The second we’re both out of our cars, Harper and I are running towards each other and he jumps at me so I’m holding him in a bear hug that lifts him off the ground.
‘We did it,’ he whispers against my ear. Tears in his eyes.
‘We did it,’ I repeat, before lowering him to the ground so we can be pulled into congratulatory hugs by every single member of the Hendersohm team.
We’ve just given them the best result of the team’s history, so of course everyone’s screaming, crying, embracing and generally going nuts. They’re all about to get the biggest bonus ever.
Before we know it, we’re on the podium and I know that nothing will ever come close to this feeling. With Harper by my side, I always feel on top of the world, and this podium just proves it.
I can’t think of a better way to be going out.
ChapterThirty-Two
Harper
Standing on top of the podium with the guy I’m falling so hard for was the most unbelievable experience. A once-in-a-lifetime moment, literally, since he’s announced his retirement.
I love seeing him celebrating with his family and including the kids in everything. I know the passing of his mum came up in a lot of the interviews and he spoke movingly about the impact this had on him during the season. He spoke too about his sister’s sacrifices in caring for their mum so that he could achieve his dreams, and I know this will have meant a lot to Elise.
We’re taking a low-profile approach to our relationship with the press. It’s not that we’re trying to hide anything, and it’s not that we’re afraid of prejudice within the world of motor racing. It’s just that the way I lived before, splashing every hook-up and bar crawl onto my social media, desperately seeking validation and approval from strangers, is not something I want to do with the precious connection that Kian and I share.
It’s private, but not secret.
It belongs to us, and only us.
At the Hendersohm party, the celebration has a different vibe. Here, we are not on show. Here we are not ‘working royals’, so we can be a couple as well as teammates. The whole team and their invited family members, guests and friends get a chance to meet and share stories and to put the proverbial icing on this season’s cake.
The first person to approach us is Elijah, who’s here with his family.
Elijah hugs Kian like he’s a soldier returning from war, but it’s a beautiful reunion and I can tell how happy they are to be back together. I feel bad that Elijah missed out on being a part of this incredible season, but I also know I never would have fallen in love with my idol, the great Kian Walker, if not for Elijah’s accident.
‘The infamous Harper James.’
Elijah sticks his hand out for me to shake and I take it with a firm grip. He’s probably not trying to be intimidating, but I want him to like me. He’s Kian’s best friend, so it matters what he thinks of me.
‘Not as infamous as you, Elijah Gutaga. Trust me, at the start of the season this one –’ I thumb towards Kian ‘– sulked so much that he was stuck with me and not you. They were big shoes to fill.’
He grins and I almost breathe out a sigh of relief that he doesn’t seem to completely hate me. ‘That probably changed, huh, when you started sucking his dick?’ I gulp, not sure what I was expecting from Elijah, but it wasn’t this. ‘He doesn’t get that from me so I think you’ve probably one-upped me there.’
‘Touché,’ I reply and Kian tugs me into his side.
‘I’m going to regret introducing you two. I know you’re going to bring out his immature side.’ He nudges me in the ribs.
‘I can’t believe my best friend’s in love,’ Elijah says.
‘What can I say? How could he resist falling for me?’
We might not have said those magicalI love yousto each other yet, but I know how he feels about me and I hope he knows how I feel about him.
‘I mean, it was touch and go at first when you couldn’t stop being a dick,’ he says with nothing but sarcasm to his voice.
‘Me? A dick? Never.’
‘Did you or did you not once suck a guy off in the hallway of our motorhome?’ I wince as he reminds me of one of the low points of the season, but he squeezes me closer and I know he’s over it.
‘They best be bloody disinfecting it before I move back in next season.’ Elijah rolls his eyes.
‘Don’t worry, I didn’t get to finish before Kian strode out of his room and told me off.’ I wasn’t about to mention that we’d also had sex on the couch, kitchen counter top, in the shower and in both of the bedrooms. What Elijah didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him next season.
