My dad warned me about the guys here and the world they live in. But I didn’t listen, resulting in getting hurt. But on the flip side, I found bits and pieces of myself, discovering what I love along the way. I found love in art again. And now I appreciate the way life happens naturally, without plans or lists. This season helped me mature whether I wanted to or not, and similar to growing pains, it hurts.
I’m ready to go home and show the world what I’m made of. For real this time. No more hiding behind a degree I hate or a Fuck it list to prove to myself how I can have fun and let go.
“Sophie! Wait!” Liam’s voice echoes off the pit walls.
My feet turn on their own to find Liam running toward me in his race suit, looking like a white knight.
He stops in front of me, not the least bit winded. “I need to talk to you.”
“About?” I cringe at the roughness in my voice.
“I had no idea you knew about the McCoy deal. Fuck. I tried to change it by getting them to agree to my conditions.” He runs a hand through his damp hair, probably wet due to a mix of alcohol and sweat.
“It’s okay. I get it.”
“Why are you acting casual about this? I’m so sorry. You probably feel betrayed, but I swear I was working with them to secure something better. They didn’t tell me anything. And fuck, the fact that Rick talked to you behind my back makes me want to rip him a new asshole to match his personality.” Liam’s worried eyes run over my face.
“I understand why you didn’t. It’s really okay. You have to do what you need to for racing because that’s your end goal.”
He grips my hands in his, a current of energy trailing up my arm. “That’s not true. Not anymore. I want you.”
I shake my head in a weak attempt to rid his words from my ears. “I can’t blame you for struggling to decide between not being my friend anymore or staying with McCoy. Which is so fucked up, but I get this world. I get you. But you hurt me, not admitting you loved me despite everyone telling me you do. And I’m tired of people telling me. It’s not their job, it’s yours.”
“I do love you. I swear. I’ve done a shit job at realizing it, and an even shittier job admitting it to you. I love you more than racing itself. I’ve been miserable since you started avoiding me, where even spending a week without you is fucking torture. My chest aches, my sleep cycle blows, and my head throbs every fucking day. I can’t stand how I feel without you around. And I don’t want to anymore.”
“After all this time of waiting to hear those words…I feel hollow.” I don’t recognize my flat voice.
His face crumbles. “What can I do to make it better? Please, I’ll do anything.”
I nearly give in at his broken voice, but I can’t. Not anymore. “Like I said. Everyone wants to tell me how much you love me, including yourself. You know what? Now it’s your turn. I want you to prove it.”
I turn, heading toward Bandini’s suite, leaving behind a distraught Liam.
The prince can’t be saved if he’s too stubborn about staying locked up in his castle.
38
Liam
Sophie’s dad didn’t throw a grenade at me yesterday. He dropped a motherfucking IED and hoped I knew what to do with it. Lukas plotted with me because Sophie taught me plans lead to effectiveness. I privately spoke with different teams, surpassing an agent because fuck Rick the dick very much.
One of the last items on my list is to confront the sly motherfucker and his goon of a sidekick.
Cameras face me as reporters ask questions about the final Prix and my runner-up standing. I’m proud as hell of my performance this year because despite the stacked odds and snakes in the McCoy pit, I placed second against many talented racers.
“Liam, care to comment on the recent article about you and Miss Mitchell?”
“Since you’re bringing that up, I’d like to announce some important news. My relationship with Sophie Mitchell will be just that. My relationship. I’m tired of you asking me questions about my personal life, or about her. She’s off-limits—to you, to paparazzi, and to any other straight male within a one-hundred-mile radius of her. She’s mine, the end. I’m a lucky bastard who she for some reason fell in love with. That means I’m not allowing my relationship to go to shit because of vultures who want to tear us down. This is my first and last warning regarding the subject. The next person who brings her up in any way besides complimenting her gets blacklisted from the interview schedule. You guys love to comment how damn replaceable we all are here, so let’s turn the tables, shall we?”