Pitbabe S2, Chapter 28 pg 3

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 28 pg 3

   “Checked the tires?” I asked, leaning my hip against the hood of Charlie’s car. This sleek Cayman was the first car Charlie bought with his own hard-earned money after racing my car for two seasons. The hotshot racer finally said he wanted to hit the track with his own ride, so he got this Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS—a new partner that had beaten every racer in every race (except, of course, when racing against me).

   “Yep,” Charlie replied flatly, sitting on the driver’s seat with the door open, facing outward as he put on his gloves. In street races, hardly anyone wore safety gear, and Charlie was no exception. No racing suit, no helmet, but the gloves? Those were non-negotiable. They were probably more of a lucky charm than actual racing gear to him.

   “Changed the tires already?” I lightly kicked the front tire. The firmness was just right, and the tread still looked sharp and even, suggesting he’d replaced them recently.

   “Just did,” he said.

   “Even though you haven’t raced?”

   “It’s a habit.”

   Even after months of not racing, Charlie still maintained his car as diligently as ever. That fact made me feel an unavoidable pang of guilt. It was because we broke up that Charlie had to leave the team.

   A few days after the breakup, Charlie texted me, asking what I wanted him to do about racing. Back then, I was still drowning in heartbreak, obsessed with how unfair it all felt. So I replied, I don’t want to see your face. Which, in hindsight, was probably no different from firing him.

   Charlie loves racing as much as I do, that much I know. Even though his initial reason for stepping into the racetrack had hidden motives, over the years, he’s proven to everyone that his passion for racing is genuine.

   He studied everything about cars and honed his skills to become a top contender in the scene in no time. Even fans and the media nicknamed him “The Prince” because he seemed perfect in every way—looks, talent, brains, personality. As annoying as that might be, you could only grit your teeth because the truth was plain as day.

   And knowing all that, I let my weakness and narrow-mindedness push Charlie away from the racetrack, just because he no longer wanted to be by my side. I thought it was fair that he shouldn’t get to experience love in any form anymore.

   Back then, I figured since he chose to pour everything into his lab work, there was no need for him to bother with cars or the racetrack anymore. It was all because of my anger at not being chosen, anger that he made me feel small and insignificant. That massive rage made me forget how magical it was when we were both on the track together.

   “Checked the brakes yet?”

   “Yep.”

   Even now, Charlie wouldn’t look at me. He wasn’t snapping or acting aggressive, just quiet, his face tense, moving at about half his usual speed. It was clear he was pretty irritated, and the reason wasn’t hard to guess.

   “You sure you want to race this one?” I stopped in front of him, leaning my hands on the edge of the open car door. Charlie was fussing with his gloves, though they weren’t hard to put on. If he wasn’t deliberately keeping busy to avoid eye contact, then he was probably so annoyed he couldn’t handle simple tasks anymore.

   “Why wouldn’t I want to race?”

   “And why aren’t you answering the question?”

   “I just did.”

   “Charlie.” In the end, I was the one who couldn’t take it. I grabbed both of his hands, pulling them apart. The right glove’s strap was misaligned, a mess because its owner was too distracted. “Calm down.”

   I knelt in front of him. Charlie took a deep breath and turned his face away. He seemed desperate to look at anything in the world except my face, and that stung quite a bit.

   “You mad at me?”

   “I’m not mad at Babe,” Charlie replied instantly. I could tell he was being honest, and that reaction eased my mind a lot.

   “Then what’s wrong?” I asked. “You’re this annoyed—can you even race like this?”

   “I can race.”

   “You still haven’t said what’s wrong.”

   “I’m just annoyed, okay?”

   “What’s got you so annoyed?”

   Charlie went silent. I stared at him, making it clear this was a question that demanded an answer. He seemed unable to withstand the pressure and finally turned to meet my gaze directly, letting out a huge sigh.

   “I’m… jealous.”

   He’s the cutest person in the world.

   It’s great that I’m the only one who gets to see Charlie in moments like this.

   “What’s so funny?” The jealous guy scowled, and instead of making me stop smiling, the corners of my mouth lifted even higher. I grinned so wide I couldn’t help but laugh.

   “Hey! It’s not funny!”

   “It’s not funny,” I said, trying to stifle my laughter.

   “But it’s cute.”

   “You’re adorable.”

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