Page 61 of Speeding Hearts

There was a mechanic on the other side of the car bent over by the front wheel, but I was too distracted to see whether it was John or Freddie.

I was about to check when I heard someone behind me call my name. I was surprised mostly because it was a woman’s voice I’d heard. I turned to see Victoria running toward me, beautiful as always in a little summer dress, her blonde hair piled high on her head. She was beaming.

I wondered if she would go back to Dean with me gone. If he would go to her. My stomach twisted. I placed a hand on top of the car as she approached, needing to brace myself. I pasted on a polite smile. “Hi, Victoria” I said.

I didn’t have anything against Victoria. She was sweet, actually. Maybe we would have been friends in another time and place.

“Hi Stella,” she said, slightly breathless.

“What are you doing down here?” Spectators weren’t allowed in the pit. Then I caught a movement. Fabrizio waved from over at his car. I’d heard rumors they’d hooked up after the qualifier, but I’d been too busy with my own drama to pay much attention. I didn’t quite know how to feel about that—I was happy for them, anyway. They made a perfect match, now that I thought about it.

“Isn’t he adorable?” she gushed.

He was. And so were they, together.

“Anyway,” she said, “I won’t keep you—I just wanted to wish you luck for the race. And if I have time…” she glanced up to the clock.

“It’s fine,” I said, curious. There were still a few minutes before I needed to be behind the wheel.

Victoria cleared her throat. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Apologize?” Could this day get any more bizarre? I was truly shocked. “For what?”

“For acting like you were some kind of competition for Dean.”

“Competition?” My heart sunk slightly. I was saddened that Victoria would think like that. “I was never trying to… be with Dean,” I said. “Like that.”

It was the truth—I hadn’t been trying. I’d been in denial.

“I know you weren’t, but I also knew I wouldn’t hold a candle to you if you’d wanted to.”

My stomach jumped. “What?”

“Dean’s never been one to share his feelings. I think he’s allergic to it.”

I couldn’t help but give a wry laugh. It was true, though it wasn’t funny at all. It was what kept him from everything he ever wanted.

“But I’ve known him a long time,” she continued. “I could see his feelings for you all over his face. He never looked at me the way he looked at you. Not ever. And I didn’t know until I started seeing Fabrizio…” She looked over at the handsome Italian, who was currently stretching by his car. “I didn’t know what it was like to be looked at like that. I didn’t know what it meant.”

“What does it mean?” I said softly. I didn’t think Victoria had heard me over the din of the crowd and engines around us, but she smiled.

“Like he’s so madly in love with you he doesn’t know what to do about it.”

I opened my mouth to protest, to say Dean and I were just friends, or at least we used to be. I wanted to tell her she was all wrong, but my head was swimming. First Colin’s revelation, now this?

Then, of all things, anger flared in me.

If Dean felt like this, why had he chickened out? Why had he been so sure he’d ruin things by having feelings for me?

“Anyway,” she said. She lowered her voice, leaning in. “I know I’m supposed to be rooting for Fabrizio, but you’re the first woman driver we’ve ever had at the track, and I think you’re amazing. So I’m going to be cheering for you.” Then, she looked almost shy. “I hope we can be friends someday. If you stick around.”

“Thank you, Victoria” I said, feeling so overwhelmed I didn’t know what else to say.

But I didn’t have to say anything, because Victoria threw her arms around me in a quick, tight hug, then spun away. She rushed over to Fabrizio to plant a kiss on his mouth.

I was still standing there stunned, when the figure on the other side of the car stood up. I’d forgotten all about the mechanic. I felt his eyes on me. If John saw me crying, he’d never let me hear the end of it. But when I looked over, I saw it wasn’t John. It was a tall, dark-haired, tattooed guy, staring at me so intensely I felt my stomach go to jelly.

“Dean! You heard all that.”

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