One Last Fling - Chapter 19
Lily
Cam found her near the edge of the paddock, just far enough from the noise that she could breathe again. She was still holding the trophy, like if she put it down it might disappear. Her hands felt shaky. Her body felt wrung out. Between being sick and winning, there was basically nothing left.
And she was dreading giving Cam the news. It was making her so queasy it felt like a reprise of last night.
“Have you talked to Hughes yet?” he asked gently.
She nodded. Here we go. She sucked in a deep breath for courage. “They made the offer. Cam, I’m so—” She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the relief cross his face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m great. That’s fantastic news.”
“It is?” She hesitated, then forced herself to be honest. “I’ve been sick with nerves. Not knowing where you were. What this meant for you.”
Cam exhaled. “I need to tell you about my talk with my dad.”
Her pulse kicked up. “What happened?”
“I’ve got another seat,” he said. “Different team. I can’t say which yet, but—” His eyes sparkled. “A certain Finnish driver is retiring at the end of the season.”
For a second, Lily just stared at him, bug-eyed.
“You can’t say a thing.”
She shook her head. “Of course not.” Then she laughed. A startled, disbelieving sound that bubbled up and out of her chest. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.”
She hugged him, trophy awkward between them, her heart pounding with an all-new wave of joy. She wasn’t sure she could take much more. “That’s incredible. Cam—that’s amazing.”
He held on tight like he needed to feel it, too. When they pulled back, Lily was filled with a renewed sense of purpose. “I need to say something,” she said. “And I need you to just let me say it without interrupting.”
Cam went still. “Okay…”
She took a breath. Felt her heartbeat steady. “I love you,” she said. “I know this makes next year
complicated. I know we’re going to be racing each other, and people are going to have opinions, and it will be messy because everything in this sport is. But I don’t care. I don’t want to pretend this isn’t how I feel just because it’s inconvenient.” She was proud of herself. For once, she hadn’t armored herself. And she also wasn’t bracing for impact.
Cam unleashed a comical grin. “I love you, too,” he said.
“You do? Really? You’re not just saying that?”
“I’m not just saying it. I think I’ve known for a while. It’s just that things were so complicated. And I was trying to give you space to do what you needed to do.”
She smiled. He had such a generous nature. “Next year could be even more complicated.”
“Nah.” He shrugged, then reached for her hand. “We don’t have to guess anymore. No pretending. No worrying about where we stand or what we’re allowed to want.” He squeezed her hand. “We know.”
Warmth spread through her chest, easing something she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying for months. She tilted her head, considering him. “So… I guess this means we’ll be rivals.”
Cam’s eyebrows bounced. “Hot rivals.”
She laughed.
“And,” he added, lowering his voice, “there might be a few things we need to work out off track.”
Lily smiled at him, then set down her trophy so they could wrap their arms around each other and fall into the most consequential kiss yet. It didn’t matter who was looking anymore. Their future was suddenly wide open.
She’d fought her whole life to get here. And somehow, she’d won more than she’d ever imagined.