“You told me you wouldn’t tell her anything until I did!” I run both hands through my hair, tugging at the thick strands.
Maya and I both whisper in the kitchen while Marko plays with his toys in the living room. She came by herself to pick up Marko today while Noah busies himself at Bandini’s headquarters in Milan, prepping for his Monza race.
Maya throws her hands in the air. “It wasn’t me! Marko mentioned her to Mami when they talked on the phone this morning after she landed in Madrid. What did you expect me to do? Rip the phone out of his hands and hang up?”
“Is that too much to ask?”
She smacks my shoulder. “Yes. He’s a little kid. It’s not like he knows what he should or should not say. Plus, once Marko told her the news, she said she was booking a flight and joining me for the next week before Noah’s race. Well, that and how she wanted to meet me here so she could say hi to you.”
“Hi? More like she wanted to interrogate my girlfriend.” I still can’t believe my mom is coming here in the next hour to visit.
Maya winces. “Sorry.”
“How did she orchestrate this plan in less than a few hours?”
“That’s Mami for you. I’m pretty sure Papi was already driving her back to the airport while she chatted with Marko. She’s quick. I’ll give her that.”
“Great. Just great,” I groan. This is the repayment I get for taking care of Marko for two weeks. The last thing I need is more obstacles in my way, especially if it’s my mother.
Maya shrugs. “Try not to worry about it too much. She seems very excited about Chloe. Especially after Marko told Mami all about how Chloe took care of him when he was sick.”
I can’t exactly get mad at my nephew for not knowing any better. “Whatever. It’s just for one day.”
Maya’s eyes focus on something behind me. “Well…”
“I’m afraid to ask, but I don’t have much of a choice. Spit it out.”
“You didn’t hear it from me, but Mami wants you to attend the Prix with us next weekend.”
I release a stream of curses, switching between English and Spanish. The air in the room thickens as the walls around me inch closer. A swell of something ugly and weak blooms in my chest, feeding off my anxiety. Returning to the one place that I promised myself I would avoid at all costs brings about a new wave of panic. I try to gain control over my breathing, but short breaths escape my lips.
Shit. I run a shaky hand through my hair.
Maya’s eyes grow wider. “No one expects you to go! Just tell her you can’t because you’re busy.”
“Busy doing what? Watching my investments add up and taking a stroll by the lake? Yeah, amazing lie, Maya. I’ll tell her to ask me in another thirty years when my busy schedule frees up from watching the clock tick by.”
She looks down at her sneakers. “True.”
I pace across the room. “Why does she want me to go?”
“Probably because it’s Noah’s last Italian race with Bandini. You know that’s a big deal.”
“He’s retiring after this season? What changed?” Holy shit, everyone is going to be after his F1 seat. Noah’s been racing with Bandini for over a decade already.
“He was planning to retire after next year, but things…well… He wants to focus on his family, and that’s hard when we’re moving around all the time. Marko’s getting older, and he’s starting school and all. We want to grow our family somewhere that’s a bit more stable than a private jet or a motorhome.”
Damn. I guess Noah plans on retiring early because of her and everything that happened. He gains another ounce of respect from me at this latest admission.
Now I have to go to this race. Monza is a huge deal, and if it’s Noah’s last one, I’d be the biggest dick on the planet if I stayed home. The selfless notion doesn’t sit right with me because it’s the last thing I want to do, right up there with getting a colonoscopy or becoming a vegan.
“I’m fucked, aren’t I?” I whisper to the ceiling as if it can respond back to me.
“Well, if you’re set on going, you could always bring your girlfriend along with you to make it more bearable.”
Now, that’s an idea I can work with. Taking Chloe could ease some of the anxiety I have about showing up at a racetrack again. If I concentrate on her and our fake relationship, then I won’t have time to harp on the past.
Sorry, little wildflower, but I’m not sure you’ll survive my deadly storm.
“Chloe, tell me about America.” My mom links her arm with Chloe’s. Maya and I follow behind them, hugging the curve of the lake’s shore.
