Page 87 of Prove Me Wrong
“We aren’t leaving till you speak with your mum.” His shoulders roll backwards, eyes moving off my daughter, as if she’s nothing to him.
It twists at my insides. I want to get them out of my house as quickly as I can. But I freeze. My eyes are stuck on my bookshelf that I haven’t touched since Mia moved everything and made it organised and seamless. I had memorised where every book sat because I looked at it numerous times, remembering the pattern because it reminded me of the first time we watched a race together.
My chest aches because I know Mum has taken them off, leaving them piled on the floor, and it makes me see red to know that she’s touched them.
Storming into the kitchen, my gaze widens to see everything out of the cupboards, sitting on the benches, table and chairs. My eyes squeeze shut, hoping that this is just a nightmare I can wake up from.
Surely I'm dreaming and they aren’t really here, in my house, moving everything. “Noah.”
Her voice makes my blood boil. I peel my eyelids open, knowing that this is unfortunately real.
“What are you doing here?” I seethe, my hand fisting at my side as I reign in my anger. Emerald eyes hit mine as Mum leans against the bench, tongue poking the inside of her cheek.
“Still ungrateful, I see,” she snips before grabbing a stack of bowls from the cupboard. I can’t watch.Why is she moving everything?“You ignored my calls, so we decided to come and visit.”
“Why?” I push out bitterly. “You haven’t bothered visiting me for eighteen months. Why now?”
She slams the door closed, turning to stare at me from across my kitchen, hands resting on her hips like I am somehow the insane one here. “Because your dad and I are concerned about your contract with Reign. It finishes at the end of this year, and they won’t offer you another one unless you are willingto?—”
“Wait, wait, wait.” I hold my hand up, cutting her off. “How do you know that?” It hasn’t been publicly announced yet, so she couldn’t have read it anywhere. My pulse starts thrumming sporadically as something feels off here.
Mum gives me a pointed look, her blond brows raising slightly. “Do you really think we lost all of our connections when your dad had his accident?” She huffs out a weak laugh. “We have Julian’s number.”
“Julian wouldn’t have told you that,” I counter instantly, and her smirk grows.
“Really? Do you think he loves you that much?” The words feel like a punch to my gut. “I offered him a deal.”
My teeth grind together. “What deal?” I grunt, not at all amused.
“We agreed that if you can be a full-time driver again, he will offer you a new contract for three years, and you’ll be made their top driver.”
Tilting my head back, I let out a groan, wanting to smash my fist into a wall. Instead, I grip Jade tighter, controlling myself. “You had no right to offer him anything. You shouldn’t even be talking to him. He’s my team manager, not yours.”
She snickers loudly. “We are still your managers, Noah. Julian has to go through us if he wants to refresh your contract.”
“What?” I blink at her slowly, not knowing what she’s talking about.
Her pink-stained lips curl upwards again, contorting my stomach with how wicked it looks. “When you became a driver for Reign, your dad and I were put as your personal managers, and you never took off our names.”
My fisted hand turns white with how tightly I'm squeezing it. “You can’t do that. It’s my life, Mum, and you haven’t been part of it for almost nineteen months!”
“I let you have your fun, Noah.” My eyes flare as she looks at Jade on my hip, her face softening a little. “Wow, she does look a lot like Em.”
“Do not speak about Em!” I shout at her, making her smile falter, but she doesn’t flinch. “I don’t want you meddling in my life. I don’t want to race after this year. I want to be with my daughter?—”
“And Mia?” She cuts me off.
My throat goes dry at her name coming off Mum’s tongue. I shake my head, not wanting to know, but I have to. “How do you know about Mia?”
“Because I told her to leave when she came here like Little Red Riding Hood with coffees in her hand, smiling because she thought you were here.” My heart drops to the pit of my stomach like a boulder. “She won’t be needed anymore. You’ll be moving with us to focus on your career.”
Mum should count her blessings that I’m holding my daughter right now; otherwise, my rage would have me throwing things at the walls. “How—why—you…” I can’t get one single thought out as multiple pile up in my mind, fighting to get out.
She cocks a brow at me, like she is amused with how confused I am. “Please, do you mean to tell me that she was good? That she could give you what you deserve? She is nothing but a part-time babysitter who lives with her grandma. She’s nothing. You will find someone a lot better when you focus on your racing.”
“I don’t want anyone else!” I shout abruptly, making Jade blanch and sob, but I’m too enraged right now to keep myself together. “Mia is who I want. This life is what I want. You had no right to come here and tell me what to do!”
“I did,” Mum snaps back. I'm vibrating with white hot fury. “You will be signing that contract for next year. You’ll be moving to RaftersFalls, and I will be watching your daughter while you focus on what’s important.”
