Page 43 of Prove Me Wrong
Cursing under my breath, I swipe to answer it groggily. “Julian.” My voice is gruff and laced with exhaustion. It’s been a long week, and my lack of sleep last night definitely shows, but it was kind of worth it…
“Wow, good morning to you too, sunshine,” he chimes, and I just grunt thickly.
“It’s too early. Why are you calling me?”
“We need you in Canberra this afternoon.”
I sit up, my sleepiness instantly jolting away as my eyes flare open. “What! It’s a five-hour drive.”
“Yeah, so I suggest leaving in the next half hour. Qualifying starts at three, and we need you here.”
I swear quietly while looking at the time on my phone. “Julian, it’s only five-thirty in the morning. How are you this chirpy on a Saturday!” I whisper-yell into the phone as I get up and start packing my bag immediately. “What happened?”
“Rogerson came down with pneumonia last night. Team doctor didn’t pass him to drive for the rest of the weekend, ergo, I am calling you in as our replacement driver,” Julian explains in a joyful tone that doesn’t fit how I am feeling right now. My head is swimming, my eyes sting, and I’m stiff all over from the long week of work I just had.
Rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands, I let out an irritated sigh. “I have Jade, though. I’ll have to make sure that my babysitter can look after her.”
“If not, I’m sure your mum could take her.”
My teeth grit at the mention of my parents. “You know it’s not an option. I’ll ask my babysitter now.”
“You’ll be back tomorrow night, but then we might also need you in Adelaide coming up if Rogerson is still unwell. Depends on whether the doctors clear him by then or not.”
I angrily throw a pair of socks into my duffle bag.
“I know this isn’t ideal, Noah, but it’s your contract. You’re our back-up driver when we need you, and we need you this weekend. Canberra is one of our biggest races, so we can’t afford to forfeit.”
Opening a drawer, I pull out some tees to pack, slapping them on top of the other clothes. “I know. I know. I’ll be there at twelve.”
“Great. I’ll have everything set up for you by the time you come, and I’ll have a room for you to stay in for the night.”
“Thank you,” I grunt. I hang up before he has time to go on and further ruin my morning. Zipping up my bag, I grab some clothes to shower before pulling out my phone and dialling Grey’s number. She answers on the fourth ring.
“Noah, is something wrong? Did something happen with Jade?” Her sleepy, raspy voice rises with each word.
My heart aches that she’s this concerned over my daughter already. “No, Jade is fine, but I need you to look after her until tomorrow night.”
She’s quiet for a moment, and I fear that Mia might have fallen back asleep. I don’t blame her. It’s not even six in the morning.
“Grey?” I whisper-shout again before hearing the phone call end.
Angrily, I toss my bag on the floor and go to get in the shower when I hear knocking on the front door. Exhaling slowly, I walk down the stairs to open it. Mia’s tired face appears.
“Tomorrow?” Her voice is thick with sleep.
My eyes fall to her oversized tee, trackpants and slippers, and I want to take a photo of her to keep forever on my bedside table. She looks adorable right after waking, even though she will most likely disagree with how wild her dark hair looks, reminding me of a bird’s nest, but I wouldn’t dare tell her that right now.
“I have to race in Canberra today. Rogerson is sick, which means I have to be there this afternoon for the car to be fitted and to qualify for the team, and it’s a five-hour drive to the track from here. I have to leave at six?—”
Her hands rise to cut me off mid-sentence, eyes squinting, shoulders sinking slowly. “Go, Noah. I can take care of Jade. Just go pack, and I’ll be here to watch her.” Mia lets out a breath that’s not irritated, but more exhausted.
“Thank you,” I say breathlessly, pulling her into a hug and tenderly pecking her forehead.
Before I realise what I’m doing, I pull away to see the startlement etched into her feminine features. Eyes as wide as dinner plates, Mia stares with parted lips, unmoving. I curse internally for how stupid I feel.
Pulse drumming harshly in my throat, my hand slips from her neck as I step backwards, putting space between us. “I’m sorry. It’s a habit with Jade, and I’m so tired—” Her hands rise to rub at her reddened elbows. Mouth downturning, I whisper, “You don’t need to be anxious around me. I am not going to hurt you, Grey.”
Silver irises find mine, and I feel the magnetism within her drawing me closer. I want to kiss her. To feel her lips on mine. To hold her and tell her that she’ll be all right when my phone chimes with an incoming text.
