Rush: Part One & Two (The Pitstop Series Book 3)
Rush: Part One & Two: Part 1 – Chapter 4

“You know, Valentina, if you want to achieve your dream, you have to stay in the best physical shape you can be,” Grandfather informs me as I watch him closely. His grey hair stands up at the sides. “When you sit in that fast car, the limits of your body are tested. You have to be mentally, emotionally, and physically ready. The first step in succeeding is understanding they are all interconnected.” Grandpa stops to pull out a piece of paper while I shift impatiently in my seat. Adrian is absentmindedly listening as he plays with his Nintendo, but my full attention is on Grandpa. I want to hear everything he has to teach me. Grandpa writes the three criteria on the paper, and I watch him draw arrows to connect them. “If you are out of balance in one, you will have an imbalance in all. Do you understand?” I nod, but Grandfather’s thin lips form a frown. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” I reply. “But why do I have to be in control of all three?” A smile replaces his frown. Grandpa likes it when I ask questions.

“If you’re not in control of your emotions, they will lead to mistakes. You can’t be too aggressive. You have to be mentally strong to focus entirely on the track ahead of you. You need to be aware of the other drivers, identify the track conditions, adapt, and monitor your vehicle. Lastly, you have to be physically strong to drive for a very long time. Your body will be exhausted after each race.” I stare at him in awe. I want to be that strong. He pauses for a brief moment, clearly contemplating his following words. Grandpa seems unsure about something. “I don’t want to scare you, but there is a lot at stake. When you sit in the cockpit and compete for the win, there are risks involved. Your body has to be prepared for any case, even if it is a crash into the barriers or one with another driver. Your muscles can help you take the force of the hit.” His words are a lot to process and not something I can take lightheartedly. Racing is risky, but I love it more than anything. It will be different when I train and learn how to do it properly. As long as I’m careful and prepared, I will be on top. It’s my dream.

“Can we start today?” I ask, and Grandfather nods.

“Yes. We will start by going for a slow, short run,” he tells me, and I get up from my seat.

“Adrian, are you coming?” My brother looks at me and then at our grandfather before bringing his attention back to his toy.

“No, not today,” he simply responds.

“Ready?” I nod. I’m ready to be just like him.

It is only six in the morning, and Adrian is sound asleep, just like I should be after the dinner we had. My body probably won’t run well on four hours of sleep, but I can do nothing about it now. A small groan leaves my throat as I aggressively remove the blanket to get out of bed. A hot bath will help my muscles catch up with my mind.

When I walk down the stairs to meet Adrian in the kitchen, I almost choke on my breath. Gabriel is sitting at the island, drinking coffee with my brother.

“Morning, Adrian,” I say, giving him a brief hug. “Morning, Gabriel,” I go on but move over to the fridge without giving him more of a greeting.

“Val,” I hear Gabriel call out in the softest tone behind me. I take a sip of my orange juice before turning to him with a curious expression.

As always, his hair is tousled, a green shirt sits on his muscular body, and simple blue jeans hang from his hips. Gabriel’s sunglasses dangle from his neckline, and the single necklace he always wears is under his shirt. His eyes scan my body in a way they never have before, and he stops at my breasts three seconds too long. I look down and remember that I didn’t put on a bra, and my nipples are hard against the thin fabric. I cross my arms but can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. What is wrong with me? I should be embarrassed. Instead, I feel good about catching his attention. I look around the kitchen to realize Adrian has left the room.

“I’m so sorry about yesterday,” Gabriel starts. “I was upset because I got into a fight with Kira, and then I saw…” he breaks off, and I cock an eyebrow. “All that matters is I am truly sorry. I hate pushing you away.” The way he pouts and pokes my cheek with his index finger makes a grin spread over my lips. I was never upset with him for not wanting to speak to me.

“You didn’t have to apologize,” I inform him, but he nods.

“Yes, I did.” His proximity is confusing my senses, and I move away from him, toward the cupboard with the glasses.

“You want some orange juice?” I ask to change the subject.

“I actually have to go. Kira has an entire day planned for us.” The moment is over, and the smile disappears from my face. “Again, I’m really sorry,” he says before wrapping his arms around me. My heart races, my skin catches on fire, and his mahogany scent makes my head spin. “Bye,” he mumbles and smiles, flashing me his handsome dimples before disappearing.

