Page 110 of Collided (Dirty Air 2)

“Sophie dropped out of her program. After Germany, she withdrew from her classes but didn’t tell anyone. She and Maya had a sleepover last night, wine included, which made Sophie a chatty one.”

“What? Why would she do that? And why didn’t she tell me anything about it?” I wheeze.

“That’s not for me to answer. But no one knows, so don’t say anything. I’m telling you to prove a point and show you how you’re making decisions based on old news.”

“And my contract deal?”

Noah’s brow lifts. “That shit again? Don’t you get bored of the drama with your team? I personally wouldn’t want to hang around the squad of my ex-fling, but maybe that’s me and my prideful self. If a team told me I had to choose between Maya and them, I don’t know if I’d be too willing to hang around. And not only because of her. Manipulative fuckers don’t do it for me, no matter how shiny their cars are or how enticing the deals look. Maybe you need to reassess your worth.”

“I’m not trying to stay without changing the deal.”

Noah runs a hand through his hair. “Have you tried talking to your agent?”

“Yes. Obviously. But he keeps telling me to hold on.” I let out a frustrated breath.

Noah’s eyes thin. “Listen, something doesn’t seem right here. I don’t know if it’s your bullshit about not loving Sophie or the fact that no other team expressed interest in you besides the bottom ones. I recommend figuring out what to do about your feelings and your future because—newsflash—that shit is intertwined whether you want to accept it or not. I suggest finding solutions rather than creating more problems because you might regret it when other people start making decisions for you.”

“Thanks for listening.” I pull him in for a hug and slap him on the back.

“Don’t thank me until you go and get Sophie back. Then I know I did my job right.”

* * *

Sophie loves me. She went against every goddamn rule and admitted she likes me as more than a friend. I broke us beyond repair, unable to face the emotions brewing inside of me.

My body sinks into the cushions of my hotel room’s couch as I call my dad, desperate for someone to talk to.

My dad answers on the third ring. He automatically clicks the FaceTime button, not leaving room for hiding. “Hey, how’s it going? We didn’t think you’d have time to call us with all that Abu Dhabi partying. What a treat.”

I don’t miss the us. Turns out, I get a two-for-one special of both parents listening to my struggles.

“I need advice.” I run a shaky hand through my hair.

“About?” My dad’s voice sounds through the speaker.

“I think I fucked up with Sophie.”

“Oh, no. Please tell me you didn’t,” my mom whines, appearing in the camera frame.

“What do you mean?” I choke on the words.

“You broke her heart, didn’t you?” my dad grumbles.

“Why don’t you assume she broke mine?” It annoys me how they paint me as the bad guy here when Sophie went against our agreement.

My dad gives a what the fuck look. “Because yours is surrounded by a block of ice while she displays hers like those graphic tees she loves.”

“What the fuck. I didn’t call to get my ass handed to me.”

“No. You called to have someone validate your decisions. Tell me, why do you think you messed up?” My mom takes up a spot next to my dad on their living room couch.

“To start, she admitted she loves me when I didn’t ask her to do that. Second, she canceled our friendship after I didn’t admit the same feelings. How the fuck is that okay?” I run an agitated hand down my face.

My dad lets out a low whistle. “How do you expect her to want to spend time with you after she was vulnerable like that?”

I all but growl as I tug on my hair.

“Liam, dear. We sheltered you and ignored your poor decisions. We didn’t help you as much as we should have when Johanna died, pretending you were better off than you were. You hide behind your race car and helmet and we let you because we don’t want to cause you more pain. There’s no point living in sadness anymore, acting like you shouldn’t pursue something with someone you care about because you’re afraid of losing it. Something’s gotta give. Either you give it up now and live with Sophie needing space, or you pull yourself together and show her how you’re worth her love.”