The first round cut the contenders by half. Which meant the crowd at the driver’s meeting was thinner, leaving room for Vic and me to accompany Jordan and Aiden.
The remaining drivers and crews formed a semi- circle around the race promoter. I wasn’t surprised to stare across that semi-circle to where my sister stood next to Devin. She made a point to look anywhere but at us. It was infuriating and heart breaking. We shouldn’t have been separated like this.
The promoter began dividing everyone into pairs. The drivers went forward one at a time and drew a card, the two drivers with matching cards raced each other in the next round. Simple. Or it should have been, it rarely was. Racers were so competitive they’d argue about anything and usually did.
I channeled it all out as the races were sorted. I had enough drama in my life already.
The promoter took Jordan’s card first and held it up, silencing the din of drivers. Across from us, Devin’s blue eyes narrowed to unrecognizable slits. My heart sank like lead into my stomach. I’d been hoping beyond hope it wouldn’t come to this.
Devin had drawn Jordan’s card.
“All right guys”—the promoter motioned them both over—“hometown boys, same team but not
tonight! Let’s flip for lanes.”
Jordan drew up to his full height with his shoulders back in defiance. Their friendship would never mend easily. As the coin flipped end over end through the air, Jordan called heads. Everyone stood silent as it rolled to a stop at Devin’s feet.
“Heads.” He toed the coin. “Pick your lane, Slater.”
“Left.” Both Jordan and Hunter had won from the left lane already.
I was relieved when Devin walked over to shake Jordan’s hand. The simple act was a bridge mended, a sign that our group might be whole again. Only the handshake didn’t happen. Instead, with anger pulling his face tight, Devin stood and glared at Jordan. I’d never seen him like that. It wasn’t pain or betrayal that brought his lips into a tight line. It was pure, unadulterated anger.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Not between the two of them.
Jordan didn’t back down, not even an inch, when Devin pulled up to his full height and got in Jordan’s face. Anxious prickles taunted the back of my neck as Jordan’s lips twisted in a snarl.
“We’ll handle it how you always have,” Devin told him with a humorless smile.
“Dev—” I stepped between them. I’d spent all week watching Jordan brood when he thought I wasn’t looking. Without Devin, he wasn’t whole, as a family we weren’t whole. I had to fix it, this was a bridge I couldn’t watch burn.
With the heat of Devin’s anger rerouted to me, I faltered. For a gut-wrenching moment, I couldn’t breathe. “He didn’t want to hurt you.” I released on an exhale.
“But you did?” He shook his head angrily. “It’s bad enough, all things considered, but I didn’t need to be lied to and made a fool of.”
“I never made you look like a fool, Devin. I never once led you on. You’ve known, everyone has always known I was in love with Jordan. I’ve loved him since I was six years old.” Jordan was close enough I drew strength from the warmth of his body behind me.
“And yet, you told me it wasn’t him.” The muscles in Devin’s jaw worked.
He looked over my shoulder to Jordan. In a fight, Jordan would lay Devin out. I didn’t need to look behind me to know he was mad enough right then, that if Devin pushed it, he’d do just that. “You could have at least let the dust settle, bro.”
I slapped Devin, shaking with rage. I let it all out then. Everything. Knowing Jordan was behind me I wasn’t scared. With him in my corner, I’d never be afraid again. I’d humiliated Devin, but right then it didn’t matter. His actions had taken my sister from me, had hurt Jordan in ways Devin could never understand.
“He didn’t do anything! I did! I went for him! Do you not understand that? It was me, Devin, it was always me. He told me no. Over and over he told me no. He did that for you! All he does, he does for others, how much has he done for you? Would that car be running if not for him? Where would you live if not for him? He loves you, jackass. Aiden loves you, I love you, even when you turned my own sister against me.”
I continued to scream, my voice raw. “Stop this, all of it!”
Devin’s face hardened like steel, no longer the pretty boy I remembered. “I will, when you stop being a whore, Raelynn.”
My heart shattered into a thousand pieces as I broke, physically and emotionally. Not from his words, I’d already taken that punch from Breanna. I was broken because we could never be whole again, that Devin would never let this go.
Jordan was quicker than my brother who went after Devin in the same instant. It was the first time Jordan had ever been faster on his feet than Aiden.
I was knocked off balance and almost to my knees in their rush. Jordan’s right fist connected with Devin’s jaw with a resounding crunch. Devin fell into the crowd, finding the receiving end of the beast Eric Marshall had tried to stir up.
Jordan went after him again, but I shouted over the din. “Jordan, no!”