CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Kaia
It was one of those rare afternoons when Sharon wasn’t meeting friends or out shopping. I found her in the living room, watching TV and sipping coffee from a mug.
“What are you watching?” I asked, sinking onto the couch beside her.
She didn’t have time to mask her surprise. I couldn’t blame her—I hardly ever started conversations, and she usually only spoke to me when it involved school, therapy, or dance.
“Oh,” she said, lowering the volume, “just a home renovation show. I don’t know why I find them so addicting. Maybe because once upon a time, I planned to study interior design, but at the last minute I switched to tourism instead.”
“Did you ever use what you studied?”
Sharon tapped her red nails against the mug and nodded. “Oh, yeah. I worked as a hotel manager. That was my last job before my husband… Anyway.” She sipped and set the mug on the coffee table. “Traveling has always been my biggest passion.”
Perfect. Maybe convincing her wouldn’t be as hard as I thought. My palms were clammy, so I wiped them on my jeans. Get it together, Kaia. It was just a conversation.
“I’d love to travel more,” I said. “Maybe we could go to Emerport tomorrow? I need clothes, and Mandy says the best malls are there. You could also watch Asher race. I’ll wait for you. I think he’d want you to go.”
Sharon tucked a few loose blond strands behind her ear and studied me, as if gauging whether I was serious. “Did Asher tell you that?”
“Well…” I laced my fingers together, praying they wouldn’t shake. “We aren’t close enough for him to say that outright, but I figure every racer wants family in the stands.”
Her eyes dropped to her nails, expression tight.
“You’re probably right. It’s just hard for me.
The last time I went to the track was the day Asher’s father died in that accident.
If it were up to me, my son would’ve gone to college and gotten a safe office job.
But he grew up watching Sergio race and never saw another path. ”
The flicker of sympathy caught me off guard. I worried about Ash too, though I rarely showed it. Racing was his passion, and I’d stand by him no matter what.
“I don’t think Asher will change,” I said softly. “So maybe you could show him you care.”
Sharon’s blue eyes lingered on mine. For a long beat she stayed quiet, then finally smiled. “Shopping’s always a good idea, right? Let’s do it. After the race.”
***
Since Asher had left for Emerport on Friday, he had no clue Sharon and I would be at the track.
The stands were packed. Families with kids filled the rows, buzzing with excitement as they waited for the race to begin. My father sat with the team’s management while Sharon and I joined the other spectators.
A gentle breeze cooled my flushed face, carrying the scent of the sea. Emerport, unlike Stetbourg, lay on the coast, its air cleaner—at least until the race began and gasoline and scorched tarmac filled my lungs.
I’d been to plenty of races, but never this eager. Watching Asher in videos wasn’t the same as seeing him in person. I hoped he won. It would make this day unforgettable.
Moments later, the engines roared, and the crowd erupted around me. Banners waved in the air, fans shouting for their racers. I fixed my gaze on the track and released a shaky breath when I spotted Asher’s bike. He sped past the stands with three others, but on the first turn he left two behind.
The racers soon blurred into streaks of color. I could only tell them apart when they flew close to the stands.
“He’s first,” Sharon said, her hand closing around mine as she stared without blinking.
Ash leaned into the corner so far I swore his knee grazed the tarmac.
“?Vamos, chico! ?Vamos, vamos!” A man in a gray suit and sleek sunglasses shouted beside me. I bit back a grin. Alejandro. I’d only seen him a handful of times, but he was always warm—and he cared about Asher.
He pressed a fist to his mouth, raked a hand through his styled hair with a groan, then brightened. “Sí, joder.” With a chuckle, he unlocked his phone and started typing.
“That man is Asher’s agent,” Sharon said, pointing with her chin.
“Yeah, Alejandro. I know.”
“Oh? How?”
Her curious look made my stomach knot. Shit. Careless. The last thing I needed was for her to get suspicious. My throat went dry. “I saw him at the gala, I think.”
