Page 22 of Significant
“Aaron is a great man.” Thomas smiles, noticing the way I’m staring at Aaron.
“Indeed, he is,” I reply sheepishly.
“He has his own demons and he doesn’t trust people easily, but… he has a lot to give.” Thomas’ voice is filled with kindness.
“How did you discover him?” I convince myself I should ask questions for the upcoming article, while in reality, I’m collecting a vivid interest in knowing everything about Wolf.
“I took him under my wing when he was just a teen. That kid borrowed a kart—without permission, before racing it on track. He claimed he was better than my other students.” He chuckles, peering over at Aaron, pride in his face. “Well, he was right. He already had that fire in him. I mean, at nineteen he already placed P2 in a world championship.”
“As he said, he always gets what he wants.” I can’t help but laugh. That he does. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.
“I was starting to get worried about him. The life of a racing driver isn’t easy, he needs stability.” When Thomas looks at me full of benevolence, I feel like a teenager who just got her boyfriend’s father’s approval. “He’s more of a loner type. His teammate always has his family to cheer him on, but him…” He sighs. “He believes he doesn’t need anyone, I just think it’s hard for someone like him to trust someone.”
“It must be hard to develop real relationships when you’re famous. Sometimes it’s better to push people away, so you aren’t disappointed in them,” I say truthfully. I need to remember that Wolf and I are playing a game. A game that never involves feelings or emotional connection. I can only be insignificant once ouragreementexpires.
“But apparently he let you in, isn’t it?” A playful smile slide on his face.
“Ma belle, we should head to our room.” Aaron comes back to us, placing his hand on my lower back. His entrancing touch sends goose bumps on my arms.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Thomas.”
“You too, Elle. I’ll see you soon.” We smile at each other before Thomas’ attention drifts to Aaron. “And no dirty business before the race, Aaron.”Oh, god!I feel the blush on my cheeks as Thomas leaves us, laughing at my shocked face.
When we reach our bedroom, doubts start consuming me. We have a room on the top floor with an amazing view of the track. Our balcony is illuminated by the beautiful twilight. The atmosphere is fueled with romanticism—it’s spacious, it could be honeymoon worthy. And more importantly, there is one king-size bed. Only one. I’m gonna share a week, alone, with Wolf. Can I trust him? Probably not. Yet, I believe he’ll be a gentleman. I almost feel like his personal escort, maybe this agreement wasn’t such a good idea. Only one way to find out.
“So… which side of the bed you want to take?” My voice etches, revealing the fact I haven’t slept alongside a man in a long time.
“Whatever you want. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”What?
He throws his bag on the sofa which he transforms into a tiny bed. I’m studying him with confusion. Wolf wants to fuck me. Wolf invites me here. But sleeping in the same bed as me, that he can’t do? I don’t believe he did that out of gallantry—no, it’s something else. He glances at me over his shoulder. “It’s not personal, Elle. It’s just, I always sleep alone.”
I mumble a vague okay, my voice betraying my disappointment. What’s wrong with me? As he goes to the bathroom, I place my suitcase on the bed and tie my hair into a messy bun. I search inside my bag for my beauty products, still wondering why he doesn’t want to sleep next to me. Is it because he can’t fall asleep next to someone? Is it because he doesn’t want to get emotionally involved with someone? It’s hard to tell.
I decide to take a shower once I notice Wolf is done. I carry my products, and our paths meets halfway, our gaze connecting intensely with each other. I look at the ground, ignoring him, not believing I’m really doing this.
It’s a one-time thing.
Just a few days away from everything.
I enter the bathroom when I hear his phone ringing on the sink. “Aaron, your phone!” I grab it and open the door to give it back to him but catch a glimpse at the WhatsApp caller ID by mistake.
Monica.
She’s beautiful. In her profile picture, she’s smiling, showing her incredible teeth. Her deep blue eyes would bewitch any men, her wavy brown hair looking like a hair commercial. For an instant, I wonder—who is she to him?Who cares.
“Thank you, Elle.” He takes his phone as I manage a smile and feel something…weird. Jealousy? Seriously? It’s ridiculous.
I hear him cursing a few times on the phone but decide not to eavesdrop. During my shower, all my thoughts are occupied by Aaron. Mysterious and enigmatic Aaron. I change into my Bordeaux satin shorts and camisole and check my phone.
Aaron:Heading to the gym. Don’t wait up.
Liar.
I might not be an expert about Formula 1, but I do know about sports. You are supposed to keep your energy before a competition, follow a training schedule—which doesn’t include a gym session at night, abruptly. Great, Wolf asks me to come here just to screw another woman, probably gorgeous Monica. I refused him sex (for now, at least) and he isn’t the type of man to wait for a woman forever. I storm into the bedroom, trying to not let my temper affect me. I take a book in order to relax and head toward the balcony to feel the fresh air on my face. Almost all the lights are off, except for one huge bay window on the right.
The gym.
I take a closer look at it and see Aaron running on the treadmill—alone. He is fast, focused, as if he is in a war against himself. Fuck. He wasn’t lying.Talk about trust issues. I sit on the chair and switch my focus between the book and Aaron for god knows how long. I’ve never seen someone so hell-bent. He stops the treadmill and sits down on the floor looking exhausted, his hands resting on his forehead. He seems haunted, worn out, like he went over his own limits.
