Chapter 46

Sebastian

Finally, we’ve arrived. Race weekend is coming in full force.

I’ve kept my distance from Gregory and left early this morning with Evelyn by my side to get to the track.

It feels like I haven’t been on the track for a real race in years. Practicing alone is a thousand times different than riding that track with dozens of racers.

“You nervous?” Evelyn asks me as we sit at a red light. I turn to see her wide smile, but behind it, I can feel the anxiety.

“Nah,” I lie, shrugging. “I’m too cool to have any nerves on the track.”

She rolls her eyes, and I smirk as I return my gaze to traffic. “You’re really something.”

“Admit it, you love it.”

“Drive the car, idiot.”

But I am genuinely nervous for today. It’s not that it’s been a while since competing races, but Evelyn’s never watched me. Somehow, knowing her eyes will be glued to the track, makes me sweat.

Once we arrive, everything starts out fine. We get set up, sent down to the tracks, and talk to my team. Evelyn watches in wonder, and in my chest, a small fire erupts for her thrilled expression.

Evelyn is given a headset to hear me and the team as I’m on the track, and at noon, the first race of the day begins.

It’s electric. I feel the vibration through my fingertips and the sounds of the engines revving. I feel reborn, smelling the gasoline and burning rubber.

“Let’s win a race, gents,” I say into my own microphone.

“Another beautiful day to kick ass,” one of the men replies back.

“So classy,” Evelyn giggles, making my smile grow wider. Goddamn, this woman and her ability to make me feel good.

The first race goes well, with everyone on their A-game and Evelyn cheering me on through the entire time. It’s an easy win for everyone, and I hold back from wanting to do donuts around the losers.

“Let’s fucking go!” I scream, slamming my hands down on the wheel as the energy soars from within me. God, when’s the last time something felt so right for me?

In truth? When I first slept with Evelyn.

I jump out of the car when I’ve made it to lane, picking Evelyn up and spinning her around so fast she lets out a scream.

“That’s how it’s done!” I insist before putting her down. I won’t make the mistake of kissing her out here, but fuck do I wish there was an excuse.

“You were so mesmerizing!” She tells me as she pushes her hair aside and lowers the headset.

“Now you just need to start doing your own amateur races,” I respond with a wink.

“In no world will I allow that to happen,” she scoffs at me. “I’d rather watch you ride!”

“Me, too.”

The voice isn’t Evelyn’s, or one of the guys from my team. In fact, for a moment I actually worry that it’s Gregory.

Instead, I watch in confusion as Isabella, William and surprisingly, Ava, come out of the crowd.

Evelyn seems initially uncomfortable, closing the distance between the two of us.

“I just love watching Sebby race!” William shrieks in a female voice. He rolls his eyes at me. “Please.”

“What are you doing here.”

There’s no question in my voice, is purely a demand.

“We’re here to watch you race, duh,” Isabella purrs.

“I don’t remember allowing filth into the cockpit,” I snarl at my roommate.

“Oh, please. We have the passes, jackass, you think we’re not going to take advantage of watching you crash?” William seems bitter, more than I ever remember in the past. So much for a best friend.

“Remind me to cancel those, then,” I bite back.

“Don’t worry, Sebastian. There’s not going to be a need to cancel anything,” Isabella answers, flittering her eyebrows.

“And what brings you here?” I turn to Ava, ignoring the two asshats. “Thought you hated me.”

Ava shrugs. “Promised I’d be here in the summer. I keep my promises.”

“Vomit,” William rolls his eyes.

“Look, all that matters is Sebastian wins his races, so then he’ll finally remember where he belongs on the food chain,” Isabella says with a fake smile.

Evelyn tenses just a bit.

“You just chose to come here to get in my head? And get in Evelyn’s as well?” I snap at the two asshats.

“Oh, no, never! We are but your humble sidekicks,” William mocks.

“Besides, when you win, you’ll be given a trophy instead of the leftover trash,” Isabella mocks Evelyn, letting her eyes scan her like she’s nothing.

I clench my hands into fists, ready to shut them both up.

Evelyn

For some reason, I feel an actual threat is coming from these two. My anxiety starts to trickle under my hair, and I try to scratch the itch nonchalantly.

