Drive me Wild, Rival(BL)

Chapter 134: meeting him again

Nico

​"We don’t care about your private life, but you better not be doing this deliberately and letting Alaric de Villier win against you. That is what we have come to as conclusion because it what has been happening since the last two race.’’ ​The board member’s voice was cold, echoing sharply across the sleek agency conference room.

I sat at the long table, staring back at the corporate suits who were currently stressing over our stock prices.

​"I have never, and will never, throw a race," I defended myself, my voice dropping into a firm, serious tone that let them know exactly where the line was. "Alaric won because his car had a better setup in the final sector, and my shoulder was giving me hell. Alaric won because he is a great driver. If you think I’d risk my standings for a PR stunt, you don’t know me at all."

​They pressed on, asking a dozen more annoying questions about my form, my focus, and how I planned to handle the massive media circus following us to the next track.

I answered them slowly, keeping my composure entirely locked down. "I am going to win the China Grand Prix," I stated flatly, staring the head director dead in the eye. "The Shanghai circuit is mine. I’m taking P1 back, and that’s the end of it."

​But throughout the entire hours-long meeting, I wasn’t actually there. My mind was completely checked out. I couldn’t stop thinking about Alaric, about the heat of his lips against mine on that slippery podium, and the fact that he had gone completely radio silent. I wanted to meet him again.

I needed to.

​As soon as the meeting finally ended, Dylan followed me out into the hallway, shuffling through his tablet. "Alright, Nico, we need to head straight to the simulator. The engineers want you checking the car’s new aero package, and then we have your physical therapy schedule—"

​"Cancel it," I interrupted, not even slowing my pace. "I’m taking a day or two off."

​Dylan blinked, rushing to keep up with my stride. "What? You can’t just skip the briefing before China, Nico. Where are you even going?"

​"I’m going to see someone," I said, stopping by the elevators and turning to look at him. "Give me the directions to his cabin in the woods."

​Dylan’s jaw practically dropped. He looked around the empty hallway, his voice dropping into a panicked whisper. "Are you really doing this? Nico, the press is literally hiding in the bushes outside your apartment. If they catch you chasing after him right now—"

​"I don’t care," I said, my voice completely steady. "I need to see Alaric."

​Deep down in my mind, the racing didn’t even matter anymore. I truly wanted to confess to him. I was tired of the letters, tired of the stolen glances, and tired of the lies we were telling the whole world. I wanted to tell him how I felt, with no cameras around to see it.

It had been on my mind since the trip to Japan. I was desperate for him to find out what was going on with me.

​Dylan stared at me for a long moment, seeing the absolute determination in my eyes, before he let out a massive, defeated sigh. "Fine. I will come up with some lies to tell the engineers. I’ll tell them your shoulder flared up and you’re getting emergency scans." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, tossing them to me. "Take my personal car. It’s parked in the lower basement level. It’ll keep you from drawing any attention."

​The car was an old yet sleek sports car—a classic model that didn’t have my sponsor decals or a recognizable license plate.

​"Thanks, Dylan," I muttered, gripping the keys tight.

​"Just don’t get caught," he warned. "And get your head straight before China."

​I nodded and headed straight for the basement. The drive out of the city was long, and as the roads started winding up into the steep, quiet hills of Monaco, my mind started racing faster than the engine.

I started planning exactly how to say the proposal. I came up with so many thoughts in his head about it—wondering if I should be blunt, if I should mention the past, or if I should just tell him straight up that I loved him.

’’will his response be positive or negative?’’ I wondered.

I heaved a deep, heavy sigh, my fingers tightening on the leather steering wheel as the nerves finally started hitting my stomach. I just hoped that Alaric would be happy to see me.

​When I finally reached the private property, the dense trees cleared away, opening up to a breathtaking view. Since this was Monaco and a high-end private estate, the cabin sat right on the edge of a massive hill, its backyard facing the sparkling blue horizon of the sea below.

​I parked the sleek sports car in the gravel driveway.

My heart started pounding hard against my ribs as I stepped out into the quiet afternoon air, the scent of saltwater and pine hitting my face.

​I walked up to the cabin. It looked incredibly warm and peaceful, built from heavy timber and stone, but as I peered through the glass of the front door, there was no sign of life inside the main living room.

The silence was deafening.

My heart gave a nervous flutter, and I was just about to start checking the rooms one by one to see if he was hiding inside, when something caught my eye through the side window.

​Down the slope of the hill, right where the grassy lawn met the rocky edge overlooking the sea, a tall figure was sitting on a simple lawn chair.

​It was Alaric. He was just sitting there, completely isolated from the world, calmly fishing in the deep blue waters below.

​A soft smile broke across my face, the heavy tension in my shoulders instantly melting away. "So there you are," I murmured to myself.

​I turned on my heel and started walking down the grassy path toward him, my boots crunching softly against the turf. As I got closer, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed his number.

A few yards behind his chair, I stopped.

Alaric’s phone started buzzing loudly on the small wooden table next to him.

​He didn’t even look up at first. He just stared at the glowing screen of the phone, watching my name flash across the display, and just let it ring. He wasn’t going to pick it up.

​"So you were never going to pick up my call, de Villier?" I said aloud, my voice smooth but carrying a clear, mocking edge.

​Alaric gasped, his entire body flinching in pure shock. He spun around so fast he lost his balance, almost falling completely from his lawn chair as his dark eyes locked onto me. He stared at me like he was seeing a literal ghost, his chest heaving as he gripped the armrests.

​"What the hell are you doing here, Nicholas?" he breathed out in a chaotic mix of shock and disbelief.