Chapter 60
SIXTY
Today is the day. By the time this race is through, a champion will be announced, and all our years of hard work will either have paid off or been for nothing. I know we can try again and this isn’t the end of the world, but I want it.
I want to win. I want to show the world what we are made of, but I also want to prove to myself that I can do this. My nerves are through the roof, but as I look at the stands from the paddock, I can’t help but smile. Our entire fan base is there, screaming and holding signs.
Conan, Alek, Evan, my grandma, Noah’s dad, Lally, Alice, and Bones are all in a row. Our support system is insane, and I don’t want to let them down, but I know even if we don’t win, they won’t care, and that makes me feel a little better.
A hand slides down my back and I startle. “You ready for this?” Noah murmurs, everything else fading for a moment as I peer up at him.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” I don’t sound confident.
“Mackie, you’ve got this. You’re a natural driver, so don’t overthink it.
Just follow your instincts,” he encourages softly just as Skylar appears, grinning and excited, but I know he’s just as nervous.
He’s just better at hiding it. He cares a lot.
He admitted it’s different than street racing, where he never really cared other than money, but this?
It’s his dream, and he wants it as badly as I do.
“It’s time. Let’s do this, brother,” Skylar calls, and I spare Noah another look.
“You’ve got this, baby. I’ll be right here.” When I turn away, he grabs me and yanks me back, kissing me swiftly. “No matter what, I’m so fucking proud of you. Title or no title, you’re still a winner to me, but bring that trophy home to us.”
“Yes, sir,” I reply as I pull away, smiling as I jog to catch up to Skylar.
He grins when I reach his side, and I wave over at our group, blowing Conan a kiss before I focus as we step onto the track and head toward our cars.
Orson leans against mine, smirking at me. “Look who showed up. We had a bet you wouldn’t. Are you ready to lose again?”
“You’re making my car dirty,” I remark with a dismissive glance.
His eyes narrow, and he steps up to me. “It’s my race. Learn your place, or better yet, I’ll show you today. The title and money are mine. You don’t stand a chance, kid.”
“For someone who lost the last one, you sure talk a lot of shit,” I respond. “Run along. I bet your master is calling you.”
His lip curls in anger as he looks me over. “Be careful, little boy,” he warns, his voice low. “Accidents happen all the time.” He stalks off.
“What did he say?” Skylar asks. “I’ll kick his ass.”
I press my hand to his chest. “We’ll do it on the track,” I remind him. “We’ll win and prove we are better.”
Skylar grumbles but steps back, eyeing me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just ready to win this shit.” I fill my voice with confidence, and he grins.
We bump our helmets together in our usual ritual. “Give it your all, brother,” he murmurs.
“You too. I’m not holding back.”
“Good, me neither. It doesn’t matter which one of us wins as long as it’s us.” I know he means it, and so do I, but we will both give it our all.
Racing relies on a lot of things: it might not just be your day or your race, others’ mistakes, and even your car, but also your determination.
Everything has to go right or as close to as it can.
So many factors are set against us, it’s almost impossible, but today, I will make the impossible possible.
Climbing into my car, I pull my gloves on and fasten my belt before starting my engine. “Alright, boys, it’s time to prove who you are. Starfire is taking that title. Don’t hold back. Drive safe and cross that line.” Noah’s voice crackles through the mic.
“We’ve got you, old man. Don’t worry, just have that Champagne waiting,” Skylar teases.
“And maybe a blowjob,” I taunt, and Skylar chortles.
“Mackie, these conversations are recorded,” Noah reminds me, but he sounds amused.
“Oops,” I say as I tighten my grip on the wheel as my heart slows and the red light flashes. I glance at Skylar, and he nods at me. No matter what happens, it won’t change anything between us. We are brothers through and through, win or lose.
I look at the stands and see Conan waving and grinning, and my eyes scan the rest of my ragtag family before I look at the track. I need to ignore everything else and focus on myself and this car.
I became the youngest driver in the league.
I made Noah fall in love with me.
I’ve achieved all my dreams, so it’s time to grab this last one.
Amber.
Taking one last breath, I adjust my grip, and then the green flashes.
We quickly take first and second, with Blizzard and Nos close behind.