Sharon laughed. “Oh, of course. I forgot. He introduced himself to everyone.”
Relief loosened my chest. I licked my lips and refocused on the track. Alejandro alternated between cheering and texting, while Sharon’s eyes never left her son.
The final lap was decisive. My breath stuttered when another rider nearly overtook Asher, but he crossed the finish line first. The instant his wheels grazed it, he fist-pumped the air, then pressed his fingers to his heart before touching his helmeted mouth.
My gesture.
Tears blurred my vision. I ducked my head, pretending to rummage in my purse while I blinked fast, praying no one noticed.
“Este es mi chico,” Alejandro boomed before pushing through the crowd toward Parc Fermé.
Ash slowed for his victory lap, but he’d head there next for inspection and interviews.
Sharon rose. “Well, that was fun. Let’s go find your dad and tell Asher we’re here.”
She led the way to where Dad stood with a group of men in suits. He kissed her cheek, then glanced at me. “Wait a bit. Asher’s answering some questions.”
From afar, I watched Ash. He’d swapped his helmet for a Forward Racing cap and was speaking with a local reporter, looking confident and relaxed. He smiled at something the curly-haired man said, and when the interview ended, Sharon waved. “Asher!”
His head turned. Surprise flashed in his eyes when he spotted his mother—then me. As he came closer, his lips twitched, like he wanted to smile but held back. Heat swept through me, the urge to run into his arms and kiss him almost unbearable.
“Kaia,” he said. “What a nice surprise.”
Sharon draped an arm across my shoulders. “Kaia and I are going shopping in town, but we wanted to watch you race first.”
“I’m glad you came.”
“Congratulations,” Sharon said. “Okay, let me have a word with your dad, Kaia.”
She marched toward Russell. Asher bit his lip and tugged my hand. “Come here.”
“But Ash…”
He squeezed my fingers. “Trust me.”
The crowd had thinned, and no reporters lingered. Ash led me behind his motorhome, out of sight.
“Enhorabuena, campeón,” I whispered, cupping his face.
He kissed me once, then again. I parted my lips, pulling him closer, kissing harder.
The brush of his tongue against mine sent heat spiraling low in my stomach.
One kiss wasn’t enough—I’d missed him too much.
It was like being given a sip of water after hours in the desert.
Instead of quenching me, it left me thirstier.
His hands slid over my waist. “One last kiss,” he murmured, brushing his nose against mine. “Then you should go, mi nina. Just say you needed the bathroom.”
He kissed me once more, cupping my face. When we pulled apart, his smile was soft as he skimmed his knuckles over my cheek. “Thank you for being here. You made me happy.”
“I loved watching you race. I’m so proud of you, Ash.”
He tapped my nose. “If you keep saying that, I won’t let you leave—and I still have the podium. Go, before my mother sends a search party.”
“Okay,” I said, backing away. “Don’t miss me too much.”
Ash chuckled. “Go miss me a lot.”
I blew him a kiss and hurried back toward Sharon.
“Kaia,” a male voice called. “What a nice surprise. Did you come to watch your brother race?”
Goosebumps rippled over my arms, not the good kind. Brother? Not this again. Asher wasn’t my brother, and his teammate got on my nerves—especially after how pushy he’d been at the gala.
I turned slowly, forcing a relaxed smile. “Ethan. I’m here with my father’s girlfriend. I needed the bathroom.”
He nodded, too casual. “Gotcha. Well, let me walk you back so you don’t get lost.”
I’d rather get lost, but I didn’t want him suspicious. Wrapping my arms around my middle, I walked with him toward the track.
I spotted Sharon right away—thankfully, alone. “Thanks, Ethan,” I said. “Asher’s mother is here.”
His cold gray eyes flicked toward her, then lingered on my face a beat too long. “It was nice of you to come watch your brother. Sibling love is a beautiful thing. Have a nice afternoon, Kaia.”