Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Lex

T he clang of weights hitting the floor echoes through the gym as Ronan finishes his set of deadlifts, his grin wide with satisfaction as he undoes his belt.

We’ve been at it for an hour, pushing ourselves through a grueling strength workout. It’s the kind meant to hone our bodies to withstand up to six g’s, which means a driver feels six times their normal weight while slinging themselves around high-speed corners. Such stress to the body requires significant physical conditioning and neck strength to withstand the forces. It’s hard for people to understand what that feels like, but I often tell those who ask, it’s comparable to what fighter jet pilots experience during sharp maneuvers.

I’ve been hyperfocused the last week and it’s not lost on me that this turnabout coincided with Posey coming into my life. At first, she was like a seat belt involuntarily clicked into place over my fast-paced lifestyle, but now I view her as more of a calming presence.

In contrast, Ronan acts more like a man who’s just come off a winning streak at a casino, not someone who’s prepping for the first race of the season. He’s got a swagger that borders on dangerous, but even I admit that’s not all bad. There’s a certain level of obnoxious confidence drivers must have out on the track.

Ronan isn’t focused the way I am, wanting to maximize every rep. Instead, he’s kept up an almost annoying stream of chatter.

“Mate, I’m telling you,” Ronan says, wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel, “last night was legendary.” He leans against the rack, his eyes gleaming with the usual cockiness. “Met this girl at the club—absolute stunner. Legs for days. Took her back to the hotel, and well, when she took her clothes off—”

I shake my head, laughing under my breath as I tighten my belt to do my last set of deadlifts. “I get the picture. Don’t need the visual.”

“What can I say? Life’s short. Gotta make the most of it.” Ronan smiles smugly, clearly proud of his latest conquest.

“If you say so,” I mutter, moving up to the bar so that it nearly brushes my shins.

Ronan reaches out, lightly punches my bicep. “Come on, Lex, you used to be like me. You lived for those wild nights too.”

I don’t answer right away, instead bending over to grip the bar. I pull eight solid reps and drop the weights to the floor. “Yeah, well, some of us grow up eventually.”

“Grow up?” Ronan echoes, eyebrows rising in mock offense. “You saying I’m a child? Or are you just turning into an old man?”

I grab my water bottle, take a long swig. “Maybe I’m saying it’s time to leave behind the playboy crap. Doesn’t that get old? A different girl every night, no real connection?”

A hard glint enters Ronan’s eyes. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience. What’s with the sudden monk-like attitude? Or could it be… a certain girl?”

The comment hits me harder than I expect, like a jab I didn’t see coming. My pulse quickens, and I take another long sip from my bottle, feeling Ronan’s stare as he waits for my reaction.

“You’re settling down with Posey, aren’t you?” Ronan’s tone is teasing, but there’s an edge of curiosity. “Mate, I never thought I’d see the day. Lex Hamilton, the bad boy of FI, tied down by a girl?”

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, still avoiding his gaze. The words hang in the air and for a second, I consider brushing it off with a joke. But something about it feels… real. Too real to laugh off.

“Yeah,” I admit finally, the word feeling strange but true in my mouth. “I guess I do like her.”

Ronan’s eyes round as he stares at me like I’ve just grown antlers. “Wait, wait, wait. You like her? As in… you’re not just shagging her?”

“Never said I was shagging her,” I point out flatly, because unlike Ronan, I’m not sharing those details. “But I do like her. She’s different from the other women.”

He leans in, his curiosity now fully piqued, and I’m surprised when his tone is almost supportive. “All right, mate, talk to me. This is a side of you I’ve never seen. What’s going on? What is it about her?”

I study my teammate and longtime friend, and for once, his expression isn’t cocky or teasing. There’s actual interest there, a kind of odd camaraderie that doesn’t focus on the track. We’ve been through a lot together, Ronan and I. Years of being teammates, traveling the world, winning and losing races, and occasionally finding ourselves in trouble off the track. He’s been like a brother in a way—someone I could count on when things got messy, but also someone who never pried too deeply. Until now.

“I don’t know, mate,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “She’s just… different. She’s smart, funny, and doesn’t give a damn about all the fame or the racing. It’s like she sees past all that crap. And when I’m around her, I’m not… I don’t feel like I have to put on a show.”

