.
“For the past twenty-five years or so, but whatever,” he shot back.
Zoya grinned at Rowan. “Come by anytime you want. It was so great having you around.”
He nodded. “For sure. I’ll see you two at Silverstone?”
“Count on us,” Andrew responded with a wink.
Avery brushed his hand after embracing both her parents. “Let’s go.”
Once buckled in the car, they waved at Andrew and Zoya, then hit the road.
Rowan felt content, humming to the faint melody resonating in the background.He was happy to know Avery had people she could count and rely on; people who loved her unconditionally and supported all her choices.
“Your parents are great,” he told her earnestly. He understood why Avery was so loving, gentle, affectionate. She had grown up in a healthy environment, where there was space for open communication—where vulnerability wasn’t an asset to failure.
“They’re the best.”
He slipped his hand to her thigh, applying a soft pressure. When she held his hand, he felt a surge of heat spreading from his digits towards the rest of his body.
“Am I dropping you off now?” he asked.
“Unless you have a suggestion?”
Anything. Anything just to spend more time with her.
“Come back to my place.”
He could feel her gaze on him, analysing and studying, uncertainty filling the space of the car. Brushing his knuckles with the pad of her thumb, she murmured, “Are you sure?”
“If there’s one thing I’m positive about, it’s you, Avery. So yes, I want you to come home with me.”