Page 93 of Hyperspeed
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. I, uh . . . I just . . .”
My tongue felt too big for my mouth, the ability to form full sentences escaping me. Fucking hell, was it so hard to be vulnerable?
Stars, the thought of it made me shiver, and I worried I’d break out in hives before I was done.
“Rev—”
“No,” I cut him off. “Just let me . . .”
I took a deep breath, exhaling and counting down from five. The tension in my shoulders eased, and I felt brave enough to meet his eyes. “Thank you, Zylo. Thank you for everything.”
The man’s eyes widened, as surprised as I was by the words pouring out. He opened his mouth, no doubt to say something, but I was on a roll now, so I pushed ahead before the bravery could fizzle out.
“Since I joined Zenith, you’ve been nothing but kind to me, even when I came off as a bit of a dick.”
The last part was a murmur, but he still caught it, giving me a look that said,“A bit?”
“I appreciate the advice, the help during training, and the reassurance. Everything.” I dropped my eyes to the gravel beneath my feet, returning to my usual state of awkwardness. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor than you, Zylo.”
He said nothing at first, and the stretching silence was making me uncomfortable, worried I’d offended him or something. But when I glanced up, Zylo smiled bigger than I’d ever seen, and his golden eyes glistened under the floodlights.
“Are you—”
Before I could finish, Zylo pounced. He swept me up in a bear hug, crushing me against his bulky frame.
“Oh, Revvy!”
My face was smushed against his pecs, and I could hardly breathe. He seemed so happy, though, and the risk of a few broken ribs was worth it.
My vision grew fuzzy, so I patted his side until he dropped me back onto my feet. His tears had spilled over as he held me, and he wiped them away with a sniffle.
“You’re such a sap.” My grimace was half-hearted at best, making Zylo chuckle.
“You’re a good kid, Rev. I haven’t had a teammate for a while. Not since . . .” He trailed off at the mention of Xander Korr, his deceased mentor. Now Zylo was mine, and I was glad to have him. “If I had to have anyone, I’m happy it’s you.”
His comment stunned me into silence, and to my horror, my eyes burned.
I was not about to cry in front of Zylo.
I’d been vulnerable enough, damn it.
Instead, I stayed silent, but for Zylo it was more than enough.
“Am I interrupting something?”
We turned to see Kai standing outside the Nexus shuttle, grinning as he watched us. It wasn’t his usual cocky smile reserved for race weekends. This one was softer, more affectionate—like the smile he gave me when I’d admitted to being a virgin.
And the sight of it made the panic I’d held at bay surge forward, shattering the calm I’d found during my moment with Zylo.
One overwhelming feeling replaced another. So instead of acting like a mature adult with his wits about him, I sprinted in the opposite direction.
Looks like I’d chosen to go postal.
I continued to avoid Kai until it was time to race.
When he walked out of the garage, I went inside. I engaged the crew in pointless conversation about the weather—in space. And in one particular fit of creativity, I turned my back on him.
