Before I even know what’s happening, I’m moving in beside my girl and the second I get hit with that familiar fruity shampoo, all thoughts of Nate and the track are gone. All that seems to matter is her and the fact that she showed up at my place, upset that she woke up to find me gone.
I lean up against the railing, letting my arm brush against hers. “Hi,” she murmurs, keeping her eyes on the track though something tells me that despite the fact that she’s watching the race, she probably couldn’t tell me what the hell is going on down there.
“Hey,” I say, turning to take in her features and feeling everything inside of me clench with desperation, needing to reach out and touch her. “Are you ready to talk about it yet?”
A small smile plays on her lips as her eyes briefly flick to mine. Brooke bites down on her lip, forcing herself to squish the smile as she shakes her head and focuses back on the track. Though despite her telling me no, the fire in her eyes tells me there’s a whole lot going on inside her and I want to know it all.
Do I still have a fucking chance? I could have sworn with the way she looked at me the other day, she still felt something. Hell, she didn’t even seem that torn up about Lukas.
I get lost with my thoughts and we stand side by side in comfortable silence, watching as Nate dominates the track. He crosses the finish line, absolutely smoking his opponent and everyone goes fucking nuts.
Brooke nudges me with her shoulder, the excitement of the night and race completely overwhelming. “This is so awesome,” she says with a laugh beaming up at me with a look that has my heart close to leaping right out of my chest. “I can’t believe you did all of this.”
I shrug my shoulders, not really sure how to explain why I did it. “I needed to prove myself,” I explain, positive that I’m not going to be able to explain it correctly. “I don’t want to be that fuck-up that I was back in high school.”
Brooke watches me with emotion shining brightly in her eyes. “You’re not a fuck-up,” she tells me. “You might have done some pretty stupid things in the past, but anyone who knows you knows that you’re going places.”
“You really think that?”
She nods and I curl my arm around her waist, pulling her into my chest. “You have no idea how fucking much that means to me.”
I feel Brooke nod against my chest. “Yeah, actually, I think I do.”
I smile down at her but the moment is too much and she turns to look back at our friends as Nate appears at the top of the stairs, looking like one hell of a proud mother fucker. A grin spreads wide over his face as he meets my eyes, nodding with approval, and just like that, I know that I’ve got the thumbs up from my biggest critique and I couldn’t be happier.
It turns into a fucking party, and before I know it, Nate is dragging Tora down to the track with a surprise. “What’s going on?” Brooke asks, still right by my side hours later.
“Girls race,” I explain, nodding over the hill to where Puck is driving Tora’s R8 toward the track. “Racing is such a male-dominated sport and I don’t want this place to be all about the guys. I want you chicks to feel welcome as well, so it’s open to girls wanting to race.”
“Seriously?” she asks, looking impressed.
“Yeah, imagine showing up to a place like this with your girl who’s begging to have a turn and then having to be the sorry fucker who tells her no. That shit ain’t happening here. So, baby, if you want to get down there and race, all you need to do say the word.”
Brooke shakes her head, horrified by my suggestion. “There’s no way you’re ever getting me on that track,” she laughs. “But I have to give it to you, Max, you’re really growing up. I’m still having a hard time believing my eyes. You did all of this by yourself. I’m so freaking proud of you.”
I step into her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pressing her into the railing. Brooke’s hands instantly fall to my chest and she looks up at me with those big eyes, waiting to hear whatever it is I have to say. I watch her intently, making sure she hears every last word and understands their meaning. “I did it all for you.”
Her face drops in shock and she sucks in a surprised gasp as she searches my eyes. “Why?”
“Because, baby, you’re my fucking end game. I fucked up in high school and lost the best damn thing that ever happened to me. I want you back, Brooke. I want to be the kind of man you deserve and I want to give you the fucking world.”