Chapter 19
Savi had stayed glued to the screens for the last hour of the race, watching Marco do his thing.
He was trying to climb back up to a podium position after they’d had a rain shower and he’d spun out during the fifth hour of the race.
He’d fought the team when they’d tried to switch him out with Brett, claiming it was only fair that they give him a chance to redeem himself and undo the error that threatened to wipe the progress his teammates had made during their stints.
It had paid off. Big time. He had overtaken Talos Sport, followed by Eden Racing, then the second Talos car, and claimed the top spot.
He’d crossed the finish to a roar of cheers, everyone in the grandstands on their feet, flags waving.
Half the time in this championship, it didn’t matter who won or came second and third in each class; even finishing the race was a huge feat.
And the response of the crowds always reflected that.
They supported every team even if they had their favourites and they queued up for autographs in front of nearly every garage.
The team were discussing celebrating their win with dinner and a few drinks, but Savi was considering bailing in favour of room service and a bottle of wine by herself.
Her body was sore all over, Kodie was still being standoffish, and she was tired.
Socialising with a large group of people seemed like too much to ask of her tonight, even if Brett had been trying his utmost to cheer her up since he’d found her sat at the back of the garage alone during Marco’s stint.
Marco pulled her to one side. ‘You don’t want to go to dinner tonight, do you?’ he asked, his voice low. He must have noticed how quiet she was, even if she’d tried to put on an act.
‘Honestly? No. I can’t think of anything worse. I’m going to head back to the hotel, leave you guys to enjoy your evening. I don’t want to bring the mood down.’
‘I’m coming with you. We’ll make a night of it, order everything off the room service menu we fancy, have some drinks, watch a film and play cards. I don’t want you being alone and miserable, but I understand why you don’t want to hang out with everybody.’
‘You should be with your team, Mars.’ She gave him a look.
‘You’re part of my team. Besides, if you’re feeling battered and bruised now you’re only going to feel worse over the next few hours. What if you can’t move around? I can be your slave for the night.’
‘Okay, thank you,’ she smiled, sort of looking forward to his company. They’d spent a fair amount of time together outside of work now, and there was never a dull moment.
‘But first, we’ve got to get the podium out of the way. We’ve got about twenty minutes while they do the scrutinising, then it’s go-time.’
‘Why is Jasper making us all go up? We didn’t finish the race.’
‘Because we, as a team, just won our one hundredth race. That’s monumental, we all need to be on that podium. We’re getting our own, Savannah. After the teams in second and third have celebrated.’
‘Okay, I will admit, that’s pretty cool.’
‘Exactly,’ he grinned.
Then she saw her, walking through the paddock with guilt etched across her features, and Savi’s world shattered. ‘Marco,’ she whispered shakily.
‘What?’ he asked, then his eyes followed her gaze. ‘Why is she here?’
Savi watched Sapphire get closer, flanked by one of the team’s security guards. She knew this was bad. If it was enough to make Sapphire fly halfway across the world, it had to be something Savi didn’t want to hear.
‘Savi…’ Sapphire muttered as she reached her. ‘Is there somewhere we can talk?’
She looked around the paddock, full to the brim with drivers, caterers and team personnel. Nowhere was private, nowhere was safe. ‘Um, I don’t–’
‘My trailer,’ Marco interrupted. ‘Come on, the guys have cleared out already.’
They let the security guard go, leading Sapphire up the steps of the motorhome. Savi felt like she was going to throw up, and barely a word had left the woman’s mouth.
Marco gestured for her to sit down and fetched her a glass of water, setting it down on the coffee table. He was being so polite, so civil, but Savi’s gut was telling her he was going to regret it any moment. Sapphire had guilt etched all over her face.
‘What’s going on, Sapph?’
‘I’m sorry, Savi. I’m so sorry…’ Sapphire burst into tears. Her face was blotchy, her breathing harsh and her forehead drenched with sweat. ‘The baby. It’s his.’
Savi felt like the world was closing in on her, and she could’ve sworn she could see stars. What did she mean, the baby was his? How could her baby be his? She was months away from giving birth, which would mean… No way. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t have. She couldn’t have.
‘Jesse is going to be a dad?’ she choked out; for some reason that hurt more than the fact he had cheated. He was going to have the future she had wanted with him, with someone else. No wonder he hadn’t wanted to build anything with her.
‘Jesse cheated on Savannah?’ Marco added, his tone dripping with sheer disgust.
‘With me, yes. But he lied to me too, he told me you were over. Then next thing I know, you’re showing up at his gig and he’s telling me that you’re back together. It’s only now that I’ve put the pieces together that I realise you were never on a break in the first place.’
‘No, we were together right up until I left Los Angeles a few weeks ago.’
‘Yeah, about that… Savi, it’s not just me that he cheated with.
And with me it was just the once, but I have watched him with so many women since me.
I dread to think how many he was with before then.
And every time he would tell me you had left him, but then I would hear him on the phone with you, or you would come out to Tennessee, and I just knew every word out of his mouth was a lie.
It had been since the start. I don’t know how far back this goes, Savi… ’
‘But it could be four years…’ Savi choked out, Marco’s hand finding her knee.
