Rush: Part One & Two (The Pitstop Series Book 3)

Gabriel and I haven’t spoken much in days. He’s giving me space, which I appreciate and despise at the same time. I don’t like it when I don’t speak to him. Eduardo and I haven’t done anything more in the plus department of our friendship.

Today is Qualifying, and I am sitting and waiting impatiently for Q3 to finally be over. Gabriel takes pole, Adrian comes in third, James fourth, and Eduardo is in sixth. The day passes in a blur, and Adrian brings me back to the track after we were already at the hotel. He doesn’t tell me why or what is happening, but I don’t ask too many questions. He covers my eyes with his hands, finally making me impatient.

“Why are you so secretive?” Adrian leaves his hands on my face, and I follow him down a path. All I know is I am on the racetrack. When he uncovers my eyes again, I’m standing in front of a Ferrari 812. Adrian holds out a helmet for me, and a confused expression settles on my face.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“You’re going to drive this baby around the track,” he tells me, and my mouth drops. “I’ve arranged everything. All you have to do is try not to crash the car. After all, there is a race here tomorrow,” he says and chuckles. I can’t believe he did this for me. I take the helmet from him, put it on my head, and get into the car. Adrian gets into the passenger seat and puts his seatbelt and helmet on. He gives me some quick instructions and then lets me take over.

I feel the car under my control as I let my fingers run over the steering wheel, the buttons, and the rest of the gear. The helmet is tight on my head, but it feels secure. It is the same feeling I had for most of my life. My foot barely presses down on the gas pedal, and I try to get a feel of the car during the first lap. The track is lit up, and I have a clear vision of everything. When I arrive at the start and finish line, I come to a complete stop. Adrian counts down for me, and I get ready for a good start. When he says go, I rev the engine and make it speed down the track. Whenever I race, I feel free. Adrenalin shoots through me, and I feel more alive than ever. This is why I started racing in the first place. A scream of joy escapes me, and I hear Adrian laugh next to me. He trusts my driving enough not to be afraid.

Not much later, I’m driving back over the finish line and bring the car to a much slower pace. My heart is pounding, and the level of happiness I feel is overwhelming. Every corner of this track is so familiar because of the training I do in the simulator. However, being here is an entirely different feeling, and I prefer this over sitting in my room.

“Thank you,” I say, and Adrian takes my hand in his.

“We’ll find a way to get you into a Formula One car. I don’t want to be the only one who gets to do what they love, especially when your time is better than mine,” he informs me and holds up a stopwatch. “I was half a second slower than you in this car.” Adrian shrugs and pulls back the stopwatch. “It’s gorgeous, by the way, that smile on your face.” Naturally, the smile only gets bigger, and I have to look away. He’s going to make me cry if he continues.

I thank him repeatedly for letting me drive the car on the track, and Adrian assures me it is his pleasure. I pull the helmet off my head and hand it back to him. My brother disappears into his garage, and I wait outside, staring up into the sky. It is breathtaking.

“You’re one of the best drivers I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching,” Gabriel’s familiar voice appears from beside me, and I grin at him.

“Likewise,” I reply, and he smiles from ear to ear.

“One day, you’ll sit in a Formula One car, and the only thing the other drivers and I will see is your dust on our visors,” he says, and I let my mind wander to the image.

“Wouldn’t that be something?” I mumble, and Gabriel winks at me before leaving me to stand by myself again, admiring the night sky.

There is no way. Anger courses through my whole body as I watch Adrian get stuck in the gravel because Kyle pushes him off the track. I’m furious by the amateur mistake Kyle makes, especially when Adrian has to bear the consequences. My brother’s race is now over because of that mistake. On the monitors, I watch Adrian get out of his red car and kick the ground out of frustration. I understand him because I want to kick the ground, too. I also want to kick Kyle, but then again, Adrian probably imagines Kyle’s face on the gravel.

Minutes later, Adrian is back with his team, and they are discussing something he will probably tell me about later. For now, however, I have to be patient and continue to watch the race, trying not to constantly wish something would go wrong during Kyle’s pit stop that would cost him ten places. Unfortunately, the Mercedes AMG team is one of the fastest and most consistent in pit stops. The FIA eventually gives Kyle a ten-second penalty for pushing another driver off the track and causing a collision. That penalty will either be added at the end or, should Kyle do another pit stop, the pit crew will have to wait ten seconds before they are allowed to change the tires.

The race is a complete mess. Jonathan’s car has to retire because of an engine failure, Gabriel crashes into Eduardo, but luckily, both of them stay in the race. I’m not sure what happened between those two, but I also don’t seem to find more information. The best thing about this chaotic race is that James goes ahead and finishes in first place. Excitement shoots through my whole body, and I rush outside with the rest of the team just in time to see him get out of his car and hug the people on his side. I’m clapping enthusiastically while James is celebrating. It’s only his second win in Formula One, which is why I am so incredibly proud of him. He deserves this, even if it was mostly luck that got him into first place. I then notice Gabriel only finishes fifth.

Adrian puts his ego aside and comes with me so we can celebrate our friend’s victory. We go to a restaurant where James’ team set up a congratulatory party for him.

“Well done,” I tell James yet again, and he wraps his arm around my shoulder before he presses a kiss to my temple.

“Thank you, my love. Thank you for being here and celebrating with me,” he says, and I smile. James takes a sip of his beer, and he continues to hold me close to him.

Sooner than I would like, the party is over, and Adrian and I go back to our hotel. We have separate rooms this time, which is why I can take my time showering. I lie down in bed, and my stomach starts to cramp. Without looking at a calendar, I already know what time it is. I groan and curl up into a ball on my bed.