Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
?? brISBANE, AUSTRALIA
R owan didn’t know if this was a good idea.Detrimental hesitancy was burning through his vessels as he stood before the grand door, feeling the cold wind brush against his cheekbones.
“I can’t do this,” Rowan mumbled, his hand hovering above the doorknob. “Unless you two want me to strangle him.”
“Dramatic,” Tate said after exchanging an amused glance with Avery.“It’ll be fine.”
It was the first thing Rowan had noticed when they parked in the driveway—Stephen’s car. He’d said, “The fuck is he doing here? Turn around. We’re leaving.”
Avery grabbed Rowan’s hand, her soft touch bringing him back to life and making the haze of anger dissipate. “It’s going to be okay. It’s just dinner. You don’t have to talk to your father. You can just ignore him.”
Grunting with defeat, he pushed the door open and walked into his childhood house. Rowan wasn’t sure why his mother never moved out of here. Sure, the domain was big and beautiful, surrounded by acres of land and wildlife, but this was way too big for Julia.
Regardless of the reluctance blinding him, being home felt divine. As much as he loved racing, Rowan needed the time off to rewind and disconnect.
“I don’t know why Mum invited him.”
“Maybe she wants to see if you can all get along after everything that’s happened,” Avery said softly.
“I doubt it.”
Tate clapped the back of Rowan’s neck. “Come on, it’ll be nice. We’re back home, your mum made her famous lamb chops, and Nora will be there. Stephen is just part of the decor, like always.”
With a heavy sigh, Rowan made his girlfriend and best friend understand the gravity of his dismay. He truly resented Stephen, but he was willing to eat in his company. For his mother. Avery only tightened her hold around his hand—a silent promise she wouldn’t let go.
“We’ve got you,” Tate promised as he closed the door behind them. “Julia! Your fave son is here.”
Emerging from the kitchen, an apron secured around her hips and a bottle of wine in hand, Julia squealed in excitement when Tate strode towards her to engulf her in a tight embrace. “Tate! You look handsome.”
He returned the hug, taunting Rowan with a grin. “I know.”
“Ah, here’s my other son,” she acknowledged in a mocking tone before coming up to Rowan, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Hi, my love. I’m so happy you decided to come home for a few weeks.”
“Hey, Mama.” He kissed the top of Julia’s head, tucking her into his chest. “It’s good to see you, but why, exactly, did you invite Stephen?”
Julia rolled her eyes. “He invited himself. Heard from Riley you lot were back, and he decided to crash dinner. He promised to be on his best behaviour.”
“Mum,” he muttered coldly. “Kick him out.”
The sad smile taking over her features made his chest ache. “Let’s just have a nice evening, okay? Can you do this for me?”
Some parts of Rowan regretted his childhood and early adolescence—the way he’d acted, shut himself off from the world when his anger consumed him. He wished he’d been able to save his mother, help her heal in some way.
Julia pivoted and didn’t waste a second to hug the ray of sunshine that was Avery Sharma-Maddox. The sight of the two women Rowan loved most sharing a tender moment made his heart swell. “Thank you for coming. I’m so glad Rowan came to his senses.”
“What are you talking about?” Rowan asked.
“You’ve been head over heels for this girl ever since she started working for Primavera Racing. And don’t deny it. Your mother knows it all.”
When Julia looped her arm through Avery’s to drag her into the kitchen, the latter peered at Rowan with raised eyebrows, a soft chuckle flying past her lips.
It appeared like his entourage had known about his foolish crush on Avery for a long time. Way before he even knew about it, and realised she’d stolen his heart by igniting his temper.
“How are you doing, honey?” his mother asked Avery before they disappeared into another room.“Does my son treat you well?”
Tate looked at Rowan, raising his left hand and pointing to his ring finger.
The bet. Right.
What a bunch of fucking idiots.
Rowan sighed, tucking his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as he walked into the living room. So far, no sign of his father. He hoped this family dinner wouldn’t ruin his holiday.
He wanted to come back to see his mother, sister, and niece, but mostly to show Avery his roots and the life he’d lived before moving to England.
Rapid footsteps echoed from the staircase, and a wild toddler with curly hair jumped into Tate’s arms, giggles filling the air.
Rowan watched Tate engulf Nora tightly before making her spin, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “Hey, girl. Damn, you’re the size of an adult now. When did you grow up so much?”
“I missed you,” the little girl said, winding her arms around Tate’s neck.
Rowan feigned hurt, putting a hand on his chest. In reality, he loved the bond his best friend and niece shared. It was special and unique. “What about me? I’m your real uncle.”
