Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Royce
AUSTRALIA ROUND ONE
“Erm, sorry… what?” I blink and raise my brows as I stare Nora down.
She sits there, lips pursed, fingers tapping across her phone screen, eyes batted away from mine. “You heard me, Royce.” Her tone is unamused and I let out a heavy sigh.
“Why do I have to have some stranger follow me around?”
“Because it was agreed.”
“By who?” My tone is clipped as I cross my arms in front of my chest and turn my gaze towards my teammate, Cowan.
Scowling, I focus my attention on my newly appointed manager. Not sure how that happened, but here we are.
Truth was, I loved Nora like my sister, but she pissed me off at times. Like now.
“Your dad, Opal Bloom’s agent…”
“Opal Bloom,” I scoff at the name. What the fuck.
“It’s her pen name.” She looks at me through her lashes, not an ounce of amusement on her face.
“Still.”
“Don’t be a dick, Royce.”
I watch her for a moment, waiting for a smile to break but it doesn’t. “Why are you in a mood?” I step towards her and kick my boot into her trainer covered foot.
“Because”—she places her phone down gently beside her and tilts her head back to look up at me—“it would be nice if, for just one day, when I ask you to do something, you do it without resistance.”
I roll my eyes again.
“See what I mean?” She holds her hand out, gliding it up and down in front of me.
“I’m not resisting. I’m just a little peeved.”
“Well, we all have to do things we don’t like, Royce. Welcome to adulthood.” She pushes to her feet and stands toe to toe with me. “Get over it.” Her lips twitch into a smile before she swipes her phone from behind her and walks towards the door of the garage.
“When is Orka Boom coming?”
She tuts at my misuse of her name and stops in her stride, her eyes meeting mine across her shoulder. “Tomorrow.” She pushes the largest smile I have ever seen across her lips before walking out the room.
“Great,” I mutter as Cowan steps up behind me, patting me hard on the back. “Piss off,” I grunt and he laughs softly.
“Must be bad if you’ve got a babysitter.” His snarky comment pisses me off instantly.
“She’s not a babysitter,” I bite back at my teammate, which is the worst thing I could do.
“Yeah, okay.” He grabs his water bottle and perches himself next to his radio engineer and places his headphones on.
Agitation bites at the base of my neck, as I stride towards him. I pull the headphones off his head, and he looks up at me, brows furrowed.
“She’s not a fucking babysitter.” My teeth clench, and my voice is tight.
“All right.” He holds his hand up as if surrendering and I nod.
“Prick,” I mutter as I storm towards my room, slamming the door behind me.
I always knew me and Cowan were going to be like fire and petrol. We both wanted this too much; He isn’t a team player, even though my dad tells me he is. We’re both out for ourselves, all twenty drivers on the grid are. There was nothing wrong with that, but we had to work together sometimes.
This is just the start of the season. I want to be world champion, and I know I can do it.
Moving down the tunnel, I tap the metal beam that runs across as I make my way to my ready room. Slouched with my back against the wall, legs hanging over the small single bed, I throw tennis balls at the wall as my mind ticks over with thoughts.
So much had happened in the last three months.
My dad and my ex, Ana?s, are married. I had a new teammate come in, and now I’m having to have some stranger shadow me for the entire season.
It was far from ideal, but I promised my dad I would be better in accepting these inconveniences that were thrown at me.
Letting the two tennis balls fall from my hand, I scrub my face and let out an exasperated sigh. There is a knock on the door and my dad steps into the room, his eyes scoping around like he has never seen it before. Yet, it’s the same every set up.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he says, his hand rubbing back and forth over his chin.
The new gold wedding band that is wrapped around his finger catches my attention. It makes my chest ache, though I’m not quite sure why. I don’t feel anything for Ana?s, but the hollow pain still teeters away inside of me at the loss.
She moved on, and I am right where I started.
“Well, you’ve found me.” I tear my eyes away and bend down to collect the balls from the floor, scooping them into my hands before I begin to throw them against the wall again.
“You clearly have the hump.” My dad’s arms are crossed against his chest.
“Nope.” I drop in a one worded answer.
