Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
JACE
“Not great. Not horrible either.”
“You always say the sweetest things to me.”
Mitch stares with an unimpressed expression and shakes his head. “I’m serious, Jace. You’ve got the speed, but you’re all over the track. Right now you’re sitting at a solid P4, but that’s without you having to defend against anyone. It’s not going to mean shit come race day.”
I sit up straighter, nodding. “I understand. I’ll tighten it up.”
“Good. They’ll get on some of the mods we discussed, but if you’re able to hold it all together, lord help the rest of the guys out there. Now go get some rest.” He looks out the window and grimaces. “And maybe save that poor girl by taking Moore with you.”
I look over my shoulder and chuckle. Lawson glares down at a five foot nothing reporter as she asks him questions. He’s probably giving her next to nothing that’s actually usable—if anything at all—like he does for every interview he’s ever done.
That’s where I come in.
The light to his dark.
The shining personality to his ‘get the fuck away from me’ glower.
The golden boy of Miller Racing and the perpetually moody teenager that they yell at for playing his devil music too loud.
I’m used to it though. It’s been this way since we were kids. It’s just how he is.
But to other people, like this poor—probably new because all the seasoned ones know not to even try to interview the lug—reporter, he’s a bit intimidating.
I walk out of the meeting room and creep up behind Law. The reporter’s eyes meet mine and immediately fill with relief when I wink. She interviewed me earlier. Nice girl.
Jumping on his back, I wrap my arm around his neck and bring him down to my level in a headlock. “Oi, I thought I raised you to play nice with the lovely reporters?”
Lawson pushes me off and straightens back to his full six foot one height. The lads all like to have a giggle about my five foot eleven, but there’s nothing better than seeing them shove their giant frames into the seat of their cars every weekend.
“I am being nice,” he says in a not-so-nice tone.
I ignore his grumbling and smile at the girl. “Apologies for the interruption, but I need to steal this one away.” I clap Law on the shoulder.
“No problem at all. I got all that I needed. Thank you guys and good luck in the race Sunday.” She quickly gathers her bag before beelining for the exit.
“Well, Law. I’ve gotta hand it to you, you really have a way with the ladies.”
“She’s not a lady—” I glare at him and he rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. She’s basically a co-worker and you above anyone else should know to never cross that line.”
My mood takes a nosedive at that particular reminder. “Yeah. Ten out of ten, absolutely do not fucking recommend.”
I shake off the reminder of my latest bad choice.
The one that doesn’t seem to be very accepting of the fact that what we had is long gone. As if the endless texts and calls I leave unanswered aren’t enough of a hint. Or the fact that I told her we were over countless times.
Lessons learned and all that, am I right?
Since our team had a later practice session today, the sun is setting by the time we make it to the hotel. We walk into our suite to the sounds of Ryder in a yelling match, clutching the mic of his headset as he points towards the video game on the TV. Nikolai sits next to him, shaking his head.
“Is he losing to that ten year old again?” I ask him, leaning against the back of the sofa.
Ryder shoots to his feet before he can answer. “You little shit, my mum is hot and you’d be so lucky!”
Nik chokes on his spit. “Mate, I don’t think that came out how you meant it to.”
I hear the faint cackling of multiple high voices through their headphones and nudge Law. “Tenner says he rage throws the controller.”
“You’re daft if you think I’m taking that bet.” He walks over to the other sofa, catching the controller as Ryder launches it across the room.
Nik chuckles. “Alright, go torture some other poor soul.” He signs off, setting his headphones on the table.
“Getting bullied by little kids again, King?” I ask, sprawling out on the lounge chair.
“How old were they this time?” Lawson smirks.
“Fuck right off the both of you.”
I lean my head back and raise a finger in the air. “Anyone else starving?”
The lads all mumble their agreements and Nik gets up to place a call to room service. He passes each of us a water as he comes back into the sitting area before collapsing back onto the sofa. “How are we feeling?”
I smirk. “Like you better watch your back on Sunday.”
It’s been a rule since we were kids that we’d never discuss anything revolving around our race teams that wasn’t already in the media. But that doesn’t mean we won’t smack talk.
“Cocky as always, Collins,” Nik chuckles.
When the food arrives, we all settle in to eat, the telly playing some reruns from today. I’m slicing into my beautifully cooked steak when my phone rings.
I pick it up and smile at the name flashing across the screen. Dropping my fork, I stand and head towards my room.