After minutes of mindlessly sipping on my juice, I cook breakfast for Adrian and me. I make some eggs, bacon, pancakes and cut up some more fruits before calling my lazy brother into the kitchen.

“How did you sleep?” I ask as I turn to Adrian, who just put the biggest chunk of pineapple into his mouth. With a full mouth, he smiles and shrugs before he attempts to answer. All I hear is gibberish as juice starts dripping from his mouth. “Never mind,” I laugh and shake my head. “Also, next time we have a visitor, please let me know so I can put on a bra,” I beg, and he chokes on his coffee. His laughter fills the kitchen. I nudge him in the ribs, and he catches himself.

“That’s why he was walking so weirdly,” Adrian points out, and my mouth drops. “Yeah, wide legs and all.” I swat his arm, but he seems to enjoy his joke too much.

“Did I miss something?” Gabriel asks from behind us, and I shoot up in my seat.

“NO,” I quickly reply and glare at my insensitive brother. If Gabriel knew, he would be incredibly uncomfortable.

“I forgot my phone,” Gabriel explains as he walks over to it. An annoyed expression appears on his face, and I wonder what he is reading. My curiosity vanishes when my eyes focus on his three-day stubble, and I get lost in his handsome features. “Well, apparently, I’m free today after all. Kira just canceled on me. Mind if I join you?” he asks me specifically.

“Sure, but Adrian and I are going for a run soon,” I tell both men, and Adrian’s eyes go wide right before they plead with me. I’ve always been more serious about the workout routine. When his trainer isn’t around, I make sure to push him, as I do myself.

“Great, I’ll join.” Gabriel sits down, and I get up to bring him a plate. “I’m not hungry, chérie.” My heart skips a beat, and I feel the need to turn around and stare at him. He has never called me ‘chérie’ before.

“You need to eat a good breakfast,” I state, and he smiles. “We have a lot of training to do.” Again, Adrian’s eyes plead with me, but I ignore him and put my plate in the dishwasher. I am rushing to go upstairs and put on some workout attire.

“You guys are having a party without me? That’s not cool,” a voice with a heavy English accent calls out, and I shake my head. I am starting to regret moving back to Monaco. And how do they keep getting into my house? James appears in the kitchen seconds later with a single sunflower in his right hand. His eyes focus on mine before they drop to my body, and he swiftly looks away. It is a bad day to decide to go braless, I tell myself. “Good morning, beautiful,” he says and hugs me tightly. “This is for you.” He hands me the lovely flower, but I don’t know how to deal with this level of affection.

“Thank you for the sunflower,” I reply, and James winks at me. He is probably the only man other than Grandpa and Adrian, who knows that sunflowers are my favorite. My eyes shift to Gabriel, but his expression is unreadable.

“What are you doing here?” Gabriel asks James frustratedly, and I give him a confused look. His gaze momentarily meets mine but shifts it back to James almost instantly. The testosterone stinks up the whole room, and I think about opening a window. Instead, I simply go upstairs, change into some sportswear, and pack a bikini for later.

Once I’m dressed, I sit down on the edge of my bed and take three deep breaths to calm myself. It would be better if Adrian and I were alone, but I also know it’s good for Gabriel and him to spend time together. After all, they are teammates this season. Ferrari acquired two strong drivers for their team this year, but I can already predict the chaos that is to come. While the drivers compete for the same team, they also individually fight for the championship. Adrian and Gabriel are both very competitive and eager to be first-time champions.

Twenty minutes later, it is time for me to face the trio again. To my surprise, they are all ready to go for a run, both guests clad in my brother’s clothes. I smile when I see Gabriel doesn’t fit in them since he is much shorter. He catches me grin strangely at his outfit and tugs the shirt into the pants before tightening the waistband to make himself look even more ridiculous. I shake my head as I laugh.

We start running soon after. The guys are trying to keep up with me as I lead them down the path Grandfather started taking me to when I was eight years old. That’s why running is second nature to me. My whole life, I trained harder than everyone else because I had a dream. A dream, which was crushed, when they decided I wasn’t good enough.

