Page 136 of Away We Go

Nicky’s chocolate eyes dart to mine and I hold my breath as a cyclone of emotions cross over his face. In the blink of a millisecond, he shoves the microphone into Max’s chest and strides over to where I’m standing.

“Cherry?” His fingers whisper over my cheeks, like he’s not sure I’m really here. Like if he handles me too roughly, I’ll disappear.

“Congratulations, World Champion,” I whisper, clutching the front of his race suit in my hands and pulling him closer.

“What are you doing here?”

I lean forward to speak into his ear, ignoring the buzz of the crowd around us as they realise what is happening. “I forgot to tell you something before I left.”

He leans back, a wrinkle on his brow. “You did?”

“Yes.” My lips stretch into a grin. “I realised I forgot to tell you I’m in love with you. And that, if you’ll have me back, I never want to be apart from you again.”

A smile worthy of a World Champion grows on his face. “Is that so?”

Conscious of the people around us and the cameras pointed at us, wishing we could have had this moment in private, I gather my courage around me like a cloak and nod. “Yes. I’m sorry I left like I did. If you give me a chance, I’ll try to explain. But I want you to know that I never once stopped loving you. That I think I’ve always loved you in one way or another. My whole life.”

The last word had barely left my mouth before his lips were on mine. His kiss is tender, a mere brush of his mouth against mine, and is over far too quickly.

“I love you, too, Cherry. None of this is worth it if you’re not by my side.”

I lean forward to kiss him again, only this time my lips are met with air instead of Nicky’s delectable mouth.

“You have to go.” Someone in a suit, looking important and impatient, pulls on Nicky’s arm and he reluctantly lets them.

“I have to go do a thing.” He points up to the podium and I laugh, happy tears now dripping from my lashes. “You’ll be here when I get back? You’ll wait for me?”

My jaw hurts from smiling and I blubber out a shaky ‘yes’.

I’ll wait for him forever.

With hearts in my eyes, I watch him as he’s guided away from me, halting at the doorway to the cooldown room to turn back to me.

“I love you!” he yells, much to the thrill of the crowd.

Giggling, feeling drunk with love, I blow him a kiss. “I love you, too, Mr World Champion.”

He grins and with a last lingering look, he turns and walks away to claim his trophy, his title and his status as F1 legend.

Serena, Matt, and James gather around me to watch the podium ceremony, and as Nicky celebrates with a gusto equal to the level of what he’d just achieved, I pinch myself to make sure this is all real.

Nicky loves me. He wants to be with me. I’m finally in a place to feel worthy of him; of receiving his love. Who would have thought at the start of the season when I arrived with a security pass that wouldn’t even grant me access to the track, that I’d be here today, in love with the man of my dreams?

In the race towards love; I’m the one who ended up winning the whole darn thing. And my prize, it turns out, was well worth fighting for.

RACE TWENTY-ONE

Abu Dhabi

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi

28–30 November

EPILOGUE

Nicky

Fireworks explode in brilliant purples, reds and oranges overhead as I cross the finish line, signalling the end of this Formula 1 season.

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