Page 104 of Collided (Dirty Air 2)

Liam

I never pegged myself as a thoughtful guy. At least not until Sophie, where we dance on the fine line between friendship and more, never fully submitting to the idea of lovers. With my past and her future, there’s no point in thinking about anything but the next two weeks.

Despite telling myself that, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like after the season. The idea of returning back to my empty Monaco apartment fills me with sorrow. For some reason, after all these months spending time with her, I don’t want her to go.

Is it selfish of me to want her to stay when I’m not willing to commit to a relationship? Of course. So I bottle up my bubbling anxiety and put it on a shelf, instead choosing to make her final item memorable. The last thing on her list—the very one that reminds me of her—took some planning. I spent hours researching because Sophie rubs off on me in more than one way.

I rented an off-roading truck yesterday to prepare for our trip tonight. She has no idea what I planned, thinking I’m taking her to dinner in Abu Dhabi. Sophie seemed distant this week so I wanted to cheer her up. She barely hung around me, choosing to spend time with Maya and her dad instead of me. Every time I asked her if anything was wrong, she shrugged me off, claiming she wants to spend time with everyone before she leaves.

I can’t help wondering if she doesn’t want to share her nervousness about what will happen after the season ends. I plan on spilling everything to her once the race finishes on Sunday because McCoy promised a final offer by then, with them agreeing to rethink the Bandini clause at my insistence.

Her playlist of songs fills the silence. I let her choose the music, hoping it would boost her mood. The closer we get to our destination, the giddier she gets as she returns to her usual self.

Her smile eases the tightness I’ve felt in my chest all week.

“Are you planning on burying me out in the desert? Creative, I’ll give you that,” she sasses me. Grumpy Sophie no longer seems like an issue.

“I considered it, but everyone knows where I’m taking you. So, although effective, I’d be the primary suspect.”

“Everyone, huh?” She tilts her head at me.

“Just our friends.”

Somewhere along the way, our separate groups of friends merged into one. Santi hangs out with Jax on his own because I’ve been busy with Sophie. Maya and Noah officially came out as a couple, leaving Sophie to myself this evening.

She hums along to the music as I take us to the spot I researched. The moment I park the truck, she bounds out of the car. I kill the headlights and hop out, shrouding us in darkness, the sky on full display.

“No freaking way.” She runs a few feet ahead of me.

I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her as I look up at the bright Milky Way, courtesy of the Al Quaa desert. She listed have outdoor sex, and I hope I delivered.

Silence surrounds us—not a single animal or person around, the cool air brushing against our joined bodies. Sophie’s skin breaks out in goosebumps and I squeeze her closer.

She gasps. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything this amazing.”

I have.

We both stare up at the starry sky. I unwrap myself from her after a few minutes to grab the supplies. Thanks to Maya, I packed enough food to hold us over until tomorrow, along with basic camping necessities. I pull out a telescope I bought and set up a padded blanket with a couple of pillows. A tiny lantern lights up our makeshift bed.

“When I wrote that item, I would’ve never ever thought this up. I’m impressed because this is straight out of a storybook. Thank you.” She pulls me in for a hug.

My arms instinctively wrap around her and tug her flush against me. I love the instantly recognizable smell of her, summertime and ocean waves wrapped up in one. “I’d buy you the whole damn night sky if I could.”

Sophie laughs into my chest before she disentangles herself and lies down on a pillow. I busy myself with setting up the telescope.

She watches me, her eyes following every move I make. “Did you ever hear back from McCoy or any other teams?”

My hand stills on a lever, her question catching me unprepared. “Yeah, but I’m still waiting. You know, just in case.”

“So, McCoy offered an extension?” Her eyes shift from me toward the sky.

“Yup. Them and a few others.”

She pauses before speaking again. “What’s the holdup?”

“Contract deals are complicated. As smart as we both are, I leave that side of the business to my agent.”

Her bouncing leg freezes. “If you had a gun to your head and you had to choose a team for next year, out of all the teams except Bandini because they can’t offer anyone a seat, who would you choose?”