We try to put some distance between us at the first two corners, but they are dogging us pretty well.
Breathing through the adrenaline, I try not to go too fast, but when Orson’s car fills my rearview mirror, swerving around me, I cut him off, only for him to swing the other way and overtake me.
Shit.
I’m so focused on winning, I ignored my instincts and it cost me. Win or lose, I’ll do whatever feels right.
Orson tries to drive in front of me and seems to slow, even though there’s nothing in front of him. I try to pass, and he blocks, swerving back and forth, and just when I get my bumper past him, he turns, heading right for me as he goes to block me, but I know he’s going to make contact.
I slam the brakes and jerk my wheel to the right, spinning in a circle to avoid him and knocking myself off the track like he did to Blizzard.
My heart slams, and I hear Noah’s voice through the headset, but I tune everything out other than the engine and controlling the spin.
I straighten out and slam on the gas, passing him and catching up with Skylar.
“Mackie, Mackie, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just showing off a little,” I reply, flipping off Orson behind me. He meant what he said. He wanted to cause an accident so I’d get hurt, maybe even killed. What an ass.
He was willing to be suspended, probably even banned, just so we wouldn’t win.
He’s a fucking maniac, but I don’t give him another thought.
His little slip costs him, and Blizzard blocks him from aligning with others from Nos.
We create a barrier between him and the front.
He isn’t winning today. We all show him just how much of a team sport this is.
He thinks he’s hot shit, but this is our track.
By the second lap, Sky and I have put distance between us.
Only Blizzard is a close second, Jordan doing everything to keep up.
He manages to get between us as we approach the final bend of this lap.
It’s a tight one, and we all know a maximum of two cars can fit, and even then, if you aren’t careful, you’ll crash.
Taking a deep breath, I put my trust and instinct in Sky.
We’ve trained for this and worked together.
One of us will win. We hit the gas, speeding toward the bend.
My and Sky’s car level as Jordan hesitates before slamming his brakes at the last second, and we both slide around the corner and shoot across the line and into the final lap.
We fight for position the entire way around, changing, passing, and having fun.
Sky even blows me a kiss as I wink at him.
“Alright, boys, it’s time to end this. No holding back,” Noah calls. “You are still brothers, no matter what. Bring it home.”
I know what he means. There’s only one winner, but neither of us will hold back, not even out of love for each other. He wouldn’t thank me if I let him win, and neither would I.
Skylar and I race down the straight, neck and neck.
Everything else fades—the crowd, the cars chasing us.
It’s just him and me and the finish line ahead.
It’s all I focus on as I press my foot down and edge forward.
I glance at him, and he nods, both of us focusing on the line in the distance as we give it our all.
One of us will win, one of us will be second, but all I can think about is that line.
It’s hard to tell, but we cross the finish at the same time.
By the time we slow to a stop, I have no idea who won.
I idle, breathing through the adrenaline, hoping it’s me while praying it’s him.
My heart clenches before I force myself from the car.
Not looking doesn’t change the outcome. It’s done.
It’s over. One of us is a champion. Rushing from my car, I meet Skylar as we turn to the board, our hands linked as we ignore all the other racers.
The next few seconds are the longest of my life. I barely breathe, my heart stops, and then the board flashes with the order, and I gape as it appears in black and white. Skylar, the crowd, everything fades as I stare at the names and times.
My name is at the top.
I won.
Skylar is second, by a hairsbreadth, but I’m above him, and next to my name is a new record.
“You fucking did it!” Skylar roars as he picks me up and spins me around, but I can’t think as he puts me on my feet. He yanks my helmet off, grinning at me as I stare. “Mackie, you did it!”
“I won?” I whisper.
“You fucking won!” he yells. “You fucking did it!”
“I won!” I throw myself at him, and he laughs, and we jump and celebrate. The crowd goes wild, but as we pull away, I hear my name and turn to see Orson prowling my way. He throws his helmet onto the track, his face furious as he advances on me before the other drivers step between us.
I hear him swearing and yelling at us, but his other driver holds him back as he lunges for me.
Lifting my hand, I scratch my face with my middle finger as I walk backwards, sticking my tongue out before I turn and clap Skylar’s shoulder and head toward our paddock.