Nora grinned, pressing her cheek to Tate’s. Strangely, her features resembled Tate’s. Rowan thought he was dreaming. “Tay-Tay is my favourite.”
This evening promised to be excruciatingly long.
“Well, look who decided to show up.”
Entering the dining room, Rowan took a breath in and lowered his gaze so he wouldn’t meet his father’s. He caressed Avery’s back as he rounded the table before taking a seat beside her, instantly putting his hand on her thigh to ground himself.Julia was sitting on his other side.
“You okay?” Avery whispered. He simply nodded, applying pressure on her skin.
“Why are you even here, Stephen?” Rowan gritted out, observing Tate pour some wine into Julia’s glass. “You’ve avoided all sorts of family gatherings your entire life.”
“Rowan,” Riley warned as she adjusted Nora’s t-shirt.
“Stephen,” Julia sighed at the same time. “You said you would behave.”
Stephen shrugged sheepishly, slurred words evaporating in the air when he defended himself. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Just made a comment. Not my fault if he’s a sensitive kid.”
“Is he already drunk?”
Everyone answered Rowan’s question with a nod.
“Awesome.”
“Let’s eat and enjoy dinner,” Julia suggested sweetly. “It’s been months since the boys have been home. Plus, Rowan brought his special lady.”
Nora laughed softly, diffusing the tension with her small voice. “Special lady. You lied to me, Uncle Wawa.”
“Me?” Rowan exclaimed. “I would never do that!”
“You did,” Nora said with a pout. “You said you wasn’t in loves with her, but I know you are.”
Laughter echoed around the table. Weaving her fingers through his, Avery brought his attention towards her and winked. He only shook his head before releasing her hand to dig into his meal.
He wondered if Avery knew how much he loved her. Just because he couldn’t voice those words out loud yet, didn’t mean he couldn’t show her. He rapidly nudged her knee, and she nudged his back.
“Ava,” Riley asked, “did Rowan show you around the backyard?”
She took a small sip of water. “Not yet.”
“He’ll have to. You should walk around the ranch, too. You’ll see the horses and the motocross circuit he built with Tate when they were twelve.”
Avery smiled. “I’d love that.”
Rowan nodded. “I’ll show you in the morning. Sunrise is beautiful over here.”
Stephen cleared his throat. “So, Ava. Did you manage to find a job after sleeping around with my son? I bet it doesn’t look good on your résumé.”
Rowan’s shoulders stiffened, his fingers flexing around his fork. “Don’t call me your son, and don’t talk to her that way.”
“I did.” Ava’s thigh pressed into Rowan’s—coaxing, reassuring. Her tone was calm, her voice as feathery as usual. “I just signed with Imperium Racing and Miles Huxley on private terms. I’ll be starting as soon as the second half of the season starts.”
“Mmh.” Stephen took a sip of his red wine, eyes narrowed on Avery. Rowan clenched his jaw, unable to shake that sensation of fury off. “It’s your fault Rowan’s so distracted all the damn time.”
“Here we go,” Tate said under his breath. “Can we not do this here? Or ever? This is ridiculous.”
From the corner of his eye, Rowan saw his sister down her beverage rapidly. Typical.
“Pardon me?” Avery frowned at the man sitting at the end of the table.
“She has got nothing to do with my results,” Rowan protested. “I can’t believe I even have to explain myself.”
“Well,” Stephen argued, “maybe you would have won more than one race if you hadn’t been busy sticking your dick in your press—”
“You can’t be serious.” Rowan’s chair rattled as he stood up aggressively.He was ready to drag this man out of the house.
“Sit down,” whispered Julia, tugging on his sleeve gently.
His fingers curled. “No, Ma. I’m exhausted, okay? I can’t deal with him. Why would you even let him enter the house after everything he’s done to you?”
When his mother only lowered her gaze, he felt a lump grow inside his throat.
Sounds of cutlery colliding filled his senses for a flickering heartbeat, but all Rowan could see was red. And his father’s smirk.
“You don’t get to show up to family dinner and disrespect my girlfriend. She’s been nothing but nice to you when I invited you to races, making you feel welcomed as a guest. Races where you only pointed out my mistakes instead of cheering me on for my great results.”
“You never won a championship,” was Stephen’s argument, and the reason for Rowan’s temper to explode.
“So?” Rowan passed his fingers through his hair frustratingly, shaking his head. “Your hyper-fixation on this is driving me nuts. I started racing to make you proud. Because you were dying to have a son with big accomplishments under his belt, who does great things. All I wanted was to make you happy, but all you saw were my mistakes, struggles, and results. It’s been like this ever since I was a kid, and instead of cheering me up when I failed, you kept dragging me down and undermining me.”
