Page 146 of Overtake
He’s laughing now. “Why am I not surprised you idolize rally drivers?”
“Whooo!Next question.” I glance at him while maintaining a perfect slide through turn 8. “Which driver visited me in hospital when I was being treated for disordered eating?”
The mood shifts even as I continue pushing the car to its limits. Nico goes quiet for a moment despite the controlled chaos of our driving.
“Lewis Hamilton.” His voice is gentle even over the engine noise.
“Correct.” I brake hard and slide us to a stop for our final swap. “He told me champions aren’t the ones who never fall. They’re the ones who always get back up.”
We switch seats, but Nico doesn’t immediately start driving. “You didn’t have to include that question.”
“I know. But kids watching this need to understand we’re not superheroes. We’re just people who refuse to quit when things get hard.” The fact that he knows how personal this is shows how well Nico Belmonte knows me.
He nods, then accelerates into sector 2’s sweeping curve. “Last question determines the winner.” He brakes hard for turn 12’s sharp left, showing off, then stomps on the accelerator, sending the car screaming down the track’s long straight. “What’s the most important thing I learned this season?”
He initiates a slide that sends us sideways through two consecutive corners, smoke pouring from the tires, the car dancing on the edge of control. But for once, I’m not really thinking about winning. I’m thinking about how Nico’s always been there for me, always believed in me, always respected me.
I look over at him. Nico Belmonte fell in love first, but it took me forever and a day to realize it.
“Well?” He glances at me. “Running out of track,TenazP.”
Instead of shouting my answer over the engine noise, I reach over and grab his question cards.
“I’m done playing this game.” I toss his cards and mine into the back seat. “No more guessing.”
“What are you doing?” He’s still in control of the Mercedes, but I hear the confusion in his voice.
“I’ll tell you the most important thing you learned this season, Nico.” I know this for a fact because it’s the same thing I learned.
His brow furrows as he straightens us out toward the finish line. “Okay. What?”
“That I love you.”
He stomps on the brakes. The seatbelts lock us in place.
The AMG skids to a stop, tires squealing, smoke billowing around us. The acrid stink of burning rubber fills the cockpit. We’re still a good hundred meters from the finish line.
Nico slowly turns his head to face me. “What?” His voice is barely a whisper.
“I love you, Nico Belmonte.” My voice is steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me from both the driving and the confession. “Not because you’re a world champion or because you’re beautiful behind the wheel of a race car. I love you because you’re good and kind and you’ve been protecting people your whole life without asking for anything in return.”
He yanks off his helmet, hair disheveled, then reaches over and helps me with mine. “Say it again, Petra.” He cups my face with his hands.
“I love you.”
“Again.”
“Te amo, you ridiculous man.”
He leans close and pulls me closer and kisses me three times, then whispers, “I love you too,corazón,” against my lips.
He tastes of coffee and victory and everything we’ve fought through to get here.
“Um,” Sarah’s voice comes through our headsets. She sounds somewhere between stunned and delighted. “Should we keep rolling?”
Nico pulls back just enough to grin at me. “Ready to cross the finish line?”
I nod, thinking he’ll swap places with me. Instead he stomps on the accelerator. The tires squeal and smoke and we rocket toward the finish line.
