Page 4 of Game on, Love

She was giving me a life jacket, and with tears lingering just beneath the surface, attempting to drown me, I took it.

I collected myself before making my way down to the studio team. Making polite conversations that felt habitual, I signed for my collateral, and now I was here.

As the doors triggered again, the chill raised goosebumps all over my body. The sound of my phone ringing was what snapped me out of my daze.

Axel.

Fuck, I forgot he was in the car park waiting for me.

I took another deep breath and rushed out to his car. He was leaning by his boot, clearly waiting for me, but his expression held nothing but patience.

“You okay?” I wasn’t, but I gave him a nod anyway.

Axel was a good friend, but I had never actually shared with him the reasons I had left, and he had never asked.

Once Axel and Vedant entered Formula One, their rivalry was alwayson.It was what I had been banking on for the last year. He never brought him up in conversations, never asked my opinion on how I thought my brother had done during a race weekend, and I never mentioned it.

Maybe it was the shared memories Ma and I had of going to the races and watching the season together that had kept me from completely leaving the sport or the promise I had made her that didn’t completely erase my relationship with Vedant, but I had kept my distance.

Cricket, on the other hand, was a different story altogether.

I had discovered too many truths to love it the same, or anyone else a part of the world the same.

As we got into the car, the silence welcomed us again, but I wanted anything but that.

I wanted to shake off this feeling, but as I turned to face Axel and pulled myself in a mood to see our group and let loose, his stiffened body made me frown.

“You okay?” It was my turn to ask.

“Yep, I just have a surprise for you, and I just remembered you kind of hate surprises.” His eyes flickered in my direction briefly before returning to the road. He wasn’t nervous,he was scared.

I internally groaned.

I was maxed out on surprises for at least a month. Good or bad.

“Tell me now, then, so itdoesn’thave to be a surprise.” I shrugged, but I was bordering irritated. If I could control anything about myself, it would have to be my emotions.

My face tells the story before I do, but even when I want to hide it, my voice control isn’t any better.

“I promised.” I sighed. Axel and his promises were rare because he hated breaking them.

“Promised exactly what?” I was going to find a loophole.

“Can’t say.”

“Who did you make a promise with?”

He opened his mouth for a second before pursing his lips and shaking his head.

“Am I going to be happy or upset with this one? Honest.”

He stared at the road quietly and didn’t speak until we reached a red light.

He looked desperate, but his eyes were full of hope. “I hope it’s happy,” he said.

I glared, feeling a little helpless before an idea ran through me.

“I don’t trust that, so I need a counter-promise.”