Chapter 32 #2
He lifted her helmet off, then her balaclava, running his fingers through her hair and holding her face in his hands, wiping away her tears.
She just looked at him, taking in every detail of his face.
His chiselled jaw, that one curl that never stayed in place and fell onto his forehead, the way his brows creased so intensely when he was focused.
He caught her eye for just long enough to snap her out of it.
She didn’t shy away, didn’t avert her gaze. What would she have done if Marco hadn’t made it? If she hadn’t made it. Weston was right, life was too short, and it was fragile. She didn’t want to waste any more time, letting Jesse’s actions keep her from what was meant for her.
‘Monaco…’ she murmured, reaching up to run her hand along his jaw. His gaze shifted to her lips, and she smiled at him, ‘Hear me out, trust that this isn’t just the shock talking and I would never say this without meaning every word… Mars, I think you might be my person.’
‘Really?’ He breathed out a laugh, ‘I’m your right guy?’
‘I think so,’ she nodded.
‘About time.’
And then his lips were on hers, thousands of fans screaming at what they thought was an act of relief between two lovers, who had come close to losing one another.
Which it was, but it was so much more than that.
It was the beginning of a beautiful chapter they had yet to explore, one in which Savi was free to be herself, express her fears and hopes and dreams and know that she would be met halfway.
This kiss felt different to the one they had shared in the barn, because she didn’t have to worry what it meant.
She knew what it meant. She was his, and he was hers.
He parted her lips with his tongue and she let him, not a care in the world at how far the camera zoomed in on them.
Let them see. Let people see what a real relationship looked like.
His hand travelled down her body until he reached the back of her thighs, silently encouraging her to jump so that her legs were wrapped around his waist. Revelling in each other for a few moments, they broke the kiss, instead clinging to one another like their whole lives depended on it.
She didn’t want to let go, but there was a bigger issue at hand.
‘Monaco.’ She pulled back. ‘The race. What about the team?’
‘Cowgirl, look around. Look where we are.’ He gestured to the finish line with his head, and she gasped. It was metres behind them, which meant…
‘We did it?!’
‘Fuck yeah, we did.’
Then she noticed the red flag waving, which meant the race was done, and everyone had been given the positions they were in when the race finished whether they had crossed the line or not.
This couldn’t be taken away from them because of the crash.
Revolution Racing had won, and as the race marshal’s voice came over the track speakers and confirmed the winners, everyone in the grandstand opposite got to their feet, flags waving and arms flying up in the air to offer their applause.
It was the best moment of every race, when thousands of people came together to celebrate the incredible feat of every team who had participated, and the team’s hard work paid off.
But this? Finishing a twenty-four-hour race in such a way? Nothing would ever compare.
They’d done it. They’d scraped through by the skin of their teeth, and they’d not only completed it, but they’d won . She’d never felt pride like it.
Once they had been checked over by the medical team and made it back into the garage, their teammates swarmed around them.
The atmosphere in there was strange; like they were torn between celebrating and being respectful of the fact two of their drivers had just collided and the aftermath could have been so much worse.
‘Thanks for covering me, Sav,’ Miko smiled weakly. ‘If I had known that would be the way it ended… Well, I’m just glad you’re okay.’ She hugged her, pulling Kodie in with them.
‘Could have happened to any of us, Meeks. But we’re safe, and we won!’
‘Savannah Hart, don’t you be so blasé about what happened out there.
’ Her mum marched over, and her teammates scattered so she could scoop her up in a crushing embrace.
‘Of all the races to crash at, you had to do it at the one where your dad, brother and I were watching from behind the scenes,’ she tutted.
Calvin chuckled, ‘But we are very glad you’re okay.’
‘And proud of you,’ Weston added. ‘For completing the race, and also for facing your fears with De Luca. Glad to see my advice got through that thick skull of yours.’
‘Yes, what was that about? Real or fake?’ Bonnie’s eyes went wide.
Marco joined them, wrapping an arm around her waist. ‘Real.’
‘Clear out, team!’ Jasper shouted above the noise, ‘Podium time!’
The IEC podium had become like her second home over the first half of the season.
She and her teammates had placed first, second or third in every race so far.
That was standard for Revolution Racing, but it was beyond incredible for a team full of rookies.
Sponsorship deals had been pouring in ready for next season, and she knew her success was going to skyrocket overnight when her rookie season was over and done with.
She, Miko and Kodie stood on the platform for second position, next to but slightly lower than Brett, Julien and Marco.
Jasper and Gabriel were amongst the crowd below them with her brother, who was manically waving the USA flag, and her parents.
All of them looked close to tears. The team’s mechanics and engineers were quiet, with subtle smirks and stunned expressions across their features, in disbelief at just how much they had achieved in the past twenty-four hours.
They’d fought sleep the entire time, changed the race strategy halfway through, battled extreme heat and rain and storms, replaced broken rear wings and panels, kept their drivers in high spirits.
Revolution would have been lost without them, and Savi wished they could all come up on the podium with them. They belonged up here.
‘This is magical,’ Miko commented. ‘Look how many people have gathered.’
Fans were running across the circuit towards parc fermé where the cars sat stationary in a grid formation, behind large signs that read ‘first’, ‘second’ and ‘third’ in bold letters.
The IEC had four classes and Revolution Racing were in the top class, which meant the other classes had already had their celebrations while Savi and Marco had been getting checked over.
She looked down at her feet and saw a few stray pieces of champagne-soaked red confetti on the floor.
‘I think that’s my favourite part. How they all cling to the fences, no security to stop them. It’s a free-for-all in the best way; they haven’t had to pay thousands of euros to gain VIP access. All they’d have to do is leg it from the grandstands and here they are. Celebrating alongside us.’
‘I was them once. There’s nothing like it,’ Kodie added.
Savi focused on the fans, on her family and on her team, glancing over at Marco and earning herself a small smile.
She had spent all that time angry and hurt that Jesse had never bothered to show up for her, but now?
She was relieved. This was one thing that was hers and only hers.
He’d never been willing to share it with her, never made any effort to try.
And that meant he couldn’t take the joy out of this for her.
He wasn’t part of this. But Marco was, and she’d chosen him to be her teammate in every phase of life.
‘Have you seen the trophies?’ Brett whisper-yelled over to them. ‘They’re fucking crystal .’
‘Oh, wonderful. The kids will break that in no time,’ Julien muttered.
As each winner was announced, the crowd roared, and Savi felt alive.
And when it was her turn to take hold of her trophy and lift it in the air, she looked directly at her parents.
Her very first teammates in life who had listened to every dream of hers and Weston’s and not once told them there was a chance they might not make it.
This win may be hers, but it was shared with Miko, Kodie, her team, her family and every single person who stood in that crowd and beyond wearing Revolution red.
Champagne rained over them, soaking Savi’s curls and trickling down her neck. She looked up to see Marco grinning down at her and laughing as Julien did to him what he had just done to her. ‘Couldn’t help myself. It’s tradition.’
‘Mars…’ she whispered, choking back a sob.
‘Savannah?’ He immediately pulled her up to his level, his arms wrapped around her tightly. She knew the cameras were on them at this precise moment; how could they not be? The world saw a connection between them and right now it was at its strongest.
The dam burst. She didn’t know why she was crying this time.
It was a combination of everything: anger at Jesse, hurt over what he’d done to her, joy over earning a Le Mans podium and her family being here to witness it.
But it was the final thing on her list that provided the most tears; she had fallen for her best friend.
He had come at exactly the right time, despite what they may have said on that ride back in Wyoming.
The universe knew what it was doing, it had just been up to Savi to let him love her in the midst of her heartbreak.