“Oi, I thought you were starving,” Ryder calls out to my retreating back.
I slam the door closed, letting that be answer enough as I answer the FaceTime call.
“Kinsley.”
“Hi. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I waited a couple hours after the practice sessions would end, but I couldn’t remember if you had something else tonight.”
“You watched the practice?”
“I didn’t know exactly what it was I was watching, but yeah.”
I walk over to the bed, falling back into the plush pillows. “Well since you saw how my day went, tell me about yours.”
“It was okay. I helped Lily fill out her application for this fashion competition in the States.”
“Shit, really? That sounds awesome.”
“It’s an incredible opportunity for sure. She’d be gone for three months and completely immersed with little to no connection to the real world. I don’t really understand it but apparently some of the best and hottest designers have come out of it.”
“Sounds kind of like fashion boot camp,” I chuckle and she giggles.
“That’s what I said.”
“Did you do anything else?”
“I went to the studio to process some pictures. Ran some errands. Then I came home and watched your practice. Nothing really exciting.”
“So what you’re saying is that you miss me?” I smirk, tucking an arm behind my head.
Her eyes follow the movement before she blinks, that adorable blush flooding her cheeks.
“I do. Miss you, that is.” She groans, falling to the side and burying her face into her pillow. “I don’t know why I said that.”
She peeks at me with one eye when I chuckle. I take in her make-up free face, messy bun, and bright eyes, smiling. “I miss you too, angel. My days haven’t been as exciting either.”
If I’m being honest, I’ve missed this girl since the moment I dropped her off at home on Tuesday. We’ve been texting non-stop over the past three days, but that hasn’t been enough.
I just didn’t realize how much until I answered this call and saw her.
She reveals more of her beautiful face. “How about you? I know I saw the practice session, but I want to know how you are doing.”
My heart skips at her words. The fact that she’s always wanting to know more than what’s shown on the surface. That she wants to know me .
“It was a tough day, but it’s infinitely better now that I’m talking to you.”
I take a breath as I watch her through the screen. Ever since she—quite literally—crashed into my life a week ago, I’ve felt this comfort in her. This kind of safe space where I don’t have to put on an act all the time. Where I don’t have to pretend everything is sunshine and rainbows.
With Kinsley, I can just be.
And she has no idea how much that means to me.
How much she’s beginning to mean to me.
“I’m just ready to get this race over so that I can come home.”
“The next one is here right?”
“It is.”
“When’s the next one after that?”
“On the thirtieth and just like this one, I’ll have to fly out that Tuesday before.”
“So you get to be home for two weeks?”
I nod. “I get to be home for two weeks.”
She nibbles on her lip. “You must be looking forward to that.”
I hum. “I am. I’ve got some things I’m excited for.”
My phone notifies me of an incoming call and my face drops.
And some things I wish would go away.
I push the decline button a little too harshly and lose my grip on my phone. It connects with my face and I groan.
“Jace? Are you okay?”
Yeah, just my unhinged ex—who apparently isn’t winning any awards for world’s best listener—won’t leave me alone.
Oh, and she kissed me the other day. Don’t worry though, I told her we were seeing each other to get her to back off even though we haven’t said whatever this is between us.
For all I know, you only want to be friends!
I’m grand.
I pick the phone back up and smirk. “Yeah, you’d think my reflexes would have come in handy there, but apparently they are as tired as I am from today.”
She laughs under her breath when there’s a knock on my door and Lawson pokes his head in. “Sorry to interrupt. The guys just left and I’m turning in for the night. I tucked your food away in the fridge.”
“Thanks, mate.”
“No problem.” He closes the door yelling out, “Goodnight Kinsley,” before it clicks shut.
“Do you need to go to sleep?”
I shake my head. “While I probably should, I don’t want to.”
“Jace, go to bed. You need your rest if you’re going to go kick some arse tomorrow.”
“Oh, bossy, Kinsley. I like it.”
She rolls her eyes, smiling. “Well if I don’t get to talk to you before qualifying,” her eyebrows crease, “Break a leg? Knock them dead? Godspeed? I don’t know what you’re supposed to say to someone who’s a race car driver.” She laughs and I smile.
“I think good luck will do.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t need luck though. The other drivers do.”
I snort. “Yeah. Sure.”
But when I secure my starting pole position the next day, I start to believe her words a little more than before.