Ayda, Evita and I wait outside for them after the final race. Tomorrow is our last day in California. After the races, we plan to head to Colorado. When I told Evita Trent wanted me to go, she squeezed my arm in silent encouragement. Of course Elias had already asked her to come with as well. I was starting to grow concerned about my cousin getting in too deep with him, but she keeps saying it’s just fun and that Elias knows she’s going home at the end of the summer.
Once the guys arrive, we all drive back to the house and order a pizza. For our last night, no one feels like cooking. We sit around the patio, eating from the box and drinking bottled beers, while the guys tell stories from their earlier racing years.
“You should have seen Dean’s face, though,” Trent says, while the others are clutching their sides from laughing so hard. My cheeks hurt from smiling. Trent shifts so I’m pulled more onto his lap, his arms sliding around me, while his fingers stroke along the exposed skin on my thigh.
“Fine, fine, fine,” Dean finally says, sighing, “But nothing on me beats this one over here.” He points to Trent.
As if he knows what’s coming, Trent’s head bows and he shakes it.
“Yeah,” Elias agrees, “We’ve done some dumb shit but this idiot here volun-fucking-teers to almost destroy his own career. And then asks us to help him.” I instantly stiffen, my heart jumping in my chest.
“Stupid cock fuck.” Sam laughs and slaps Trent on the shoulder.
“I can’t believe we’re rehashing this.” Trent groans.
“Wait,” Evita perks up, clearly on the same page as me, only I can’t find the words to ask. “We haven’t heard this yet.”
“Unless you roll in the motocross circuit or you live in California, you probably would have missed it,” Ayda chimes in.
‘Tell us!” Evita exclaims, sitting up in her seat.
I turn my head and find Trent already watching me. Panic slices through my chest, wondering if he caught the look on my face. I need to know, yet at the same time, I don’t want to know the story. I’m not ready to put his demise into action.
Trent clears his throat. “There isn’t really much to tell,” he says to Evita, as his grip on my waist tightens. My heart instantly sinks. Of course he wouldn’t want to rehash his past to a girl he’s hoping to get with. A past where he probably did horrible things to end up in the clutches of a drug dealer.
“Not much,” Sam scoffs. “This motherfucker right here,” he points to Trent, “he goes to high school with all these rich snobs. Most of them pricks, by the way. Anyway, the main man on campus, Darrian, used to party, but he’s reformed now, whatever. Anyway, he had a friend who used to party with all the kids at this high school and was low-key selling them drugs. There was this one type of pill that was supposed to be the next greatest thing, only it started killing kids in neighboring schools. So Darrian goes to Trent for help to stop this dealer because the guy was also after Darrian’s chick at the time. And she was friends with Trent. So Darrian decides to go after the whole operation, then finds out it’s being ran through one of his dad’s businesses.”
“THE TRACK!” Dean hollers, his head tilting back.
“Then what?” The question falls from my lips, and I turn to face Trent.
His eyes swing to mine and hold me hostage. “I helped Darrian and the drug task force. They had me pose as wanting to buy, since I was an athlete and always at the track. I was supposed to ask the other riders to get in on it. A deal was set up and I was wired. The bust was made and we were all arrested so that our covers weren’t blown. Darrian, of course, pulled some strings, so I wasn’t in jail long. Even though I explained why I did it to the MX committee, they still wanted hard proof it was all completely fabricated.”
“We were given piss tests like every other day for six months,” Dean pipes in, “Trent had to go to a narcotics class and the officer he worked with had to testify for him. It was a shitshow.”
“Kids were dying,” Trent responds, and everyone looks to him, their faces solemn. I manage to keep my poker face while my insides are screaming. His truth, the truth is so far off base from what I was expecting. He isn’t supposed to be the good guy. I’m not supposed to see him as a hero who was trying to save high school kids from ODing. All my instincts are confused and muddled. Suddenly my dad’s interest in Trent and destroying him makes sense. He destroyed my father, not as revenge, but because Trent is good and my father is evil.
The conversation continues around me, but I can’t pull my head out of the fog. I feel raw. Dirty. Horrible. I’m here to ruin his life and all he’s done is proven over and over again that he’s actually a decent person. As if she can sense my internal meltdown, Evita stands from her chair and makes a show of looking at her phone. “Wow, it’s late. We should get to bed if we’re leaving after the races tomorrow.”
It works and everyone files inside the house. Trent tugs my hand gently to stop me. I bite my lip to keep from crying when I face him. His eyes search mine and I’m not sure what he sees, but he leans down and kisses my lips gently. “I would do it all again.”
“Do what?” I ask, my voice husky and full of emotion. I’m terrified he sees through me.
“Risk my job. Risk my life,” he shrugs, “I just needed to help.”
“You’re an amazing person, Trent Nichols,” I tell him, feeling the honesty in my voice.
He kisses me again before following me inside. We go our separate ways to our bedrooms. Evita is awake when I get in. I slide in to the bed next to her and she holds me to her.
“I’m so confused,” I confess, and tears slide out of my eyes.
“Maybe we’re missing something,” she tries, and I shake my head.
“We both know his story makes sense. My father isn’t a good man, Evi,” I cry into her neck, while her arms tighten around me.
“What are you going to do?”
“I have to go home,” I tell her. It’s the only thing that makes sense. If I can get more information or in some way change my father’s mind, I have to try. I can’t do this to him.
“What about Colorado?” Evita whispers. My eyes squeeze shut, knowing I’m also ruining her chance at freedom if I end it, here and now.
“Tell them I had a family emergency,” I whisper back. “If I can, I’ll come back, if not, just spend as long as you want. I need answers, Evi.”
“I know,” she tells me, her head laying on mine, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
I don’t know if she means by my father or Trent and I can’t differentiate right now anyway. In my mind, I’m hurting myself either way.
Trent
My marks in Colorado should be the highlight of my career. After winning in San Diego last week, I was set up to place high in Denver. I should be enjoying the rush, and having the time of my life, only something is missing. Well, someone. For the hundredth time since she up and left in the middle of the night, I check my phone. A whole week and she hasn’t responded to my texts or calls. Evi said Scarlet was having family issues and needed to go home. I was pissed she didn’t wake me up to say goodbye. Hell, I probably would have gone with her if she wanted me to. Instead, according to Evita, she snuck out of the house like a thief and jumped on a flight back to Florida.