Chapter 16
MANAGING THE STINT: BALANCING PACE VS TIRE LIFE
Two weeks later
Nothing about my father’s property is ever truly silent.
In the few weeks I’ve been here, there has always been something humming beneath the surface.
Wind, storms, the faint echo of tires from another circuit nearby.
This home constantly reminds you it was built for motion, for pushing limits and forgetting how to play it safe.
It beautifully merges the spectacle of Vegas with the legacy of my father’s career.
I’m standing on the back terrace, glass of water in hand, when I feel him—a subtle shift in the air as he climbs the stairs from the track.
I don’t turn. I don’t need to. Somewhere along the way, I’d memorized the cadence of his footsteps, the confidence in his stride, the way his presence always seemed to pull at mine.
My heart still reacts. That’s the part I hate most. Because I know my love for Leo Hawthorne was true. Believing he ever loved me the same way is what brings forth all my pain.
I wrap my hands tighter around the railing until the metal presses into my palms. I came here because I need answers. I deserve them even if the answers don’t erase what I overheard.
And there’s a part of me that’s terrified they’ll only confirm that I was simply meant to disappear.
When he speaks, his voice is raw. Uncontrolled. Like the open landscape has stripped his facade away. “Christin? You texted me.”
“I did.”
“Are you saying…is now a good time?”
I sip from my glass of water before acknowledging him. “Come on up, Leo.”
Internally, I wonder how he’s going to explain what led him to decimate my heart. He inches closer, lowering his voice. “I know I hurt you—”
“You didn’t hurt me,” I interrupt.
Incredulous relief flickers across his face. He opens his mouth to say more—to make an attempt to put us back on track—when I correct him. “You disparaged me by telling someone else you thought I might be lacking.”
Hearing me use the word lacking causes Leo’s face to contort.
“I know I said I’m sorry in my email, but you deserve to receive a proper apology. I’m so deeply sorry, Christin. I shouldn’t have said what I did. Not at all. It was…” He exhales. “It was just plain wrong.”
“That’s the bare minimum of what I deserve, but it’s a good place for you to start.” Silence stretches between us. Then I demand, “Is this change of heart because you see who I am now? Because I matter in your world?”
Leo sputters, “What? No, no!”
“You don’t get to turn something hurtful you said about me into something explainable because you found out the truth of who I am.”
“That’s not what I’m doing,” he protests.
My gaze doesn’t waver. But Leo’s face is adamant. He refuses to acknowledge any possibility that his feelings are based on knowing who I am. “I didn’t understand what I was saying.”
“Really?” My voice holds the right note of skepticism. “And now that I’m working with Apex Orion, am I supposed to forgive and forget, Leo?”
“I’m not asking you to let go of what I said. I’m asking for the chance to explain the history behind it.”
My brows come together. “History?”
His lips turn downward. “There’s quite a bit of it, to be honest.”
“That’s not a singular request, Leo.”
“I’m willing to do the work.”
I offer him little encouragement that I’ll take him back, even if I let him try to make amends. There are no guarantees. After all, he’s the man who broke my heart. “We’ll take it as it comes.”
“I want to earn your forgiveness, Christin.”
“That’s not going to happen tonight, Leo.”
He looks like he wants to say more, but tonight’s not the night for it. I back away from him before this goes any further. “Goodnight, Leo. See you at the track at nine.”
Just as I’m about to walk away, he calls out, “Christin.”
I pause. “Yes?”
“I know there’s no way to fix us in one night. But tomorrow, let me take the first step.”
“I’ll consider it.” I know I need more from Leo before handing my heart over again.
His expression shows his determination. “Okay.” He steps back then. I know Leo isn’t retreating; he’s respecting the boundary I just set between us. “Goodnight, Christin.”
“Goodnight, Leo.”
He lingers for half a second before turning and leaving the terrace.
I watch him go before I step back inside the house that’s always been warm. Infused with love.
Apparently not the kind of life Leo led before meeting me.
Before I can slip into my head any further, I’m interrupted by my phone buzzing on the end table.
I pick it up, already knowing.
Group video call with Maya, Amy, and Emery.
I press the green check to answer and am immediately assaulted.
“Oh my god, you look like you just emotionally sparred with a man,” Maya says.
“I did.” Then I admit, “Yes, it was Leo.”
Emery leans closer to her camera. “Details.”
Amy squints. “Was he groveling? Because if he wasn’t groveling, I’m not interested.”
“I gave him a chance to explain things to me.” Quickly, I give them a recap of our conversation.
Three simultaneous reactions.
Maya shrieks, “WHAT?”
Emery questions, “How did he sound?”
Amy wonders, “Was there visible evidence of his suffering?”
I walk into the kitchen with my glass and refill it with water. “Yes,” I say.
All three of them freeze before I’m absorbed in another rapid-fire question-and-answer round.
“Define visible suffering,” Amy demands.
“He appeared to appreciate the consequences of his actions.”
Emery clutches her chest. “Growth.”
Maya shakes her head. “No. No. We are not rewarding basic emotional awareness.”
“I didn’t,” I say, leaning against the counter.
“What did you say?” Emery asks.
“I said I’d consider it.”
Silence.
Then Maya shrieks, “CHRISTIN.”
I wince slightly, pulling the phone away from my face. “What?”
Maya looks personally offended. “You said you’d consider it?”
“It’s not a yes.”
“It’s not a no,” Emery counters.
Amy nods slowly. “It’s a strategic middle ground.”
“Thank you for that astute interpretation,” I say.
Amy and Emery chuckle as Maya glares at all of us. “You’re enabling her.”
“She’s fine,” Amy replies. “Have you ever known Christin not to be in control, even when what’s happening around her is emotionally devastating?”
I scowl. “You make me sound like a brand.”
Emery pipes up with, “Your slogan should be, ‘I will dismantle you while calmly smiling.’”
I take a sip of water, giving myself a moment. “He started to delve into why he said what he did.”
“And?” Maya asks, suspicious.
“That what he said wasn’t okay.” I hesitate before adding, “Then he touched on there being history that influenced what happened.”
Amy narrows her eyes. “What did he say?”
Maya points at the screen. “Do not let him off easy.”
“I won’t.”
Amy leans back, satisfied. “Okay. Then I approve.”
“When do you and the team leave for Bahrain?” Maya asks.
“A couple of days.”
“Are you ready? I mean, this will be the longest business trip you’ve been on,” Emery says.
“Part of me doesn’t feel like it’s a trip. I mean, I’ll be in five-star hotels for the foreseeable future.”
“It’s a rough life, but one of us has to live it,” Amy drawls.
I smile at her quip.
“Are you sure about Leo?” Emery’s voice is softer now.
I consider it. Then give her an honest answer. “Yes.”
Because if Leo wants back into my life, he’s going to have to earn everything all over again.