AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“They’re doing well, thank you for asking, Mrs. Onassis. They’re still in Tübingen. I’ll tell them you say hello.”
God, his manners are impeccable.
“I wondered whether to take a couple of days to visit them between races, before Austin, but I decided not to because of the situation with Adrian. They’re planning on being at a few of the races in Europe. They’d wanted to come over for the American races, but my brother had a health issue so they’re home now while he recovers.”
“What happened to Hans?” I blurt, suddenly alarmed. Six years younger than Max, his brother was born with Down syndrome.
“He’s fine. He had a minor stomach issue but it was corrected with surgery. We flew him to a great hospital in Berlin and he was out within a week. He’s almost fully recovered, but my parents didn’t want to stress him out by bringing him to America.”
Max’s words are smooth and collected, but I see a flicker of anguish in his blue eyes.
“Were you able to be with him in the hospital?”
Max shakes his head. “I was in Sochi at the time.”
Hans is probably Max’s favorite person on the planet, aside from Lucas, and I know it must have affected him deeply to have to race while his brother was undergoing surgery. But that’s the way of Formula World—it’s not like a driver can take a sick day, because every missed race means lost opportunities for points. For a driver to miss a race, it must be a life and death situation. And even then, most drivers choose to race; Papa once had a driver whose mother died on a Saturday and he raced the next day. And won.
“I’m sorry.”
“Hans is tough. He made it through and is doing well.”
“That’s good to hear. Where’s Lucas?” The two are inseparable during the race season, have been for Max’s entire career. It was one of the things I adored about Max, that he could have a close friendship with a man without shame or apologies.
“He went home to see his wife in New York for the night. He’s meeting me in Austin later tomorrow.”
I open my mouth, stunned. “I hadn’t realized he’d gotten married.”
“They eloped only a few months ago at a small ceremony in Brazil. She’s a model.”
Lucas always had a taste for stunning women. I imagine that his model wife has model friends, and they were also at the wedding, thrilled to flirt with a famous racing star.
“It was a gorgeous private ceremony on the beach,” he murmurs, and turns his head to look out the window at the Miami traffic. I focus again on his hand, which is still resting on his thigh but is now curled into a fist. There’s a part of me that wants to take his hand, unfurl his fingers, and press my palm against his. Squeeze his hand and tell him it’s all going to be okay—and hear it back from him.
That’s what we would’ve done seven years ago, in private. But a lot has changed since then. Everything has, really.
And that’s the crux of the problem facing me right now: that by virtue of being the team owner I’m confronted every minute with the fact that I broke up with Max. It was possibly the worst decision I’ve ever made, and now I need to relive it over and over.
Chapter Nine
MAX
“Thank goodness there’s no media in here. They’d never fit,” I say in a semi-joking tone as the seven of us pack into a too-small elevator at the hospital. It’s me, Lily, Mrs. Onassis, a doctor, a nurse, and two of my bodyguards. Everyone but Lily laughs at my attempt at hospital humor.
This is a place where people are too focused on the immediate, the crucial, the tragic, to recognize us, and the hospital’s diligent about keeping reporters away. The doctor mentions that it’s not protocol to let so many people into an ICU room, but they’re making an exception for us because of who we are.
The familiar and omnipresent smell of antiseptic soap permeates everything. It reminds me of being a teen and visiting Hans in the hospital when he was small. Hospital scents have always made me feel anxious and uneasy. My stomach tightens as those old fears surface, but then I remember that everything’s okay for the moment. That Hans is safe and that Adrian is getting the best care.
Being a Formula World driver is an exercise in zen. It’s all about living in the moment. That’s a simple philosophy on the track, far harder in real life. Everything is okay, for now.
Lily’s eyes meet mine and she shoots me a little smile, one I can’t interpret.
I used to know exactly what she was thinking, how she was feeling. I’ve never experienced that with any other woman, and now that I can’t with her, it’s frustrating. A little disappointing too. I also can’t shake my anger toward her. With the desire that swirls in my body, it’s an uncomfortable mix.
We troop down the hall to Adrian’s room in silence. The doctor opens the door. Adrian’s in a private room in a private wing, and the decor here is more like a hotel than a hospital. But the hospital smell remains.
“Mr. Onassis, you have some visitors,” the doctor announces cheerfully.
“Papa!” Lily cries, rushing into the room first. “You look so much better today. Your color’s almost back.”
