Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
?? BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
R owan unzipped his racing suit, keeping his gaze ahead as he ignored the horde of photographers snapping pictures of him.Under normal circumstances, he would grin at the cameras, wink playfully, and throw roguish smirks at everyone crossing his path. But today, all he wanted was to shield himself from the world.
Despite having Donna, Thiago’s PR officer, following him while the scandal sorted itself out, Rowan felt empty. Utterly empty. His other half wasn’t there to attend interviews with him. Wasn’t there to cheer him on and give him the reassurance he needed.
Rowan was great at ignoring everything the media said. But he couldn’t exactly ignore what they had said about his girlfriend, the murmurs echoing inside the paddock, the glances people working for Primavera Racing would throw his way.
Avery had debriefed him—had asked him not to let anyone get to him, no matter how much he yearned to shut them up.
“Your little bitch isn’t following you?” a voice filtered through the noises dancing around him.
Rowan halted and pivoted, tuning out all the sounds surrounding him as his blood pumped through his system. Angry. Burning. He flexed his fingers, lifting an eyebrow in defiance.
“Say that again and watch where my fist lands,” Rowan warned Eliott as the latter passed by.
“You don’t want to get in trouble,” Eliott said, a coy expression etched on his features. “Oops, I forgot. You were already banging your PR officer.”
Alex Myers, who had been walking alongside Eliott, pulled the latter away. “Why are you such a dickhead?”
“Yeah, Dalton,” Rowan interfered. “Why?”
“Rowan,” Donna said slowly, like a warning, handing him his phone. “Just walk away.”
“I’ve got this,” Rowan assured softly, urging the press officer to leave before turning back towards the man he wouldn’t mind strangling. “Listen, Eliott sweetie. The tiny amount of respect I had for you vanished the instant you lashed out on Avery when she refused to go out with you. Your ego can’t handle rejection? Fine. But calling her a bitch for absolutely no reason? Try again, and I’ll run over all your precious little cameras.”
Shock drew itself upon Eliott’s face as he cradled his camera to his chest. “I just—”
“You what? Thought it’s okay to talk trash about the nicest person on the team? About the girl who’s helped you countless times with your workload? You’re such a fucking hypocrite. I bet you’re the one who leaked all those photos.”
Eliott’s face was crimson with embarrassment. “You have no proof.”
“Yet,” Rowan bit out. “Get out of my way before I do something I regret. And maybe you should quit, too. Avery wouldn’t have left—at least not so suddenly—if you had been mature enough. This isn’t a place for kids.”
“She’s quitting?”
“Yes, genius.” Rowan brushed past Eliott, making sure to bump into his shoulder aggressively. Hands curled into balls, he tried to control his anger. “Don’t even think of looking my way because I swear I’ll end you. I hope the guilt keeps you awake.”
Rowan’s footfalls were hurried as he took a deep breath in, ignoring Alex’s calls, intent on finding shelter where no one could look or judge him.
He had just gotten out of the first session of free practice, and there was so much he needed to do today—go into debriefing with his engineers, talk strategies for the race, get ready for another session of practice—so wanting to hurt a co-worker was not the solution.
When his phone vibrated in his palm, he grunted with so much frustration that incredulous stares were thrown his way.
“What?” he snapped once he’d accepted his father’s call.
“What’s that drama with your PR officer? Is she the reason why you’re so bad at racing?”
“Jesus, why do you care, Stephen? If you’re calling just to be the awful man that you are, just know that I have better things to do than listen to your bullshit.”
Hanging up, Rowan didn’t even care if he had been merciless. He was done with that man who pretended to be a fatherly figure to him when he’d been nothing but the cause of his pain all his life.
“Hey, Emerson!”
God, couldn’t he catch a damned break?
Turning on his heel, he faced Miles Huxley trotting towards him, his Doberman puppy in tow.
“What’s up?” He bent down and showed his hand to the dog, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “Can I pet it?”
“Sure,” Miles answered. “This is Rosie.”
Rowan scratched Rosie’s head, causing her tail to waggle happily. “Hey, Rosie. You’re a sweetie.”
“How’s Ava holding up?”
For a split second, Rowan forgot about the fact Avery and Miles used to be friends. He straightened himself, sighing. “I called her earlier this morning and she said she was fine. I know she is, but I know she isn’t okay, either. She’s probably seeing all the weird shit people say on the internet and it’s most likely driving her insane. All she wanted was to protect me.”
“I don’t follow news on socials, but I genuinely think your fans would root for you two. I mean, yeah, it’s a shock to everyone, but so what?”
Rowan only raised his shoulder in a half shrug.
Miles scratched the back of his head. “Heard she might get fired?”
“Wrong,” he scoffed. “She’s quitting before they can even tell her she’s out. She’s taken the weekend and the upcoming week off, but I think her team also needs space to think of something. They’re losing their best publicist.”
Rowan wasn’t very close to Sophie McKinnon, but from the few interactions he’d had with her, he knew she was the type of person who wanted the best for her employees. Hopefully, she’d wait for Avery to explain herself before instantly firing her.
Running his fingers through his hair, Miles said, “Look, it might be weird, but I’m looking for a personal press officer. All the ones I’ve worked with at Imperium are useless and don’t listen to my needs. I think this deal could save both Ava and I. What do you think?”
Rowan was surprised by the offer. Miles Huxley wasn’t an asshole per se, but he liked to make the world think he was the unattainable World Champion who wouldn’t let anyone close to him. “I’ll ask her about it, but we both know her answer. She’d be happy to reconnect with you.”
It was no secret that Rowan would do anything to save the love of his life. If helping her find happiness meant watching her work with his biggest rival, then he would accept the torture and wish to the stars that Avery would finally be at peace.
“Sweet.” Miles held Rowan’s gaze. “I’ll take care of her. You know that, right?”
Rowan slipped his gaze elsewhere, hoping the burning sensation in the back of his throat would go away. “Yeah, I do. And it’s what she needs. I wish I could’ve helped her.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, man.” Miles extended his fist, encouraging Rowan to accept this new sort of alliance. “Focus on what awaits you tomorrow. Look on the bright side; you won’t have to hide your relationship anymore.”