Chapter Fourteen #2
Her son’s eyes closed at the words, sleep finally claiming him even as his small hands still held a firm grip on the book of racing lore.
Astrid felt the tears escape her eyelids then, the emotion of the moment all too much for her as she backed away and moved slowly down to the living room with what felt like her entire heart in her throat.
Seeing her son bonding with his father was indescribable.
It was all she had ever wanted and more…
Of course, Apollo would think nothing of making promises to their son in such a quiet, poignant moment.
He wouldn’t realise that, to Luca, that was akin to a vow.
Of course, Luca would adore the prospect of travelling around the globe with his racing-driver father, to all of the cities and races he had once visited as a toddler.
Her own career had been much easier to juggle back then by having him with her all the time.
But he’d struggled with the travel schedules and the crowds, despite loving the cars.
She hadn’t made the choice to move them permanently to London lightly.
Since settling him into school, she had rearranged her life to be more stable, to give him more routine and a better sense of control.
And it was working; he was happier, and it had just started feeling easier for them both.
Astrid sighed. Apollo had already missed seven years of Luca’s life, so it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for him to expect her to change some plans in order for them to be together, really.
But would he expect her to uproot their quiet little life and follow him around the globe? How would he react if she said no?
She knew all too well that some people were so focused on their plans and beliefs that they wouldn’t even consider bending.
An image of her stern father entered her mind on the last day she’d seen him, her mother standing by his side.
He hadn’t cared that his daughter was a grown adult with agency of her own; he’d rejected her simply because she went against their wishes for the life that he believed was right for her.
A life in which she’d have quietly ended her pregnancy and never mentioned it again.
In which their only daughter hadn’t shamed their family with the scandal of single motherhood and recklessness.
But, whereas refusing her parents’ wishes had been painful, once she’d made the choice to have her baby she’d distracted herself with her plans to keep them both safe and secure.
She’d found a sense of purpose and confidence in building a good life for herself and her son away from her controlling father’s influence.
Their rejection had been a gift, in a way.
The idea of blending her quiet life with Apollo’s superstardom had seemed abstract until now, like something they would get to eventually.
Now it felt all too close…as though she was getting ready to give up her hard-won independence the moment they stepped off this island.
Or perhaps she already had, when she’d accepted his offer of protection.
She closed her eyes, the overwhelming feeling threatening to take her composure completely.
Apollo had been clear and honest that he wanted to claim them both as his.
That he wanted to make up for lost time and live life together, and he meant sooner rather than later.
Seeing how devoted he was to his new family should be a good thing.
Frustration built within her as she pulled her hair away from her face, all plans for her night of seduction forgotten. She was not a meek woman; she had never been the type to change all her plans for anyone, and certainly not a man. But Apollo was not just anyone, was he? He was the man she…
She paused, staring at her own reflection as a haunting realisation closed in upon her.
There was nothing logical or convenient about the way she felt.
She was actually considering walking away from her hard-earned routine and her lovely townhouse, even knowing that, in doing so, she’d be putting Apollo’s dreams first, ahead of her own.
There was no other explanation: she was falling in love with him.
Or maybe she was already there. Maybe she had been there, hovering on the edge of foolish lovesickness, from the moment she’d realised who he was.
Apollo could tell that there was something very wrong with his fiancée when he went in search of her after getting Luca to sleep.
She stood on the veranda of the master bedroom, her knuckles white with tension as she stared out at nothing.
The night was black and the waves choppy as a storm was due to blow in over the next few days.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, willing her to look at him. She turned, briefly glancing into his eyes before once again looking away with a sigh.
‘You can’t make promises like that to him, to Luca.’
‘I can’t make promises to our son?’
‘Not when it means changing our plans without consulting me first.’ She wrapped her arms around herself. ‘You promised him that we would go to Monaco with you.’
‘Well, yes. We both agreed that we don’t want to live separately, Astrid. I don’t plan to waste any more time. I intend to find a way to make that happen.’
‘Luca is very happy at his school. Jem will be going to university part-time in September, too, so I had already adjusted my working hours and travel plans to settle Luca back into his routine at home before school starts.’ Her lips compressed, and she looked away from him once more.
‘But you would know all of that if we’d ever had a conversation about the practicalities of this arrangement before now. Instead, we’ve been avoiding reality.’
‘We’ve been catching up on lost time. Living in the present.’ He sighed. ‘When will you realise it’s okay to not know every detail all of the time?’
‘Even if neither of us have a plan?’ she asked, exasperated. ‘How exactly do you envision our future looking, Apollo?’
‘Whatever way it needs to look in order for us to be together.’
‘So, if it needs to look like you moving to London, walking your son to school each morning and putting your racing plans on hold?’
‘That would be rather extreme, obviously.’ He frowned, taking in the tautness of her shoulders and how she stood so rigidly apart from him, in such a contrast to the softness and connection they’d been forging over the past week.
‘Your work and mine can be quite compatible. You and Luca also both like to travel. You already work remotely sometimes.’
When she shook her head sadly, he felt irritation flare within.
He was missing something, evidently; she was unhappy, and he had the feeling that he had done something gravely wrong to cause it.
But he would not apologise for wanting his family to be together, for wanting to find a solution that suited them all.
She opened her mouth to answer, but their silence was intruded upon by a call coming into both their phones at once—
a video-conferencing request from Tristan Falco.
Astrid’s eyes met his and the reminder of the reality that awaited them was stark between them.
‘Don’t answer it,’ Apollo said. ‘Falco can wait.’
‘There might be an emergency,’ Astrid said, turning from him and striding into the bedroom as she answered the video call on her device. Apollo stood behind her, seeing Tristan’s eyes widen as he took in both of them in their nightwear.
‘I haven’t interrupted something, have I?’
Tristan had flown back to Monaco already, with Nina, who had already begun her training and testing for the upcoming race weekend.
Apollo was supposed to be back training too, but he had decided to wait and fly home in a couple more days.
His gym here was enough for him to keep up his routine in the meantime.
Ironically, he’d changed every single one of his plans because he’d wanted to spend more time with Luca and Astrid here, in their little bubble.
‘We have a problem,’ Tristan said gravely. ‘Elite One has called a hearing. Your right to race the rest of this season, maybe even permanently, is being called into question.’
‘What?’ Apollo growled, his jaw tight with tension. ‘Who initiated this?’
‘I think you know who,’ Tristan said, his own brows knitted tight with tension. ‘Your cousins don’t want the team on your terms, so they’re trying to force your hand. They’re accusing you of colluding with your grandfather to gain your world title win…eight years ago.’
‘They can’t do that!’ Astrid gasped, her eyes meeting his with horror.