Chapter 119\u00a0<\/p>\n
32%\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t care how he was going to get home in his condition. I didn\u2019t care if he was sober now or still drunk. I didn\u2019t care about Tristan at all anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What he\u2019d done was so much worse than rejection. This was being invisible even when someone was looking directly at me. This was being a substitute for\u00a0<\/p>\n
the woman he really wanted, the woman he would always want.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was humiliating, but I finally understood something important: I deserved better. These past few weeks on my own had taught me that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I walked back to my bedroom, gathered up my clothes, and threw them directly to the trash. I wasn\u2019t keeping anything that reminded me of tonight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t going to break down or cry anymore. We were way past that now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next morning, I put on a fitted dress and went to work like nothing had happened. I felt perfectly fine, controlled, professional.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Work moved slowly, but I kept busy with reports and meetings. When I inevitably ran into Tristan in the hallway, I was relieved to see that he d gotten my message loud and clear. He stayed far away from me, didn\u2019t try to catch my eye or start any conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Good. That\u2019s exactly how I wanted it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After work, I met Derek for another practice session. He kept asking if I was okay because he said my energy felt different today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I told him, because I was fine. Better than fine, actually.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next few days fell into a comfortable rhythm. I had my own space, my independence, my growing skills on the motorcycle. I visited Orion when I had time, and everything felt balanced and healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It had been a month since I\u2019d started practicing with Derek, and after much pleading on my part, he\u2019d finally agreed to let me race today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut not with the absolute beginners,\u201d he\u2019d warned me. \u201cThese riders have been training for a year. They\u2019re experienced.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can handle it,\u201d I\u2019d insisted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018If you can win ten consecutive races against this group, I\u2019ll move you up to the next level,\u201d he\u2019d said finally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, getting ready for my first real race, I felt a mixture of excitement and nerves that was almost overwhelming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d taken a long bath and put on my black leather pants, a fitted crop top, and my jacket. I didn\u2019t forget the black face covering that would hide everything\u00a0<\/p>\n
except my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t risk anyone recognizing me, especially if word somehow got back to Orion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I checked the time \u2013 one hour and thirty minutes until race time. I hadn\u2019t eaten lunch, and my stomach was growling, but I had no appetite. Food felt completely unappealing when adrenaline was already flooding my system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, I grabbed my keys and headed for the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The racing center was busier than I\u2019d ever seen it. The stands were packed with spectators, and there was an electric energy in the air that made my skin\u00a0<\/p>\n
III\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
20:33 Thu, Jan 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 119\u00a0<\/p>\n
tingle,\u00a0<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t just a casual practice session, this was a real competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Derek met me in the garage where Claire was waiting. She looked perfect under bright lights, her pink and purple paint job gleaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You ready for this? Derek asked, but he was studying my\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ive been ready for weeks,\u2018 I said, pulling on my helmet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
face with concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAthena, listen to me. These riders are good. Some of them have been racing competitively for years. Don\u2019t try to win on your first race \u2013 just focus on finishing, on learning the track, on staying safe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, but inside I was thinking something completely different. I didn\u2019t want to just finish. I wanted to win. I needed to win.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I needed to prove that I was capable of more than just being someone\u2019s backup plan or consolation prize.\u00a0<\/p>\n
32%\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I walked Claire out to the starting line, I could see the other riders sizing me up. Fifteen total, all of them clearly more experienced than me. Their bikes were sleek and professional\u2013looking, and their gear was worn from frequent use.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I should have been intimidated, but instead I felt something fierce and determined rising up\u00a0<\/p>\n
in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I straddled Claire and adjusted my position, getting comfortable with the weight and feel of her beneath me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Around me, the other riders were doing their own pre\u2013race rituals \u2013 revving engines, adjusting mirrors, rolling their shoulders to loosen up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The starting line stretched out in front of us, leading to a track that twisted and turned through a series of challenging curves and straightaways. I\u2019d practiced on parts of this course, but never the whole thing, and never at race speeds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My hands were shaking slightly as I gripped the handlebars, a combination of anticipation and nerves making my whole body vibrate with energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my vision blur for just a moment \u2013 probably from not eating \u2013 but I blinked hard and forced myself to focus. This could not happen now. I couldn\u2019t fail when I was just getting started.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The flag official raised his hand, and the crowd noise faded to a dull roar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything narrowed down to this moment, this bike, this track.\u00a0<\/p>\n
PUUUUURRRR.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The starting signal echoed across the facility, and I twisted the throttle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claire shot forward like a rocket, and suddenly I was flying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The world became a blur of speed and sound and pure adrenaline. The other riders were around me, beside me, behind me, but all I could focus on was the track ahead and the incredible sensation of moving faster than I\u2019d ever moved in my life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate\u00a0<\/p>\n
Memories Drifted Into Soft Silence by Kyx Frost 119 Chapter 119\u00a0 32%\u00a0 I didn\u2019t care how he was going to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-second-gear-of-love-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26276\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}