Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Please don’t insult my intelligence like that, Ms. Norcross. You shoved me down the team’s throat and I happen to know you value women in the sport. Now, I tried to go to Luca and he said he’d call her, but he’s pretty adamant she won’t come back. I think this needs your touch. Besides that, Hendrik’s threatening to quit if she returns, and he claims others will follow. Luca’s hands are tied.”
I almost think the line has been disconnected when Brienne says, “I’ll make travel arrangements and be in Guildford by morning.”
I blink, startled by her decisiveness. “You’re really coming here?”
“You bet I am,” she says. “I won’t let toxic egos destroy this team—or Bex. She’s too valuable, and frankly, I’m furious I wasn’t informed about this sooner. Luca and I are going to have a very pointed conversation.”
“In fairness to Luca, I’m not sure he knew much. Bex really wanted to handle it on her own. She wanted to prove that she could.”
“I can understand that.” There’s no mistaking the fondness in her tone and I know I’ve made the right decision in calling her.
A surge of relief washes over me. “Thank you, Brienne.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she says firmly. “You and I both know Bex is worth fighting for. Now do whatever it is you should be doing to get ready for the Japan race. I’ll handle the rest when I get there.”
The line goes dead, and for the first time in hours, I feel a glimmer of hope. Brienne Norcross is on her way, and if anyone can set this right, it’s her.
CHAPTER 23
Bex
I sit at my parents’ kitchen table, picking at the orange scone beside my tea. I haven’t had much of an appetite the past few days and I’m still not sleeping well. I feel like I’m moving through a haze and having a hard time getting my bearings.
My homecoming wasn’t the open arms, we love and support you no matter what reunion I thought it would be. My mum was optimistically supportive. “You’re going to bounce back from this. You always do. Maybe this is just a sign that something better is waiting for you. A door closes, and a window opens, right?”
My father? He was a bit harsher.
After showing up on their doorstep and telling them everything that happened, he stared at me with piercing eyes. “You made a stupid mistake,” he said bluntly, his voice cutting through the room like a knife.
My head jerked back as if he’d physically slapped me, not that he has ever done so in his life. My parents are the most loving, supportive people you could ever want in your corner. My mum was visibly shocked, but kept quiet.
“Excuse me?” I snapped, my spine straightening as the defensive fire ignited in me. “It wasn’t a mistake. It was the right call. Matthieu was too far back to make progress with a safe strategy. The data supported the risk. The tires just degraded faster than expected, and the traffic didn’t help. It was bad timing, not bad strategy.”
Dad didn’t react to my outburst. He was maddeningly calm as he set his glass down on the side table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“I’m not talking about the strategy,” he said evenly. “I’m talking about you quitting.”
The air left my lungs in a rush. “What?”
“You heard me,” he replied, his tone hard and unyielding. “The strategy didn’t cost you your career. Resigning did. That was the real mistake.”
I blinked at him, stunned into silence. He pressed on, his voice gaining an edge. “You didn’t even fight, Bex. You let Matthieu and Hendrik—two men who couldn’t hold a candle to your talent—push you out. And instead of standing your ground, you ran. You’ve faced tougher battles than this and won. So why the hell didn’t you fight this time?”
“Because it was…” I faltered, struggling to find the words. “It was untenable. I couldn’t… I couldn’t work with them anymore. They didn’t respect me.”
“And you think quitting will earn you respect?” he countered, his voice rising slightly. “You think walking away shows strength?” He paused, letting the silence weigh down on me. “It shows weakness. You handed them exactly what they wanted. You proved them right.”
I had no words. I mumbled an excuse about being tired and hightailed it upstairs to my room where I remained holed up the rest of the night. Granted, Mum brought me some cookies and sat with me while we chatted about anything but racing.
But my dad… well, I’m not sure how to talk to him about this now.
While I know my father loves me deeply, I am bothered by his disappointment in my actions. I never want anyone to consider me a quitter, my father being at the top of the list.