One Last Fling - Chapter 11
Lily
The first thing Lily noticed was that she woke up warm. The second thing was that the warmth was not her own, although it was definitely human-shaped and breathing. She lay still for a moment, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, letting herself catalog the facts without judgment. Cam Fowler’s room. Cam Fowler’s bed. Cam Fowler, asleep beside her.
She smiled before she could stop herself. But then she told herself it was okay. Two consenting adults had made a choice last night and it had been delicious. She felt good about the decision, the idea of a reset between them. But it was race day and she needed to return her focus to the task at hand.
Carefully, she slipped out from under the covers, gathered her things and padded back down the hall to her own room. The shower helped—washed off the lingering softness, replaced it with focus. She dressed in team kit, hair pulled back, armor in place.
Still, when she stepped into the hallway and saw him walking toward her, something inside her loosened again.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning,” she replied, wondering why her cheeks suddenly felt hot.
They walked toward the elevators together, not touching. Professional. Reasonable. Exactly what two teammates who had absolutely not spent the night together would look like.
The elevator doors slid closed behind them. And then Cam smiled at her. Not the public one. Not the charming, sponsor-ready version. This one was quieter. Warmer. A clear continuation of last night.
Lily stepped forward before she could talk herself out of it. It was just a kiss. Quick, gentle, nothing reckless about it. Not like last night. Except that it turned into another, and then another, and Cam’s hand slipped under the back of her shirt like it belonged there.
She forgot herself for a moment. Forgot about cameras and contracts and consequences. Forgot everything except the way they fit together.
The elevator chimed.
The doors slid open.
“Oh—” someone said.
Lily jumped. They broke apart, space snapping back into place between them. A cluster of people were waiting for the elevator, and mixed in there was a PR rep she vaguely recognized.
No one said anything. Cam recovered first, stepping off with an easy grin. “Morning, everyone,” he said, bland and harmless.
Lily nodded once, professional mask firmly back in place. “See you later, Fowler.”
They walked in opposite directions, her pulse finally catching up with her. It’s fine. You’re okay, she told herself as she changed into her race suit. People saw things all the time. It didn’t mean anything. It wasn’t proof. She doubted anyone had taken a picture. There wasn’t any time.
She got to the garage, climbed into the car and pulled her gloves on, breathing steady. This was what mattered.
From the start of her race, something shifted in Lily. Her hyperfocus more finely tuned. She made precision moves. Hit every apex with little effort. No mistakes. She drove like someone who knew exactly what she wanted and refused to hesitate. And when she realized at the last half of the last lap that she was about to win, the joy hit her all at once. Bright and overwhelming and earned, dammit. It was by far the most decisive win of her Academy career.
On the podium, champagne dripping into her eyes, Lily looked out at the crowd and realized whom she was looking for and who wasn’t there—Cam. Of course not. The men’s race would be starting soon. He had his own season to worry about.
Still, as she stepped down, heart racing for an entirely different reason now, one thought lodged itself firmly in her chest. She hoped he’d watched. She hoped he’d seen exactly who she was when it counted.