‘It could be. I’ve scoured my text messages and emails, tried to work it out. But I don’t have all the details, so I can’t be sure. I just needed to tell you in person, so you could throw all the questions you have at me. Yell at me, scream at me.’
‘I’m not going to do any of that,’ Savi sighed, burying her head in her hands. This hurt more than the break-up itself. ‘Is he taking care of you?’
She didn’t mean emotionally; she wanted to know if he had put things in place financially that meant Sapphire didn’t have to worry about how she was going to afford to raise her baby. He had all the money in the world, and this was his child. It was the least he could do.
‘No,’ she sobbed. ‘Savi, he doesn’t want anything to do with us.
I understand not wanting to be with me, I mean, I don’t want to be with him either.
No offence, but he’s a real asshole. I don’t know how you put up with him for so long.
But for him to wipe his hands of his own child, refuse to be involved? ’
Savi scoffed. ‘Can’t you demand a DNA test?’
‘What’s the point?’ Sapphire laughed. ‘It won’t change anything. My baby is going to grow up without a dad, and he won’t do a test anyway because it gives me too much power. I could go to the press and ruin his career.’
‘He’s pathetic. It’s no wonder he didn’t give a fuck if I was all over his girlfriend or not. He was too busy getting into bed with anyone who threw themselves at him,’ Marco said, finally making a worthwhile contribution to the conversation.
‘Does he know you planned on telling me? Did you always plan on telling me?’ Savi asked her, reaching out to hold her hand.
Maybe Sapphire’s morals had been a little off for sleeping with him in the first place, but at least she hadn’t knowingly betrayed someone.
And now she was scared and alone and Savi couldn’t help but want to protect her.
She was beginning to realise just how manipulative Jesse really was, and everything he had over her. He could take her down just as easily as she could ruin him, too. The difference was, he deserved it and all the hell that would rain down on him.
‘I text him this morning. But he knows you won’t do anything.’ Now she knew why he hadn’t contacted her all day; the guilt was probably eating him alive. That was if he was even capable of holding remorse.
‘Well… what if I did? I could go to the press. I could tell the world what he’s done, my voice is credible. What reason would I have to lie?’
‘Savannah,’ Marco growled, ‘the photos.’
‘What if he’s done this before, Mars? What if your baby,’ she gestured to Sapphire, ‘isn’t the only innocent child he’s neglecting?
How many other lives has he ruined, who else has he lied to?
Who else will he lie to? I can’t sit back and let him get away with it, thinking he can keep doing whatever he wants without facing some sort of consequence. ’
‘Okay, but you can’t just expose Sapphire’s personal situation to the world.’
‘Oh, she can,’ Sapphire nodded enthusiastically. ‘You have my permission. It will be better coming from you and not me; if it comes directly from me, people will just assume I want his money. And I’ll be honest, I don’t want a cent from him. I just want a happy, healthy baby.’
‘I can’t believe who he’s turned out to be,’ Savi laughed in disbelief. ‘How can someone be so self-absorbed that they’re willing to lead a double life and hold no remorse? Was he ever going to tell me?’
‘Probably not. People like him live for themselves and they have no regard for who they hurt in the process. You’re both better off without him, and so is that baby,’ Marco said.
‘I’m sorry again, Savi. If I had known, I would have come to you immediately. He’s just so good at manipulating, he’s mastered it.’
‘Even more reason to expose him for who he truly is.’
‘Maybe it’s partially my fault for being so na?ve.’
‘Not in a million years,’ Savi shook her head. ‘Are you going to be okay, Sapph? Is there anything I can do to help you?’
‘To help me ?’ she asked. ‘You don’t need to help me, Sav. I should be helping you.’
‘I just want to know that when you walk out of here, you’re going to be okay. That you can raise your baby with everything you’ll both need, and you have a support system.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Sapphire smiled sadly. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘If you need anything, I am a text or a call away. If you’re ever struggling with this, I want you to tell me. I want to help you so please, utilise me. I’m sorry he’s done this to you. To us. We both deserve better.’
‘Sav, I don’t mean to interrupt…’ Marco placed his hand on her shoulder.
‘I know,’ she murmured. ‘Sapph, we really need to go. We’ve got a big team achievement to celebrate and do press for up on the podium.’
‘Oh!’ She jumped up. ‘Of course. My timing couldn’t possibly have been worse. My sister is waiting at our hotel, so I’ll head off. Thank you again, Savi. For not ripping my head off, too. But for the record, if you ever speak to Jesse again, I hope you tell him what a piece of shit he is.’
And then Savi was hugging Sapphire goodbye, wishing her luck with the birth of her ex-boyfriend’s baby and sinking back down on to the sofa, staring straight ahead.
It felt like her entire world had just crumbled around her; all the positive affirmations she had been repeating to herself for the last few weeks a total waste of her energy.
‘Savannah?’ Marco crouched down next to her, resting a hand on her knee, just like he had when Jesse had walked out on her. ‘What do you need?’
‘I don’t know, Mars…’ She covered her mouth with her hand like she could hold it all in, stop the tears from flowing. ‘All I do know is that I’m not okay.’