My dad takes a sharp inhale. “Look—”
“Save your breath. It’s done. I agreed to let this Orca Boo shadow me, but don’t expect me to be best friends with her.” I slice my gaze to him, and his lips press to a grin. I smile back, but not without rolling my eyes first.
“Way to go, champ.” I don’t miss the lace of humour in his voice as he turns his back. “Oh,” he says, spinning on his heel, “don’t forget dinner tonight. Seven, don’t be late.”
“Wouldn’t dare.” I wink and he chuckles softly before closing the door behind him.
Once I know he is gone, I drop the balls again and bring my hand to my chest. I try to rub the ache away, ignoring the tightness that pulls across it.
Walking towards the restaurant, I greet the server and I am shown to the table where my dad and his wife—my ex-girlfriend—are sitting.
He stands, pulling me into an embrace as he pats me on the back. Ana?s pushes to her feet, skating across the floor towards me. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into me then place a kiss on her cheek.
“Nice to see you,” she says and I scoff, shaking my head.
“I saw you a few hours ago,” I grunt, taking my seat.
“Fine, nice to see you again.” Her lips twitch into a smile as my dad laughs beside her, letting his arm hang around the back of her chair.
They look annoyingly happy. I love that for them, even if I still harbour a bitterness.
But she chose him. I broke her heart; she broke mine right back. We’re even.
“Have you heard from Rue?”
She goes straight for the jugular. My heart thuds against my rib cage and I clear my throat. Swiping the half-filled glass of water from the table, I swallow down a mouthful.
“Take that as a no,” she muses, picking invisible fluff from my dad’s shoulders and I scowl.
“No.” I lick my lips as I place the water back on the coaster, adjusting it so it sits perfectly in the middle.
“That’s a shame.” She flicks her green eyes to mine.
“Not really.” I shrug, trying to ignore the sting.
“It is, you’re allowed to admit that, Royce,” she says as she picks up the menu and glances at it.
“We didn’t work. She didn’t want to commit, and I think, in all honesty I didn’t either.” I hate the way it feels like a balloon is slowly inflating in my throat.
“Okay.” She hums and agitation bites at my skin.
“Bottle of wine?” My dad sweeps in, tugging at the collar of his polo shirt.
“Not for me.” I knit my brows. He knows I can’t drink, especially with it being the race next weekend.
“Royce.” Ana?s voice floats across the table and I lift my eyes to lock my gaze on her and take in her appearance—shoulder length auburn hair, dusting of freckles, blue eyes that glisten.
“Ana?s.” I bite the inside of my lip.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I just really liked the idea of you and Rue.”
“It’s fine.” I wave it off and grab my own menu, glancing down at it. “If I am being honest...” I trail off for a moment. “So did I.”
I wasn’t lying. I liked her. I wanted things to work out but they just kind of fizzled out… We had a short run, it was fun, breezy, but nothing more than that.
That was okay, though, because I didn’t want a girlfriend. I wanted to focus on my career. It was the same reason I broke up with Ana?s. My career was more important and the girls in my life didn’t like not being the focal point. Ana?s understood, she got it.
I drift from my mindless thoughts when the waiter comes over and asks what we would like to drink. Soda water and lime for me, whilst my dad and his wife ordered a bottle of wine.
“How are we feeling about this season?” my dad asks, lifting his eyes from the menu for a moment to look at me.
“Good.” My tone is clipped.
“Is that it?”
“Yes, I don’t want to jinx it. I have a good feeling; I can feel the butterflies in my gut. That’s a good thing.”
“I think you’ve got the world drivers’ championship in the bag,” Ana?s says very softly.
“Bit premature.” I laugh, my shoulders vibrating.
“Nope.” She shakes her head, fingers curling around the stem of her now full wine glass. “Trust me.”
I dip my chin and drag my glass towards me and wet my tongue.
“Here’s hoping,” my dad chimes in and raises his glass towards me. “If it is any consolation…” He clears his throat. “I think you’re going to smash this.”
“Thanks for that.” A grin locks onto my lips as the waiter returns to take our order.
I wake ready for team briefing; a knot in my stomach makes me feel nauseous. I’m dressed in a Saint Onyx polo, black cargos, and trainers. The weather is warm in Australia, but not unbearable. I hear the chatter of Glenn and my dad before my eyes drop to my wrist to catch the time. I’m early.
