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“Yes.” I let out a small laugh neither one of us can hear since it’s too loud in the Velocità Rossa garage, but, hopefully, my smile shows it.
“Adrian wasn’t kidding,” Daniel says as he leans back against the wall, and I pinch my eyebrows together.
“Kidding about what?” He piqued my curiosity. The trainer crosses his arms in front of his chest, looking past me at the screens.
“I think his exact words were ‘Her smile matches her name.’” My heart sinks into my stomach as a warm feeling spreads through me. I trap my bottom lip between my teeth while I hide the grin Daniel’s words have caused.
That damn Adrian.
As my eyes shift back to the screens, I watch Adrian enter the pitlane to get his tires changed. He loses two places, which is normal and nothing to worry about yet, while Lincoln takes the lead for now.
The race is long.
I sit down after a while of standing on my feet so I can bounce my leg up and down. There are two laps left when Lincoln gets into Adrian’s DRS. I cover my mouth and hold my breath as I watch Adrian defend the first place he worked hard to maintain.
Then, Gabriel is right behind Lincoln, pressuring him to stop attacking his teammate and focus on defending his second place. Lincoln gives in, too busy trying to remain where he is when he takes the third-to-last corner too wide by accident, allowing Gabriel to overtake.
A gasp leaves me while I jump to my feet and get closer to the screens. Both of the Velocità Rossa drivers cross the line, scoring a one-two finish for their team. Lincoln comes in third, James in fourth, Kyle Hughes in fifth, and Valentina snatches sixth for herself.
Celebrations take up the next two hours. The drivers get interviewed, then move onto the podium. The Italian and Monegasque anthems fill my ears, one after the other. It’s tradition to play the winner’s home anthem and the team’s before the drivers are handed their trophies and celebrate with champagne.
I watch with the biggest smile and my camera fixated on Adrian as he shakes the champagne bottle, then slams it onto the podium so the liquid sprays everywhere. He directs the bottle at Gabriel, who sprays his teammate in return.
The Velocità Rossa team cheers and celebrates their winner, so Adrian turns toward them after, his champagne raining down on us. He sticks out his tongue, victory painting his cheeks a wonderful pink.
Unsurprisingly, joy looks fantastic on this man.
The story of his father comes back into my mind, causing a sad smile to spread over my lips.
The Velocità Rossa paddock screams out of pure joy because their team has started the season on six separate highs. Then, the top three drivers get back to their garages, changing and getting ready for the post-race conference and interviews with the reporters. Gillian and his team will be there, but he told me not to bother coming. I make my way back inside as well, searching for Adrian to congratulate him.
Instead of Adrian, a very sweaty, very happy Valentina appears in front of me. She shakes her hair from side to side, droplets of sweat and probably water flying everywhere.
“Gross,” I say with a laugh, and she giggles. “Shouldn’t you be showering to go to interviews?” I ask, wiping a drop off my arm by rubbing it against her racing suit.
“Yes, I should, but I wanted to ask if you’d like to come to the afterparty with me, Gabriel, Leonard, Cameron, James, Scarlette, Chiara, and Adrian,” she says, using a towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead.
“I appreciate the invitation but—” I cut off, not quite sure why I’m declining her offer. I love spending time with Val and Adrian, but my anxiety is going to make this evening unbearable.
Exposing myself to new situations triggers my anxiety.
This is a new situation, and my anxiety is already triggered by the mere thought of me going.
What would Nova tell me to do in this situation?
Exposure therapy, Nevi. You gotta go out there and expose yourself to something that frightens you. It’ll get easier that way because once you see youcando these things, it’ll feel less like you could never do them.
“No but, actually. I’d love to come. Where should I meet you?” I ask, ignoring the wave of panic going through my chest.
Valentina takes my arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“You’ll be with me the whole time, love. I won’t leave you alone for a second unless you want me to,” she assures me, and if she weren’t so sweaty from the two-hour race, I’d give her a hug.
“Thank you.”
After she writes down the address of her hotel into my phone, she skips out of the room and straight toward where Gabriel is waiting for her. He gives me a swift nod and a small smile before he beams at Val and wraps her up in his arms.
Chapter 27
