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CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

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Geoff Askew: All, it seems, is right with the world again.

Charlie Amor: [laughs] So Daniels winning makes the world right?

Geoff: How about we say that things are back to the expected? You know we all love the unexpected in racing, but then there are things that defy logic. And River Daniels being low in the placements? Not logical.

Charlie: You’re right. But he’s not out of the woods. There’s still a chance he can lose the championship. Every race counts.

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and stretched. We were almost ready to leave for the next race. My suitcases were gone, and the guys were doing last-minute things.

Three of them.

Elias wasn’t in the penthouse, and I felt uneasy. He’d lightened up at the gala, taking me to a secret room in the venue which gave a perfect view of multiple people sneaking around to do things, both legal and not. There was more mingling, and by the time Ronan and Annika ended up with us, it was fun.

Fourth place in the race wasn’t where I wanted to be, but I would take it. Fourth didn’t feel like the demotion my lower finishes had, though I needed to check myself. Points were points, and a few lower finishes didn’t make or break a career. Every place I won, whether it was on the podium or not, was a place I’d earned .

I needed to remember that.

At Beck’s suggestion, I went down to the ground floor and the courtyard of the building where our penthouse was. I smiled at how easily I said our now.

It was a chilly day despite it being summer, the wind raising goosebumps on my skin. But I would be cold for Elias if I needed to.

The courtyard was pretty, with some shady trees and tables, and a large, bubbling fountain in the center. It would be gorgeous if the day was clear. Elias sat on the edge of the fountain with his phone to his ear, shoulders hunched in, and I didn’t think it was because of the biting chill in the wind.

As I drew closer, I heard him already speaking. “Yes, I am serious.”

A deep sigh that made my chest ache. “I let her speak to you that way because it’s the way I’ve wished I could speak to you for years.”

Oh. His family. Shit. The phone wasn’t on speaker, but I heard how the voices on the other end rose.

“No,” he snapped, keeping his voice low. “You don’t get to do that.”

He glanced over when I sat next to him, and I asked without words if it was okay I was here for this. If he wanted to be alone, I’d go.

Elias reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling it into his lap. He huffed out a breath. “Are you going to let me talk sometime this century?”

He squeezed my fingers. I hated that this was what it was like for him. I hated that his parents didn’t see how incredible he was, or that they’d choose to treat their son like this.

I would give almost anything to see my parents again. So watching these people throw the relationship aside like it was garbage hurt more than I could say.

“Listen,” Elias said. “I love you. Both of you. I need you to hear me when I say that. But loving someone doesn’t give them free rein to treat people like shit, and whether you believe it or not, that’s what you’ve done to me for years.

“And I’m sorry.” His voice broke a little, and I snuggled as close as I could, trying to offer him comfort without distraction. “I’m sorry that I’m not the son you wanted and I’m sorry my career embarrasses you. I’m sorry that I don’t care about the traditions of proper society. But I’m not sorry for my choices. I am at the top of my field. I have a pack and an Omega that I love. Everything in my life I have worked hard for, and I’ve succeeded in spite of you. So…” Elias took another breath with a death grip on my hand. “Until you can be in my life without insulting my job, speaking down to me and my pack, or insinuating that we’re beneath you because of the field we’ve chosen, you won’t be hearing from me.”

I heard what I thought was his mother’s voice, but he shook his head even though she couldn’t see. “Mom, this isn’t an opportunity for discussion. That would have been a long time ago. This is a wake up call, and I hope you both take it. If you feel like speaking to me, apologizing, and implementing all those things I mentioned? You know where to find me.”

He ended the call without listening to anything further.

“I’m guessing they didn’t take that well,” I said softly.

“No.”

I squeezed his hand again. “I’m proud of you.”

Elias looked over at me and gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks.” His eyes went glassy, and he covered his face with his other hand. A single sob broke through. It broke my heart.

Turning, I wrapped myself around him as best I could, legs and all, on the edge of the fountain. “I’m so sorry, Elias.”

He turned to me, holding me close as he let out what he needed to. It had been years of pushing the hurt down, and now it was right at the surface. A wound that might never truly heal because of his parent’s selfishness.

“It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been letting them continue out of hope that they might see things differently, but…” He shook his head. “Clearly they won’t.”

I wouldn’t lie to him and tell him it would all be okay. Families were strange at the best of times, and more than toxic at the worst. There was every chance his relationship with his parents was over, and that made me ache for him.

We still sat together, with him leaning on me while also holding me. “I’ve been meaning to thank you,” he finally whispered. “Seeing you call them out like that, so simply, it showed me that I’ve been making excuses for how they treat me.”

“This isn’t what I meant to cause.”

Elias snorted a laugh. “You didn’t. Believe me. You were no part of this. You were simply the spotlight pointing out what I should have done a long time ago. The others have told me more than once to cut them off, and I didn’t. This—” He blew out a shaky breath. “It’s right, even if it hurts. When you know deep down you made the right choice even if it makes you sick to your stomach for a while.”

“Yeah.” I pulled him close and leaned my head against his. “I’m still sorry.”

“I wish…” he shook his head and looked away.

“What?”

His breath was slow and deep, but he finally spoke softly. “I had hoped they would change their mind and see differently. Not just for me, but for you.”

I frowned and pulled his gaze back to mine. “Why for me?”

“Because your parents are gone,” he whispered. “River essentially doesn’t have family. Grayson has some, but they’ve never been close. No animosity, just…” A shrug. “Beck’s family are nice, but they like peace and quiet, so they never come to races.”

My mind clicked the pieces together. My eyes flooded so fast there wasn’t a chance to keep the tears from spilling over. “You hoped they’d meet me and like me enough to make me feel like a part of your family.”

“Yeah.” The word was so fucking quiet it could have been a whisper from the fountain.

I stood and pulled him to his feet so I could wrap my arms around him. “I love you so much.”

Elias held me, kissing the top of my head. His breath still felt shaky. “I’m sorry it didn’t work.”

“You’re my family,” I whispered. “The four of you. My grandfather. Whoever you have in your life that you love and that love you, they’re my family. I don’t need anyone else.”

“Pretty sure we don’t deserve you.”

“You deserve more than me,” I whispered. “You deserve everything, including your family seeing you for who you are.”

Elias said nothing, just held me, burying his face into my neck and hair. They could be both with me too. Whatever sides of themselves they didn’t show the rest of the world, those pieces would always be safe with me.

“Fuck,” Elias said. “You must be freezing if I’m cold.”

“I’m with you,” I murmured. “How could I be cold?”

The others found us making out like we weren’t fully in public and had to drag us to the plane.

It was worth the cold.