I only make it two steps before we are converged on.
Arms surround me, and there are so many voices, I can’t make them out. We are a mass of people until I pull away to breathe. Noah’s hands find my cheeks, his smile so wide it looks like it has to hurt. “You did it, baby.”
Conan knocks him aside, hugging me. “I’m so proud of you.”
When I glance at Noah, he congratulates Sky, and I worry, but then he grins at me, letting me know there are no hard feelings. We promised to give it our all, and we did. We always knew one of us would win, I just thought it would be him, and I would have been happy for him.
“Move, move, too many hotties,” my grandma calls, and the crowd parts as she holds out her arms. Her white shirt has my face on it, the words below it stating, “I made this bitch famous.”
Laughing, I throw myself at her, and she kisses my head. “You did so well. Look at you! Your parents would be so proud.” I lower my head, hiding my tears, but I can’t stop smiling as someone slaps my back, and I meet Alek’s eyes.
“Congratulations, brother!”
Evan, Alice, and Lally repeat it, all smiling, and then I meet Noah’s dad’s eyes. Grinning, I pull away from my grandma and hug him. He seems surprised at first, but he quietly hugs me back.
“I am so proud of you,” he murmurs. “I’ll have to buy you something to celebrate.”
“You being here is enough,” I assure him as I pull back and smile at Skylar, who is wrapped around Bones. Fear courses through me at the idea of him being upset. Neither of us like to lose, and I just hope this hasn’t tarnished what we have. No title would be worth that. “We good, brother?”
“Don’t be a bitch.” Stepping away from Bones, he grabs my head and presses our foreheads together. “We are brothers. Your win is my win. I’m just so fucking happy.”
“Me too.” I drag him closer as my tears fall, relief and excitement filling me as we embrace.
We did it.
We are champions.
Everything moved so fast after the race.
We were whisked away, and as I stand on the podium, I can’t believe it.
I look around in shock. Skylar is to my left, one step down, and Jordan is in third to my right.
Cameras flash, and questions are shouted, but I search the crowd until I find Noah and Conan standing together, clapping for us.
It’s a blur. I still can’t believe it when I’m presented with the trophy. I stare down at it until Skylar nudges me.
“Embrace it or I will.” He chuckles, and my shock bursts into joy as I grin and look down at it. My name is engraved on the front, and I thrust it into the air as the crowd screams and claps. Moments later, Champagne is handed to me, and a wicked grin crosses my face as I hold the open bottle.
Shaking it, I spray it over Skylar and Jordan as they laugh and reach for me.
I’m drenched and sticky, but I grin and hold out the trophy to Skylar.
He takes it, looking confused. “It belongs to both of us.” Wrapping my arm around him, I pose for photos, and then I nod.
“I wouldn’t be here without you. It’s as much yours as it is mine, and next time, I know you’ll win. ”
“You bet your ass. Now go, I think you have something to do, right?” He grins, and I know what he means.
Nodding, I lick my lips, tasting the Champagne, then I find him in the crowd and leap down. I push through the throng, ignoring the questions, until I stand in front of Noah. I see flashes, but he’s all I’m focused on.
Noah frowns. “Mackie?”
Thrusting the trophy at him, I smile nervously. “I told myself when I got this, I’d tell the whole world. No one can say it affects our business.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes widen as I yank him close and kiss him in front of everyone. The shouts and shock are louder than even when the champion was announced, but I ignore them as I pull away and smile at Noah.
“I’m done hiding.”
He searches my gaze, his smile slow but huge as he takes my hand. “Me too.”
“Mackie, Noah, Mackie!” I turn to the cameras, smiling directly into them. “What does this mean?”
“It means what you think it does. Noah and I are dating, have been for a while. We are just done hiding it.” I tug him with me to the podium, and Skylar whistles and claps.
Shaking his head, Noah grins at me. “Crazy, I should have known you were the first time I met you,” he murmurs.
“Yeah, but you love me.” I look at Conan, and he blows me a kiss, letting me know it’s okay. I spoke to him about it. He’s happy with our love being just ours, but Noah needed to be loved openly.
I’ve never been so happy, and as I stare out at the crowd, I know my life couldn’t get any better.