Isabella flits her eyes in my direction again, seemingly trying to get under my skin.

Too late.

“Are you two here to cause a shitshow, or are you here to actually be decent human beings?” Sebastian snaps.

William lets out a loud, single bark of a laugh. “Did you really just say that? ‘Decent human beings?’ You really believe you’re the good guy in all of this?”

I watch Sebastian’s brow furrow, and I wonder if he will punch his roommate in the face without so much as a second thought.

“You’re the one who tried to fuck with us!” Sebastian throws back.

“Your obsession with Evelyn is unhealthy,” Isabella sneers. She hasn’t taken her eyes off of me. “She’s just your girl of the year. We all know he’s using you for sex and nothing more.”

William’s eyes widen. “You’re fucking your stepsister?!”

Isabella whips her head around. “Stepsister?!”

Ava turns away from all of us.

“I’m not fucking her!” Sebastian's backpedals, and while it’s true, it still hurts. We haven’t done anything wrong at this point.

“That’s why you freaked the fuck out on me! I should have pieced it all together, but no, you’re just some fucking creep!” William seems to be baffled beyond belief.

“You literally tried to have sex with her because you, and I quote, ‘need to get this nut out.’ How the fuck am I the creep? You couldn’t keep your dick in your pants!”

William must decide that’s it, because he swings his arm so fast, I scream. Sebastian must have expected it, because he moves out of the way quickly like a character in a movie.

“Stop it!” Ava snaps, shoving both the men aside. “Sebastian isn’t fucking Evelyn!”

“And how do you know that?” Isabella’s shrill voice demands.

Ava’s eyes quickly move from me to Sebastian, and I can see she’s trying her hardest to find an answer.

“Because she told me.”

William lets a pffh noise out. “And you don’t think they’re lying?”

Ava whips her head back to William with her hair flying everywhere. “You don’t get to do that! You don’t get to demand answers from anyone! I came here today to be supportive, and I thought you and Isabella were, too!”

William opens his mouth, but Ava slaps his arm. “I’m not done!”

I thought I’d seen angry Ava. But apparently, I was wrong.

“You tried to fuck his stepsister because you think with the wrong fucking head! And Isabella only knows how to be a jealous cunt!”

The other girl’s jaw drops, but I stay silent as Ava shakes her head at everyone. “This whole fucking year has been one big soap opera, and I’m sick of it!”

She turns to Sebastian. “You know why I’m actually here? Because these two dicks sabotaged your car, and I wasn’t going to let them kill you over petty bullshit.”

The two guilty people look aghast at Ava’s betrayal, and Sebastian finally goes off. “Security!” he screams, and two very large men approach.

“She’s lying!” Isabella coughs.

“I have no reason to lie to anyone,” Ava growls. “You two wanted to get your stupid revenge by ending his career; don’t deny it!”

William’s face begins to turn red. “What the fuck, Ava?”

Isabella sticks her tongue in her cheek and narrows her dark eyes at Ava. “You traitor!”

Ava turns to the two security men. “They tampered with Sebastian’s car; I saw it. I have pictures.”

The two men immediately, without a single moment of hesitation, grab the two and instantaneously make their way to the exit.

“And find somewhere new to live, dickweed!” Sebastian calls out before they’re out of earshot.

I cannot believe what I just witnessed right now, and I feel my heart stretching out to hug Ava for saving Sebastian. But the two of us glance toward her, and I can tell she’s not there yet.

“You might be sick. But you don’t deserve to die.”

That’s all she says. Because she turns on her heels and briskly exits the cockpit before we can say anything.

Sebastian gets the crew to check out his car and determine that the breaks were tampered with. Without Ava’s tip, no one would have noticed.

They have to delay the second race, but once the team fixes up his car, Sebastian is back behind the wheel and on the track.

I don’t expect Ava to come back down, so I instead just text her a thank you for saving Sebastian’s life.

She responds with a thumbs up, which is more than I thought. But in reality, as I watch Sebastian race around the track, I feel a deep, horrible pit grow in my stomach.

If those two were willing to hurt or even kill Sebastian, then what’s stopping them from hurting me, too?