Chapter 81Athena's POV "Well, that's too bad because I don't care what you think, Tristan. You don't get a choice in what I do with my life. Racing is what I love and it's what I'll continue doing. No one, not even you, can make me stop."I poured all the spite I could muster into those words, wanting them to sting.Tristan looked genuinely shocked by the force of my speech, but his shock quickly transformed into anger."Do you want to get yourself killed? What are you thinking?""Aren't you doing the same thing? Are you dead?" I shot back.He messed up his hair again, his frustration mounting. "Do you know how many times I've been hurt racing? Do you know how many times I've nearly lost my life? I can't watch you try to kill yourself like this."The thought of Tristan lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life made me feel sick to my stomach. It was something I never wanted to see happen. But that wasn't what was important right now."But you didn't die. And I won't die either."
Chapter 80Athena POVThe sight before me broke my heart in ways I didn't know were possible. Tristan was staring at me like I had just shattered his entire world, like everything he thought he knew about me had been a lie.His eyes never left mine, boring into me with an intensity that made my chest tight. I forced myself to break eye contact, looking anywhere but at his face because the pain there was too much to bear.I didn't understand why he was staring at me like someone who caught his wife cheating.He took slow, deliberate steps toward me, but I didn't move away. Despite everything that had happened between us, despite the anger and hurt I carried, I knew with absolute certainty that Tristan would never physically hurt me. That wasn't who he was.Derek tried to step in front of me, positioning himself as a protective barrier between Tristan and me. But I moved in front of Derek instead, because I could see the dangerous look in Tristan's eyes as he stared at Derek, like he w
Chapter 79 Tristan's POVI'd paused, staring into Sarah's eyes. She'd raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to respond to her question.I'd nodded slowly, but apparently that wasn't enough for her."No, Tristan." She'd shaken her head firmly. "I need you to use your words. Do you love Athena?"I'd stayed quiet, understanding exactly what she was doing. Sarah knew that if I said it out loud, if I actually spoke the words, I'd have to stand by them. She knew I wouldn't be able to stop until I'd made Athena mine."I'm waiting, Tristan. I need to get home to my husband. When you're ready to be truthful with yourself, you know where to find me."She'd picked up her purse and headed for the door again. As her hand touched the handle, I'd finally found my voice."Yes. I love her."The words had felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, like they'd been sitting on my chest for years waiting to be spoken.Sarah had turned back with a raised eyebrow. "I can't hear you.""I said I love her." My voi
Chapter 78Tristan POV"Then make me understand, Tristan." She'd watched me pace like a mother watching a child have a tantrum. "We're all family here. I'm your cousin, yes, but I'm also your sister in every way that matters. Even though we're not blood siblings, and we didn't grow up together. That has to count for something, right?"I'd wanted to tell her that she was my sister, that I didn't care about the technicalities of our relationship. I saw her as family the same way I should see Athena."Don't start with that look," she'd scolded before I could speak."What look?""That look where you're comparing me to Athena. I am not Athena, and Athena is not me. I know you literally grew up together, but she isn't your sister.""She's my younger sister," I'd growled, the words coming out harsher than I'd intended. "She's supposed to be my younger sister.""Okay, fine. She's your younger sister, and so am I." Sarah had leaned forward, fixing me with that penetrating stare that made me fe
Chapter 77Tristan POV The last few weeks had been complete torture. Every day felt like walking through broken glass barefoot, each step more painful than the last. It had gotten worse after what happened between Athena and me, so much worse that some mornings I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed.I actually couldn't explain what had happened that night, why I'd said what I'd said. Even now, thinking about it made my chest tight with shame and self-loathing. That was the most horrible thing anyone could do to another person, and that's exactly why I hadn't tried to explain myself afterward.What explanation could possibly make it better? What words could undo the damage I'd done?I'd gone out that night to have a drink, like I always did when the depression got too heavy to carry alone. And God, I really was depressed. The apartment felt emptier than it had ever felt before, even emptier than those first awful weeks after losing Jess.I didn't know if it was because Athena was
Chapter 76I turned to see a man in his forties approaching us, well-dressed but with the weathered hands and confident stance of someone who spent serious time around motorcycles. There was something in his eyes that made me instantly wary - not threatening, exactly, but calculating."Hi," he said, extending his hand for a shake."Hi," I replied, but kept my hands at my sides. Something about his approach felt too familiar, too presumptuous."Fierce. I like that," he said, apparently amused by my refusal to shake his hand."Sam, what do you want?" Derek's voice had taken on a protective edge as he moved slightly between us."Just wanted to say hello to your rising star here," Sam replied, but his eyes never left mine. "I'm Sam Rodriguez, and I have to say, I was amazed by your performance out there. How come I haven't seen you race before?"There was something in his tone that suggested this wasn't just casual interest. This felt like a business approach, like he was sizing me up fo