Page 93 of Collided (Dirty Air 2)

“Then enjoy being in last place.” Liam pushes down on his accelerator and surges past me.

We go around and around the track, avoiding banana peels and shells. The girls enjoy themselves, with Kaia tossing peels and Elyse driving through grass patches.

Turns out Elyse, the little cherub, gets the checkered flag much to Lukas’s shock. We may have the very first female F1 racer here.

Liam carries his niece on his shoulder, tugging at every single heartstring inside of me like a pull-apart piñata. Weeks ago, he told me how he and Kaia have never been close. I would have never believed it. Seriously, I can’t breathe at the sight of him tickling her and throwing her up in the air. Kids are amazing and forgiving because the two baby Zanders accept Liam wholeheartedly.

Lukas grabs the hand of his tiny clone and leads us toward the podium where Liam hopes to place first on Sunday.

This time, Liam trades champagne for sparkling apple juice. The girls get showered in the sticky substance while Liam and Lukas dance around them to a Disney song. I keep a safe distance away until Liam drags me onto the stage and sprays a fresh bottle on me, liquid spraying on my face and body. The sickly sweet smell invades my nose.

Liam gets down on one knee and chugs straight from the bottle.

“You look ridiculous.” I fail at holding back my smile.

He pulls the bottle away from his lips. “Well, I’d prefer you on your knees, but I’ll compromise.”

I release a loud laugh. “You can’t talk like that in front of kids.”

Liam glances over at Lukas washing the girls down with a hose. “Seeing as they’re about to knock out from a sugar high, I think we are safe. Plus, I can’t help myself, with what you stir up inside of me.”

“Erections don’t count.”

“God, I love your mouth.” He shoots me a smile that has my knees shaking.

Somewhere between Shanghai and Germany, this happy yet noncommittal man wrapped his hands around my heart and owned me. I memorize his every detail, from the hidden scar at his hairline to the razor cut he got on his neck yesterday from a fresh blade.

I love him from his head to his toes. For his quick wit, boyish charm, and back scratches in the middle of the night. Our story fits a tragedy. It’s ironic how, while exploring myself and learning who I am, I discovered someone else who brought out the absolute best and the downright worst in me. Falling in love is ugly like that.

And damn if ours turns out to be the ugliest of them all.