Ronan nods, his gaze unwavering. “So, what happens when she leaves? You said she’s only here for a few weeks, right? What’s the plan after that?”

I exhale, feeling the weight of that question settle on my chest. “That’s the thing. I don’t have a plan. She’s going back to the States to work. Her life’s there. I guess I’m just… enjoying it while it lasts.”

“But it doesn’t sound like you’re ready to let her go. You can’t fake this, mate. If you like her, you’ve got to figure out what you want.”

He’s right. I’ve been coasting through this thing with Posey, telling myself it’s just temporary. But there’s a part of me that wants more, that doesn’t want this to end when she flies home. The realization is like a punch to the gut.

“You ever think about what it would be like to be with someone… properly?” I ask, the question sounding foreign to my ears. “Like, for real?”

Ronan blinks, clearly not expecting the question. “Me? Nah, mate. That’s not my scene. You know that. But you? If anyone could pull off being with someone, it’d be you. You just have to figure out if it’s worth it, but if that’s what you want, you should go for what makes you happy.”

As soon as he says those words, I realize I needed to hear them. I needed to be able to voice this weird feeling rising inside me and his openness, without giving me grief, loosens the knot in my chest.

I hesitate, glancing around the gym. There’s no one else here. Just us. And something inside me says this is the moment I should tell him. Trust him.

“Look,” I say quietly, lowering my voice. “There’s something you need to know about Posey, but you have to promise to keep it to yourself.”

Ronan leans toward me, arms crossed over his chest. “I promise. What is it?”

“She’s not… what she seems. She’s not really a journalist.” It feels strange coming out of my mouth, but there’s a relief in putting it out there so maybe he can help me through my dilemma. “She’s a romance author. She’s here to research for a book she’s writing, and she didn’t think anyone would take her seriously if she told the truth, so she faked being a journalist to get access to the team.”

Ronan’s eyes widen, and for a second, I worry he’s going to laugh or make a joke. But he doesn’t. Instead, he nods slowly, processing the information. “A romance author? That’s… unexpected.”

“Yeah,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “I know. But she’s good at it. She’s been writing like mad since she got here. I just… I didn’t want her to get into trouble, so I’ve been keeping her secret. And if she leaves after the Bahrain race, then her secret will stay safe. But if I try to make something of this, and we somehow figure out how to make a relationship work, well… the truth will come out.”

Ronan studies me for a moment, his expression clearly worried. “Maybe you should go to Harley now and confess it all. There’s a chance she might find this amusing rather than being pissed, and you can use your clout as top driver to protect Posey.”

I shake my head. “No, I can’t do that behind Posey’s back and she’d never agree to it. Maybe it’s stupid to try to make this work.”

“I don’t know that it’s stupid to want something, but yeah… you’re in a pickle all right.” He claps me on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Thanks, mate. Just… keep it between us, yeah?”

“Of course,” he says with a wink. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

We return to our workout, the subject of Posey tabled for now. We discuss the race and speculate how the other teams are coming along in their preparations. Everything is so secretive in this industry, you never know who’s going to start the year with the best modifications and upgrades. We leave day after tomorrow for Bahrain, which gives us a few days to settle in before practice starts on Thursday.

Regardless, I can’t help but feel a little lighter. For once, Ronan’s not giving me shit. Instead, he’s actually being… supportive.

For that matter, my parents were absolutely delighted to have met Posey. Subsequent texts from both my mum and dad after we left confirmed they found her “absolutely delightful” and they invited her to come back and visit again. My mom even went as far as to say that this looks like a fated “coming together of two people.”

It seems that all signs are encouraging me to try to make a go of things with Posey. I’ve never wanted or considered a long-term, stable relationship, and yet I find myself bristling at the thought of this just being a fling. Maybe this isn’t as complicated as I’m making it out to be.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s something real.

And for the first time, I realize I might want to fight for it.

“I’ve got to get going,” I say to Ronan, who is moving over to the bikes for a cool-down ride.

“All okay?” he asks.

“Yeah… just something I have to do before dinner tonight.”

“With Posey?” he asks, a teasing grin on his face.

“Yeah… with Posey.”