“Mami is seriously going to pretend she’s never been to America?” I mumble under my breath.
Maya elbows my side. “She’s being polite. You remember being that way, don’t you? You know, back when you did more than growl at people?”
I glare at my sister. Maya laughs and focuses her attention back on Marko.
“Well, New York is way more crowded than this town,” Chloe offers.
“Oh, yes. But other parts of Italy are pretty crowded. Have you been to any other cities in Europe yet or has my son been hiding you away from the world?” Mami smiles at her.
“Oh, no. I was—I didn’t have time yet. I’ve been working and stuff.” Chloe stumbles over her words.
Yup. I’m screwed. Chloe is way too nervous, and my mom isn’t helping the situation.
“Wow. I’d expect my son to treat his girlfriend with a bit more care. It’s a shame he hasn’t bothered taking you anywhere else, especially since he has been to tons of places himself. He used to love traveling.”
“Well this town is pretty great, so there hasn’t been a reason to leave yet.” Chloe smiles over her shoulder, winking at me. The small gesture distracts me and I trip over a rock.
She laughs before facing my mom. Mami’s eyes bounce between Chloe and me, her smile expanding at whatever she finds amusing.
Damn. I take back my last statement. With one smile at my mother, I know Chloe has her wrapped around her pinky. How can she not, when she works the same magic on me?
“Do you know what else is great?” Mami grins in a way that has the hairs on my arms rising.
Shit. Mami is going to go for it, with or without my approval. I’d be impressed by her sneakiness if I wasn’t on the losing end of it.
Chloe’s eyes dart from my mom to me. “What?”
“How would you feel about going to an F1 race? My son-in-law is driving and it’s his last one.”
“In Italy! He still has plenty more.” Maya awkwardly laughs and shakes her head.
I appreciate Maya trying to give me an out, but it’s not necessary.
“Oh.” Chloe bites her lip as her eyes find mine. Whatever she sees has her cheeks tinting to a rosy shade. “Uhm, I don’t think I can. We have plans.”
Mami’s lips purse. “Plans? Like what?”
“Like fixing a car.” Chloe nods her head.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. We lost the battle before it even began.
“And…um…” Chloe stammers.
“Well, my son can hold off on fixing one of his twenty-five cars. Right?” Mami looks back at me. Her eyes tell me if I say no, I’ll be regretting it for quite some time.
“Right.” I nod.
I hope Chloe makes this trip tolerable like Maya suggested because I can only imagine the shit show it’s bound to become. The idea of revisiting my demons has me sweating and my hands trembling. I haven’t seen an F1 racetrack since my accident, let alone been near old fans and coworkers.
Chloe stops in her tracks and holds her hand out to me. She looks like a dark angel, tempting me with a wicked smile and bright eyes. “I’m sure we can make the most out of the trip.”
I grab onto her hand, indulging in the energy crackling between us. “Who can resist showing her off to the world?”
She shakes her head. “Well, maybe skip the ‘prancing me around in public’ part. I don’t do well in the spotlight.”
“How would you know?” I quirk a brow.
“I threw up on stage during my part in a middle school play.”
“It’s normal to be nervous during those kinds of things,” my sister offers.
“I was a tree. I didn’t even have to speak.” Chloe’s cheeks flood with color.
I pull Chloe into me, relishing in the feel of her. Might as well enjoy her nearness under the guise of pleasing my family. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure you’ll get used to the attention after the first hundred paparazzi questions.”
“What are you doing?” she whispers under her breath.
“Having fun for once.” I wink, brushing aside a loose strand of her hair and tucking it behind her ear.
Mami and Maya whisper to each other, creating a peanut gallery of two behind us.
Her eyes narrow. “Consider us even after this trip. That is if I survive the heart attack I’m bound to have.”
I owe her for more than a weekend outing with my family. She revives a part of me I’ve neglected over the years, pushing me to be a better version of myself.
Chloe Carter has me hooked, and I can’t exactly say I’m sorry about it.
