Page 129 of Downforce

He thrusts his head in the direction Annalise just went. “I think she had something to do with it.”

“Not my stellar talent?”

He chuckles. “Talent got you this far, but you’ve always held back. Got in your own way …” he pauses, “or allowed others to do it.”

I raise an eyebrow, and he stares me right in the eyes. Harry never made a secret about not liking many of my mates, especially Edwin. They had a falling out that I never found out the cause of. This was before Harry’s accident.

Then there was also the time he walked in on my mother when she was in the middle of one of her rants about me not being good enough. I was fifteen years old at the time.

“But who am I to judge?” He shrugs. “I had my own shite to figure out.” He drops his hands heavily onto the handles of his chair.

The guilt I’d managed to stave off until this moment crawls out of its hiding hole and fills my stomach, weighing me down.

“I never meant to go so long without seeing you,” I say. “It was⁠—”

“My fault,” he cuts me off.

“That’s absurd,” I argue.

“It’s also true.” Harry glances over his shoulder. “I was just about to take a look at one of the karts out back. Come with me.” He cocks his head toward the garage. When the track isn’t in use for races, it’s used by patrons who want to give outdoor racing a try or private events.

The garage is just as I remember it. While the rest of the building and track grounds are always kept immaculate, the garage is the opposite. On either side along the walls are random car parts, at the center are three vehicles, two go-karts, and one sportbike.

“This is a beauty.” I stand over the blue and grey bike that’s clearly in the process of being built for a future race.

“Think so? Harry moves to the other side of the bike, his face lighting up as he gazes at it.

It reminds me of when we were younger and got to take part in building our first go-kart together. Harry and I grew up not too far apart from one another. His father and mine were friends. More like, my father won his father a lot of money since he was part owner of Amato Racing at that time.

We grew up together, went to the same schools, and eventually raced together.

Harry never went beyond go-karting, though, and became more interested in the business side of the sport. Until he and his dad took a ski trip when he was twenty-one years old. A wrong turn on a snowmobile down a mountain cost his father his life and Harry’s ability to walk.

“Did you build this?”

His smirk widens to a grin.

“I helped a little but more so got involved with the team that’ll be racing it. It’ll debut this season.” His eyes light up in obvious pride.

“Are you looking for an agent job?” I joke but it doesn’t feel like much of a joke.

He cocks his head. “Edwin not living up to the role?”

“Edwin’s fine,” I answer, half-heartedly. “But you still love this and have a head for the business side of things.” I hesitate before continuing. “They’re asking me to drive my father’s car in Sao Paolo.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Harry whistles. “It’s about time they asked.”

I chuckle. “They’ve asked every year since I began in Formula 1.”

He nods. “You turned them down.”

“I have.”

“But now you’re considering it?”

“What do you think?” I ask.

He looks out onto the rest of the garage, considering. “I think you’ve always been afraid of living in your father’s shadow.” He lifts his shoulders. “Never made sense to me, mate. You’ve always had your own light.”