Gabriel runs past me in a sprint, and I try to keep up but have to slow down earlier than him. He sticks out his tongue at me, and I run into him on purpose. Sadly, he catches me and spins me around before wrapping his arms around me. Laughter escapes his throat. I join in because I love how playful we are. Gabriel has been through a lot in his life, about as much as I have in mine. It is why he and I usually get along well.

“You still have more practice to do if you want to beat me, chérie.” I push away and scowl at him. His dimples are deep as he smiles brightly.

“Yes, either I get better or grow taller. Your legs are double as long as mine,” I complain, and the smile on his face starts to annoy me.

“Stop making excuses,” he says teasingly, his accent thicker than I have ever heard it. Gabriel has the typical Monegasque accent. He chooses to speak in English with me because it’s good practice for him. The Formula One press conferences and interviews are primarily in English, which is why it’s so crucial for him to learn.

A warm breeze runs down my spine, and I lean my head back to let the sun shine onto my face. When I look at Gabriel again, he’s staring into the distance. His forehead creases, and he bites his bottom lip absentmindedly. It’s not the most flattering facial expression, but it does show how upset he is.

“How come you really had time today?” I ask him, the curiosity threatening to eat me alive. Gabriel’s expression changes to an uncomfortable one.

“How come you are as red as a tomato right now?” he asks in return, and I laugh at his joke.

“Okay, no need to attack,” I reply and place my hands on my stomach to imitate being stabbed. Gabriel laughs at my dramatic reaction before we grin at each other. My eyes shift to James and Adrian, who have finally caught up to us. They are both out of breath and seem entirely exhausted. Slackers.

I convince them to work out for half an hour longer. When we finish, we are all beyond exhausted. Our tired expressions remind me of something my grandfather used to say to me every time I wanted to quit.

“You can give up if you want, you can throw it all away and pretend your dream never existed, but if you clench your teeth, scream at the top of your lungs, and go through with it, you will end up more than happy with yourself.” There were many times in my life when I wanted to give up on my dream, but I didn’t. I haven’t.

“What do you want to do now?” Adrian asks the group, and the other two shrug.

“Well, I’m going to the beach,” I inform them and grab my backpack before changing into my flip-flops. “I’ll see you at home.” I look at my brother, and he swiftly nods before he gets up as well. I turn around and start walking toward the beach.

“Do you mind if I come with you, luv?” James yells after me, and I stop dead in my tracks. I don’t know what to tell him. On one hand, all the time we’ve spent alone together has always been platonic and comfortable, but he has been acting strangely toward me these past twenty-four hours. Then again, he’s my friend, and I love hanging out with him.

“Sure,” I assure him. I never want to hurt James by pushing him away. He is my oldest friend. We have many embarrassing memories together, but we also have unforgettable ones.

“So, how are you feeling?” James asks me after I’ve changed into my bikini. I give him a confused expression, and he elaborates. “About the move? About being back in Monaco? About living in your grandpa’s house? It can’t be easy, darling,” he states, hitting the nail on the head.

“I’m managing,” I reply, and he frowns at me. We sit down close to the ocean. “After everything, I’m just glad to be home.” My eyes drift to the trees near the beach and then to the nearby restaurants. I’m trying to avoid eye contact with James because I know I will break down if he looks at me. I will cry because I don’t want to be in the house without my grandpa and being back in Monaco reminds me of everything I’ve lost. “Tell me how you’re feeling,” I say after moments of absolute silence. “You’re taking a big step driving for Red Bull.” Although we’ve already talked about this, I need to change the topic.

James looks down and picks a single, small rock out of the sand before twisting it around in his fingers. “Well, today is my last day of somewhat relaxation before I have to take everything more seriously again,” he admits, and a nervous laugh escapes him. “But it’s fine. I’m fine,” he mumbles, a childhood habit of his. When he says ‘fine’ twice in under ten seconds, it means he is freaking out. I smile.

“All right. Well, since it is your last day, let’s forget all about work and have a great time.” He nods eagerly, and I know it’s exactly what he needs. It will be good for me too.

“Bring it on, gorgeous,” he yells as he sprints toward the water, and I run after him.

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