“I’m fine, just showing off a little,” I reply, flipping off Orson behind me. He meant what he said. He wanted to cause an accident so I’d get hurt, maybe even killed. What an ass.
He was willing to be suspended, probably even banned, just so we wouldn’t win. He’s a fucking maniac, but I don’t give him another thought. His little slip costs him, and Blizzard blocks him from aligning with others from Nos. We create a barrier between him and the front. He isn’t winning today. We all show him just how much of a team sport this is. He thinks he’s hot shit, but this is our track.
By the second lap, Sky and I have put distance between us. Only Blizzard is a close second, Jordan doing everything to keep up. He manages to get between us as we approach the final bend of this lap. It’s a tight one, and we all know a maximum of two cars can fit, and even then, if you aren’t careful, you’ll crash. Taking a deep breath, I put my trust and instinct in Sky. We’ve trained for this and worked together. One of us will win. We hit the gas, speeding toward the bend. My and Sky’s car level as Jordan hesitates before slamming his brakes at the last second, and we both slide around the corner and shoot across the line and into the final lap. We fight for position the entire way around, changing, passing, and having fun. Sky even blows me a kiss as I wink at him.
“Alright, boys, it’s time to end this. No holding back,” Noah calls. “You are still brothers, no matter what. Bring it home.”
I know what he means. There’s only one winner, but neither of us will hold back, not even out of love for each other. He wouldn’t thank me if I let him win, and neither would I.
Skylar and I race down the straight, neck and neck. Everything else fades—the crowd, the cars chasing us. It’s just him and me and the finish line ahead. It’s all I focus on as I press my foot down and edge forward. I glance at him, and he nods, both of us focusing on the line in the distance as we give it our all. One of us will win, one of us will be second, but all I can think about is that line.
It’s hard to tell, but we cross the finish at the same time. By the time we slow to a stop, I have no idea who won. I idle, breathing through the adrenaline, hoping it’s me while praying it’s him. My heart clenches before I force myself from the car. Not looking doesn’t change the outcome. It’s done. It’s over. One of us is a champion. Rushing from my car, I meet Skylar as we turn to the board, our hands linked as we ignore all the other racers.
The next few seconds are the longest of my life. I barely breathe, my heart stops, and then the board flashes with the order, and I gape as it appears in black and white. Skylar, the crowd, everything fades as I stare at the names and times.
My name is at the top.
I won.
Skylar is second, by a hairsbreadth, but I’m above him, and next to my name is a new record.
“You fucking did it!” Skylar roars as he picks me up and spins me around, but I can’t think as he puts me on my feet. He yanks my helmet off, grinning at me as I stare. “Mackie, you did it!”
“I won?” I whisper.
“You fucking won!” he yells. “You fucking did it!”
“I won!” I throw myself at him, and he laughs, and we jump and celebrate. The crowd goes wild, but as we pull away, I hear my name and turn to see Orson prowling my way. He throws his helmet onto the track, his face furious as he advances on me before the other drivers step between us.
I hear him swearing and yelling at us, but his other driver holdshim back as he lunges for me. Lifting my hand, I scratch my face with my middle finger as I walk backwards, sticking my tongue out before I turn and clap Skylar’s shoulder and head toward our paddock. I only make it two steps before we are converged on.
Arms surround me, and there are so many voices, I can’t make them out. We are a mass of people until I pull away to breathe. Noah’s hands find my cheeks, his smile so wide it looks like it has to hurt. “You did it, baby.”
Conan knocks him aside, hugging me. “I’m so proud of you.”
When I glance at Noah, he congratulates Sky, and I worry, but then he grins at me, letting me know there are no hard feelings. We promised to give it our all, and we did. We always knew one of us would win, I just thought it would be him, and I would have been happy for him.
“Move, move, too many hotties,” my grandma calls, and the crowd parts as she holds out her arms. Her white shirt has my face on it, the words below it stating, “I made this bitch famous.”
Laughing, I throw myself at her, and she kisses my head. “You did so well. Look at you! Your parents would be so proud.” I lower my head, hiding my tears, but I can’t stop smiling as someone slaps my back, and I meet Alek’s eyes.
“Congratulations, brother!”
Evan, Alice, and Lally repeat it, all smiling, and then I meet Noah’s dad’s eyes. Grinning, I pull away from my grandma and hug him. He seems surprised at first, but he quietly hugs me back.
“I am so proud of you,” he murmurs. “I’ll have to buy you something to celebrate.”
“You being here is enough,” I assure him as I pull back and smile at Skylar, who is wrapped around Bones. Fear courses through me at the idea of him being upset. Neither of us like to lose, and I just hope this hasn’t tarnished what we have. No title would be worth that. “We good, brother?”
“Don’t be a bitch.” Stepping away from Bones, he grabs my head and presses our foreheads together. “We are brothers. Your win is my win. I’m just so fucking happy.”
“Me too.” I drag him closer as my tears fall, relief and excitement filling me as we embrace.
We did it.
We are champions.
Everything moved so fast after the race. We were whisked away, and as I stand on the podium, I can’t believe it. I look around in shock. Skylar is to my left, one step down, and Jordan is in third to my right. Cameras flash, and questions are shouted, but I search the crowd until I find Noah and Conan standing together, clapping for us.
