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“But now,” he continued softly. “Now it’s justsomuch more.”
It was crazy, how quiet everything had suddenly gotten. The running around had finally stopped, all the cheering was tuned out. It felt almost like were in the eye of some great hurricane.
“I don’t know exactly when it morphed into something different,” said Devin. “But it did. Something big. Something much bigger than any of us.”
Some of the crowd rushed us. They surrounded the car excitedly, trying to peer inside.
“Guys…” I pleaded. “We—”
“We love you Brooke,” Reese jumped in. “We promised not to do this again, but we couldn’t help it. We still can’t help it.”
“We don’twantto help it,” Hayden added with a smile.
The crowd was beating on the doors and windows now. But it didn’t matter. All of a sudden, the only things that mattered were right here in the cab.
And not just one thing, but three. A trio of incredible, amazing, breathtaking friends. They were beyond teammates now, and well beyond lovers.
They were family.
“We want you,” said Devin. “Not to just come visit us in Minnesota, but tostaywith us there. To work with us. To live with us.”
“And to beours,” Reese butted in. “You’re our girlfriend, Brooke. You have been, ever since the island.”
My beating heart felt lighter than ever, as tears streamed down my cheeks. Then I was hugging them, one by one. Kissing them passionately. Throwing my whole body against theirs, as I was crushed against three hard chests by six powerful arms.
“I love you too,” I cried. “Maybe I didn’t want to admit it, or say it,” I laughed, “or maybe I just shouldn’t show it because of this stupid Race—”
The word was like a cold bucket of water to the face. I sat up abruptly and looked around.
“HOLY SHIT!”
It felt like a thousand people were peering into the cab at once now. Camera crews. Sound techs. Noah Frost…
Noah Frost?
“HEY!” the host cried, banging on the window. “You guys staying in there all night, or—”
Devin forced one of the doors open bodily, against the weight of the crowd, and we all spilled out in a tangled pile. Reese even tripped and fell. Hayden and I dragged him to his feet.
“DID WE WIN?” Devin was shouting. He had Noah by the arms now, shaking him. He’d practically lifted the host from his feet. “DID WE—”
“You uh, might wanna ring the golden bell first,” Noah pointed.
We ran, and the crowd parted before us. We caught glimpses of past teams. Eliminated contestants. Everyone was clapping and screaming and pointing…
And then we were standing beneath the obelisk, ringing the bell as one.
OH MY GOD!
“CONGRATULATIONS!”
Noah came skipping after us, grinning like a maniac. Someone had handed him the golden megaphone. He leapt up on the stone base of the obelisk and swept his arms over us grandly.
“Dream Team!” he laughed, as the crowd egged him on. “What a NAME, right?”
The square erupted in chaos as everyone began screaming and clapping at once.
“DREAM TEAM!” he said again, drawing the words out. “I’m pleased to tell you…”
The sentence trailed off, but only for a moment.
“YouAREthe very first Second Chance Champions of the INSANE WORLD RACE!”
