001

Ethan POV

The sun hadn’t even properly woken yet, but the heat between Ryan and me didn’t wait for daylight. I found him leaning against his bike, arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes glaring at me like he was one inch away from punching me or kissing me. Honestly, at this point, I wasn’t sure which terrified me more but I know all part of his body held the thought of beating me.

“Damn you, Ethan,” he spat, voice low and dangerous. “You knew Jessica was mine and you still…” He gestured vaguely, like words couldn’t hold the betrayal. “God, you motherf—”

I raised a brow, smirking just enough to press the button I knew he had labeled Do Not Touch. “Oh? Was she yours?” I drawled, tilting my head. “Then why did she say yes to me? You should be ashamed. Can’t even tell a girl you like her, and now you’re mad at me because I had the courage?”

His eyes burned, shifting between fury and… something else. Hurt, maybe. Yeah, that one looked tasty. Not that I’d admit it. “Fuck you, Ethan,” he hissed. “You always have to be...” His voice cracked just slightly.

I leaned back against the railing, hands in my pockets, letting the tension stretch. “Have to be what? You’re staring at me like I just stole the moon. Relax, baby, it’s just a girl.”

“Just a girl?” His voice rose like he was arguing with himself. “She’s… she’s not just a girl. And you..” He threw his hands up, hair falling over his eyes. “You’re impossible!”

I grinned. Yeah, that's Ryan. All storm and no shelter, yet somehow… I wanted to reach in and fix it. Or mess with him more. Probably both.

“Maybe I like seeing you lose control,” I teased lightly. “It’s… fascinating.”

He froze for a split second, like he’d heard me say something dangerous, and maybe he had. His jaw clenched, fists curling at his sides. “You’re infuriating,” he muttered, pacing a few steps away. Then he stopped and spun, eyes flashing. “Fine. You want to play? Let’s play but don’t think I’m going easy on you.”

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to consider. “Hmm… tempting. But losing? That's surely not an option for me.”

A dangerous smirk spread across his face, the kind that said, I could burn this place down and enjoy it. “Good. Then let’s see who Jessica really wants. Ready to get schooled?”

“Bring it on,” I said, stepping a hair closer, feeling my heart do that ridiculous drum solo in my chest. “Try not to cry when I win.”

He blinked, a tiny flicker of hope, then hardened again. Typical Ryan, he was too stubborn to quit, too good looking to ignore. And oh, God, did I hate that about him.

“Always defeat?” I scoffed, leaning just enough for our noses to almost brush. “Last I checked, you’ve never beaten me.”

“Because you cheat!” His voice was sharp, accusing, but there was a tremor there. A tiny one and yes, I noticed. “Every damn time.”

I tapped his chest lightly with two fingers, just to see him twitch. “No, Ryan. I just know how to win. That's obviously a big difference.”

His glare could have cut steel. “Keep talking, when I cross that finish line first, we’ll see who’s laughing.”

“Aw, confident much?” I teased. “Almost adorable, too bad skills still have to beat confidence every time.”

For a heartbeat, the air between us thickened. The world shrank until it was just him and me. Then he broke into that grin—one of those maddening, charming ones that could ruin me if I let it.

“You’re going down, Ethan,” he said, tone low and deadly.

I smirked, chest tightening at the thought of him with Jessica. “We’ll see about that.”

He stepped back, pointing like a general calling troops to battle. “Tomorrow. Meet me at the field and I want no excuses.” He whispered like he was a boss if me. Tsk.

“Tomorrow,” I echoed, keeping the grin. Heart pounding like a bass drum, because yeah… he got under my skin more than I wanted to admit.

~~~~~

The next day, the racing field was buzzing. Engines roared, tires screeched, and a sea of people murmured about our showdown. I couldn’t help but smirk. The news had spread like wildfire—Ethan versus Ryan. Rivals to the death or, you know, to the first corner.

I adjusted my gloves, pretending calm while my stomach did gymnastics. Not Jessica making me nervous. Well… maybe a little. Fine. A lot. But mostly, it was Ryan standing there, hair tousled, smirk doing something untamed to me I was not ready to admit.

He sauntered in late, as usual, like the world bent to his schedule. Confidence radiated off him in waves, enough to make eyes turn and hearts skip. Including mine. Ugh. I hate him.

“Hope you warmed up,” he said, stopping in front of me, helmet dangling from one hand.

I let my gaze roam. His jacket fit just right. Hair messy but controlled. That stupid grin—feral, teasing, infuriating and damn attractive. “Don’t worry about me, Ryan. Worry about yourself. Even if you want a show, I’d hate to see you embarrass yourself in front of Jessica.”

His lips twitched. “Funny… I was going to say the same to you.”

We froze in that moment, world fading until it was just him and me. Jessica? Not even in my thoughts.

The referee finally called us over. Ryan glanced away. “Let’s settle this,” he muttered.

I smirked throwing my helmet on, gloves tightened. “With pleasure.”

Engines roared to life and tires screamed and suddenly, it wasn’t just a race—it was him, me, and this insane, ridiculous tension that neither of us could stop.

I glanced sideways through the visor. Ryan met my gaze. And in that heartbeat, Jessica didn’t matter. Not really. It was him, always him.

And I was already losing.