34. Sienna
Chapter 34
Sienna
I can barely look at myself in the mirror.
My eyes are swollen, bloodshot.
My skin pale and blotchy from crying all night. I splash cold water over my face, again and again, until the sting drowns out everything else. Until the girl staring back at me doesn't look so broken.
You’re the captain now. Remember?
I straighten my shoulders, pull my hair back into a high, fierce ponytail, and force my shaking hands to tie the laces on my boots. I’m dressed head to toe in red. The SKC color. And today’s battle armor.
Today isn't about heartbreak. It isn't about Levi walking away.
It's about winning.
Because if I don't—if we don't—there won't be a shop left to fight for.
The lobby is already buzzing by the time I make it downstairs.
The energy is manic. Even worse than it was yesterday morning. There are shuttles lined up outside. Crews pacing, stretching, cramming energy bars into their mouths, like we’re getting ready to compete in the Olympics. Crew chiefs and foremen are barking last-minute strategies.
Cameras are everywhere .
A boom mic swings a little too close to my face and I duck it with a grimace.
I spot my crew near the entrance. My rag tag band of misfits.
Gramps is just people watching everyone as they walk by. Kick is pacing, chatting on the phone with someone. Ghost is carving something out of wood, and Joey’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking like he’s getting ready for the main event of an MMA fight.
Then there’s Levi.
He’s a fortress of a man, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, jaw locked tight. Looking like the fight of his life is ahead of him. He just suppresses all his nervous energy into a rock solid facade.
He doesn’t look at me when I approach. Doesn’t dare.
Good.
Because if he did, I’d probably crumble into a thousand pieces and I don’t have the luxury of getting to do that at the moment.
"Alright," I say, louder than I feel like saying it. "We know the plan. We know our strengths. Today, we don't build for the cameras. We build for us. For SKC. For what we’ve worked our asses off for."
The crew nods, fierce and focused. And I love that they can meet me there.
We pile onto the shuttles, and soon enough, we're rolling into the chaos of the build grounds.
This is it. Day Two. The final battle.
The cameras swoop low, capturing every grim expression, every flex of muscle, every bead of sweat that hasn't even fully formed on our brows yet.
There's a scoreboard now, giant and looming over the build pits, flashing between crew names and scores from yesterday's first round preliminary votes. We're not dead last.
But damn, we're close.
A hair’s breadth away from the edge. But I know that’s only because the audience can’t see what we have envisioned yet. Sometimes people don’t buy in, until they’re able to see the same thing we’ve seen all along.
And what we have… it’s going to blow their minds.
The second the horn blares, we dive in.
Kick's throwing sparks from the welder like a demon possessed. Gramps is barking torque specs to Ghost. Joey is hunched over the paint booth, his hands steady but his face pale with concentration.
And me? I'm everywhere.
Organizing, grabbing parts, double-checking measurements, adjusting designs on the fly when something doesn't fit.
Wherever I’m needed, I’m there.
About halfway through the morning, the worst possible thing happens.
Grayson Holt struts past our build station, cameras trailing after him like flies to shit.
He throws a smirk our way, then "accidentally" knocks over a stack of carefully placed parts with a swipe of his hand.
"Oops," he says, not even pretending.
Levi’s on him in an instant.
"Pick it up," he growls.
Grayson grins wider. "Or what, old man?"
The cameras pivot toward the two of them like vultures.
I jump between them before Levi’s fists can do what I know he’s thinking.
"Not worth it," I hiss under my breath. "We've got this, Levi. We've got this."
For a second, he looks like he might rip Grayson a new one. And I kind of wish he could. But this is being broadcasted live. And from my understanding, anything Levi does at the moment is under scrutiny for his guardianship.
Levi jerks his head in a stiff nod and stalks off, shoving through the crowd toward the back lot away from the mayhem.
I bend to pick up the parts myself, heart hammering in my ears.
The whole world's watching.
And we are not going to give them the show they want.
Kick is next to me in a flash, helping me with the remainder.
“Thanks,” I mouth to her. She’s wearing her headphones to blast her music to help her concentrate. She nods at me and gets back to work.
* * *
Later, during the lunch break, I slip out into the spectator area, desperate for five minutes away from the cameras and pressure.
That's when I hear it.
"Si!"
I spin around—and to my surprise… it’s Julian.
My Julian. Big, bright smile just waiting for me to react.
I launch myself at him and he catches me, spinning me in a circle. Something we rarely ever do.
"Oh my God, what are you doing here?" I gasp, tears pricking my eyes. And there’s really nothing I can do to stop them.
He grins, setting me down. "Had to see you kick some ass in person."
"I thought you had class?"
He shrugs. "Maybe we drove all night just to be here. Took a little road trip."
"Wait… we ?" I say, catching the slip.
Julian's cheeks flush. He shoves his hands deep into his pockets, suddenly sheepish.
"Yeah," he says. "Uh… my boyfriend drove with me."
I blink.
"Boyfriend?"
He nods, glancing away.
"I was gonna tell you. I just… Si, didn’t know how. After everything with our families. I didn’t know how you’d feel about it."
I grab his hands, forcing him to look at me.
"Julian. I don’t care who you love. As long as they treat you right, I’m happy for you. So, so happy for you."
His eyes go glassy. And he pulls me into another hug, tight and fierce.
"You’re my family," I whisper into his shoulder. "Always."
He pulls back, grinning. "Same, Si. Always."
I laugh through the sting of tears.
But somewhere deep inside, the ache lingers.
Because even as Julian finds new beginnings... I'm standing here in the ruins of my own.
I’m Captain Riley of SKC now.
But I’m also Sienna Riley.
The girl who let herself fall in love with a man who was already halfway gone.
And the worst part?
I’d do it all over again if it meant even one more night of being his.