Page 59 of Wrecked (Dirty Air 3)

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.” Fuck, I didn’t realize how vastly different our lives were until now. She makes little comments here and there, but it didn’t fully hit me until this moment.

She grabs her keys from her purse. “It’s fine. I think it’s homey.”

It’s shit, that’s what it is.

Elena and I walk up the stairs to the entrance of her building. I follow her as she makes a sharp turn down a small hallway with too many miscellaneous stains for comfort. “You live on the first floor? Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”

“Dangerous?” She looks back at me with her brows raised.

“Yes. You know, not safe from burglars and stuff.” I struggle to deny the concern laced in my voice.

Elena’s back straightens as she fiddles with her keys. “Please, I grew up in Mexico. A staircase isn’t going to protect me from the bad people out there.” She opens the door to her flat.

I check out the rusty deadbolt lock before following her inside. “But you live alone. That’s different.”

What is wrong with me, getting all concerned and shit?

Elena seems to share the same thought, with her eyebrows pinching together as she looks at me with wide eyes. “I’ve lived on my own here for two years. I think I can handle it.”

“Do you go back home often? To Mexico, that is?”

She clears her throat. “That’s not home anymore.”

Okay, way to fuck this up, Jax. “So, show me the goods.”

Smooth. Ten out of ten transition.

I’m screwed. This plan is taking a turn for the worst.

Elena gives me the quickest tour known to man, seeing as her flat is the size of my walk-in closet back in London. She leads me toward the shelf near the window housing her snow globes.

“Whoa.” I stand eye to eye with a snow globe of two sugar skulls. It’s not exactly what I’d expect from someone like her.

“Sugar skulls represent departed souls.” She grabs the snow globe.

“If they’re departed, why is it colorful?”

“Because in my culture, death shouldn’t be gloomy and gray. It’s supposed to be a time of celebration. I think it’s easier said than done, though, because it’s hard as hell to celebrate something that causes pain.” Elena shakes the snow globe. Colorful glitter falls down over the set of skulls. Her eyes become cloudy as she places it back on the shelf.

“Does that one play music?”

“No.” She moves onto another. “This one I bought after Elías got me a job with F1. It was one of the best days ever. I was so excited, I ended up buying the first snow globe I saw, which wasn’t for Elías’s team.” Her smile reaches her eyes.

“I’ll look past the fact that you bought a Bandini snow globe because it’s pretty cool.” I check out the red Bandini car centered in the middle of a fake F1 track, surrounded by fallen glitter.

Elena laughs as she picks it up and shakes it. “Well, I think you’ll appreciate this part.” Her small fingers twist the metal knob on the bottom of the globe, and the F1 theme song plays. It’s a light melody compared to the usual dramatic one sports channels play on the telly.

Elena held true to her fact, with each snow globe serving a unique purpose. There are a variety of snow globes, ranging from different sizes to themes. She even has one she bought after she graduated from university, with a fake diploma and a small photo of Elena inside of it. Her beaming smile shows her pride.

“I never graduated from uni. Hell, I never even went.” I brush my thumb across the glass sphere.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. You were driving in what, like Formula 3?”

“F2, but who’s checking.” I flash her a cocky grin.

“That’s why I believe you can win another Championship again. You have a natural talent for racing; you only need to get out of your mental fog to do it.”

“Your optimism is cute.”