Standing up, Stephen knocked out his chair to the ground. “Because it’s a shame to be the father of someone who can’t—”
“Stephen!” Julia hissed.
“With all due respect, sir, I think that you should stop.” Avery stood up, finding Rowan’s pinkie finger with her own. His hand was trembling, but even at that exact moment, the feel of her skin couldn’t help him stay calm. “Rowan has the privilege of being one of twenty drivers in F1. Do you know how hard it is to get into that sport? How an opportunity like this comes only once in a lifetime? Some drivers can’t even renew a contract after a season or two, yet Rowan has been with Primavera for nearly a decade now. He’s making history with the team with the longest contract extension. He’s a fierce driver with a millimetric accuracy that no other driver can match. He’s ambitious, driven, and passionate. A World Champion title doesn’t define him as a driver. It’s his place in this universe that does. His popularity shows how much he’s looked up to and admired from all ends of the Earth. Rowan is one of the best men I know, and it’s a shame you can’t see it. Yes, he makes mistakes and cannot be the best all the time, and that’s okay. He’s the kind of person who has a mindset made of steel. He rises after failing, embraces his vulnerability to forge it into fortitude, and doesn’t linger on his regrets. Rowan is an incredible man, and I’m so sorry that you will never realise this.”
Speechless, Rowan turned to Avery, a burning sensation rising in the back of his throat whilst a veil of tears rapidly blinded his vision.
He’d never had someone else other than Tate come to his defence.To his rescue.
“Pop off, Ave,” Tate cheered, raising his glass in the air.
Rowan swallowed, finding his father’s shocked stare. “Seriously, Stephen. How many times have I begged for your attention? For your validation? This is all so meaningless now. You don’t mean anything to me, just as I know I don’t mean anything to you. You come to races for your own reputation. Just so that people will give you some sort of validation. But when was the last time you came here to spend some time with us without mentioning racing? When was the last time you checked up on Riley, or Nora, or Mum?”
Stephen was barely able to stand on his feet. “Stop making me look like the bad guy here.”
“You are the bad guy. You were barely a father figure to Riley and me, and you know it damn well. What kind of father lifts his hand on his son? What kind of man emotionally manipulates his own kid? You should have left us for good instead of destroying everything in your path.”
“I was a great father,” the drunk man slurred.
“Really? When’s Riley’s birthday?”
No answer.
Riley poured herself another glass of wine, and sighed loudly.
“When’s mine?”
No answer either.
Rowan gestured to the door. Though his chest felt heavy and aching, he knew this was the right decision to make. To free himself. “Leave. I don’t want you to contact me again. You walked out of my life the day you walked out of Mum’s. I can’t believe it took me nearly twenty years to tell you to go.”
Stephen took a step back, aiming a finger at Rowan’s chest. “You ungrateful little shit. You would never be here without my financial help.”
“Yes, and thank you for helping me reach my goals. Now, I’m a fucking multi-millionaire, and I can buy my little cars on my own.”
Angry, Stephen was ready to lunge at Rowan, fists ready to strike him in the nose. And this once, Rowan would strike back. Avery caught his wrist, stepping in front of him—ready to shield him.
“Don’t you dare lay a finger on him,” she warned so softly, so steadily.
“This is cute,” Stephen chuckled dryly. “Just you wait until you realise he’s a sad, broken boy who will never exceed your expectations.”
“Once again, you are wrong about him.”
But Tate caught Stephen’s arm, pulling him back. “Okay, buddy. I’m done watching this shitshow. Apologise to Ava, Rowan, and Julia, and walk away.”
Scoffing, Stephen wriggled out of the punishing grip, glaring at Tate. “ This is a shitshow? Does Rowan know you slept with Riley?”
Time stopped, and all heads turned to Riley who was already on her third glass of wine. “Great. Thank you for this.”
Tate stumbled back, his wide eyes finding Rowan, an apologetic gleam brightening his irises. “Rowan—it was years ago—”
Rowan raised a trembling hand—fury and deception and confusion burning every nerve in his body. He shook his head, the buzzing in his ears becoming louder.
“I need a moment,” he said, tone clipped. He refused to look at anyone in the room as he turned on his heel. “Stephen, leave. Mum, let him go, and stop hurting yourself. You can’t keep doing this to yourself, and I’m begging you to never open the door for him again. You deserve so much better.”
Rowan walked outside the moment thunder clashed in the sky, the front door slamming in sync with the universe’s wrath.