Knocking on the door, I am called in and my dad turns his body to face me.
“Morning.” He beams as he sits on the edge of the table, palm on his thigh.
I grunt a response, my shoulders lifted slightly. I pace towards the coffee machine and wait for the cup to fill.
“You okay?” I hear Glenn’s voice float across the room. Glenn is the team principal of our team. Pain in the ass at times, but a good bloke.
“Yeah.” After stirring my coffee, I toss the spoon onto the counter and spin to face them. “Where is the rest of the team?” I flick my eyes to the large clock.
“Should be here any minute.” My dad glances at me a second longer, no doubt trying to work out what is going on in my head.
I didn’t know myself, though. I just woke up feeling angsty, which is unlike me. I’m not an anxious guy.
“When does your new friend get here?” My dad takes a final poke.
I flip him off just as Cowan bounds through the door dressed in an oversized tee and skinny jeans.
Chunky trainers finish off his look. His blonde beach waved hair falls naturally just above his eyes.
That would drive me mad. I find myself messing my hair up in an attempt to look more put together but I fear I have only made it worse.
Cowan lifts his chin at me; I return it and settle into my seat.
Placing my coffee on the table, I reach for the headphones and link them around the back of my neck.
Cowan sits to my left, dad at the head of the table and Glenn to his right.
Tapping my fingers on the desk, Cowan leans across, his body closer to mine.
He whispers, “We’ve got this in the bag this year.” His confidence rattles me.
“Maybe.” I shrug.
“Not the attitude.”
I roll my lips. Pascal walks in, clipboard against his chest as he holds his hand up as if apologising for his lateness.
“No stress, Pascal, still plenty of time,” my dad reassures him. “None of your technical team are here yet anyway.”
Pascal nods, placing his stuff on the table then moving towards the coffee machine.
“When’s your babysitter getting here?” Cowan takes a jab at me.
I inhale heavily and side-eye my teammate. The urge to want to throat punch him grows as the seconds slip by, and I lift my fist to my lips.
“Not a babysitter.” I grit the words out as if they’re gravel on my tongue.
“Whatever you say, bud.”
“Fuck you,” I mutter on my inhale of breath.
Glenn eyes me, his brows knitted and I sit a slightly taller.
The technical team finally turn up, and I watch as my dad clocks the time, thumb under his chin, index finger pressed against his cheek.
He does not look amused in the slightest. Pascal throws them daggers and they all scarper into their seats.
With a roll of my eyes, I place my headphones over my ears.
“Right, shall we?” Pascal says before all nod and hum in agreement.
Briefing seems to go on forever, they’re always a little longer at the beginning of the season.
Sure, we have had testing, but this is down to the wire now and we need to make sure that everything is set.
The finer tuning per se. The car can be changed, slightly, but until we’re out racing, we’re not going to know where our weaknesses are.
“We have pretty much kept the car the same from last year, a few tweaks here and there,” Pascal’s voice drones off and I yawn.
“It looks exactly the same,” Cowan’s voice drips through the headphones and a few heads lift to look at him.
“Why change something that’s not broken?” I answer back, causing a couple of light chuckles to float around the room.
“Exactly,” Pascal says and Glenn jots down notes.
“We, Saint Onyx, are extremely happy and confident with the SO26. We truly believe that this is going to be the car to make us the Constructor Champion and even carry one of you boys to your first World Drivers’ Championship.”
A fire burns deep inside my chest. My heart is a jackhammer as the blood rushes around my body, excitement tingling at the base of my spine.
Both mine and Cowan’s radio engineers walk in, holding their hands up in a delicate wave. I’ve no idea why they haven’t been here. Marcel’s eyes flit to mine and I don’t miss the way they’re slightly misted. BJ settles himself down next to Cowan, giving him a pat on the back.
“Is there anything you boys would like to say?” Glenn asks us, my gaze skims to Cowan, his to me and we both shake our heads. “Okay, cool. Then let’s smash this season.”
The room erupts as we all begin tapping our fingers against the desk, causing a drum roll effect.
Fuck.