Page 15 of Away We Go

Oh!

CHAPTER 4

Cherry

“I can’t believe this is happening!”

Tanya’s face glows with excitement as she stares back at me from the screen on my iPhone. It’s been three seconds since I sent her a message, updating her on my new roommate status, and she’s wasted no time calling me.

I shouldn’t be surprised. She has previously declared she will be living vicariously through me for the next year.

“Shh,” I whisper, my gaze darting to my closed bedroom door.

“Is he nearby?” she squeals, her voice goingupa decibel.

I shake my head. “I have no idea.”

After dropping the bomb that we’d be sharing a suite, which is larger than my apartment back home, Nicky had left, saying he was going to the gym. I’d watched the door close behind him in a daze, pinching myself to ensure I was awake, before exploring the luxurious two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite I’d be calling home for the next week.

We’dbe calling home.

“After I unpacked, I kinda crashed,” I tell her. “So, I have no clue if he’s back from training.”

“This is unbelievable.” Her pretty face is pinched with envy. “You go from heartbroken after Troy to living with the sexiest man alive.”

Ah, Tanya and her love of fantasy storytelling.

“Sixth sexiest sportsman alive,” I correct her, for no reason I can think of. Apart from the fact that I need to at least pretend to not be as attracted to him as I am.

She snorts. “Whatever. I’ve seen that man in the flesh and he is dee-lish-ish!”

I giggle along with her. Tanya has met Nicky only a handful of times since she came into my life after he’d already moved to Europe to join Formula 3. The most recent occasion was when he surprised me at my twenty-first birthday party. I’d been dressed up and as glamorous as I’d ever been, in a pale pink dress and my highest-ever heels. That night, my sights had been set on Cameron Powel, the cutest boy in my marketing class. And then Nicky had made a surprise appearance and all the burgeoning feelings I’d had for Cameron had faded into nothingness. The racing superstar had only stayed for thirty minutes, keeping to the outskirts, hanging with Matt and Nancy, but that was all it took to reignite my crush on him. He’d gained a legion of admirers amongst my peers that night—starting with Tanya, who’d declared her undying love for him then and there.

Get in line, sister!

“So, what’s the plan?” she asks now, like we’re co-conspirators in a scheme to get Nicky to fall in love with me. A doomed premise from the get-go.

I place my ear against my bedroom door. “My plan is to stay out of his way. I’ve caused enough trouble as it is.”

She snorts again. “Hardly trouble. He sent someone to the airport to get you and he’s sharing his enormous suite with you when he’ll never be there. I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”

It’s true. And it’s also something I’m guilty of doing these days. It’s because of my last relationship, where Troy made me feel less-than, like a nuisance. And I internalised it.

I know when it’s happening, but it doesn’t mean I know how to make it stop.

“Either way, I’m staying out of his way.”

Tanya pouts and I stop any further arguments with my fiercest frown.

“Fine,” she concedes. “I’ll leave it alone for now. But please don’t hide in your room all day. Just be normal.”

Ha! How does one be ‘normal’ when rooming with a superstar?If there’s a way to do this, I haven’t figured it out yet.

“I’ve got to go,” I tell her. “I’m in desperate need of a coffee.”

After taking a two-hour nap, my body clock is all messed up. I know I need to resist spending the day in bed and catching up on all the sleep I missed sitting upright with clenched fists for the ten-hour flight here. If I’m to keep up the pace of the F1 season, I’m going to need to toughen up and get my circadian rhythm in line as well.

“Go, get coffee. And enjoy your day off!”

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