Chapter 3

The car meet had a Sunday canyon run planned. Mulholland trailhead. Jude offered to pick me up.

He wore a black Aether jacket, his hair casually perfect, like a supporting actor from a GQ cover.

"Let's go, babe. Time to *properly* meet everyone."

He pulled the passenger door of the Porsche open for me and leaned in to buckle my seatbelt himself.

"You always said I take Mia but not you." He said, smiling. "So today, I'm taking you."

I knew what he was really doing.

He wasn’t bringing me into his circle. He was pushing me in front of everyone so I would learn to *accept* Mia.

......

At the Mulholland starting point, more than a dozen cars were already lined up. 911s, GT‑Rs, a modified RX‑7, an orange Lambo. The engines growled like restless beasts.

Mia spotted me. Her eyes curled into crescents.

“Cleooo! You actually came! Ry, you finally brought your *girlfriend* out to show off!”

She drifted over, smiling.

"Are you not gonna be scared in Ry's passenger seat? See, I'm the opposite — the louder the brakes squeal, the more it gets me going. That’s just how I am.”

The other car guys cheered. Jude frowned slightly.

But Mia had already pulled open the passenger door.

“Just kidding, Cleo. Don’t be nervous. I’m just worried you’re not familiar with the canyon roads. There are a lot of sharp turns. I’ll help Ry keep an eye on things will be easier.”

Jude rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Mia knows the route well. Babe, you sit in the back. Safety first.”

*Back seat. Canyon. Tight turns.*

The three words snapped together and closed around my throat.

......

> *Wet pavement*

> *Screeching brakes*

> *Mother’s blood‑swollen eyes*

> *Tumbling sight*

> *Swinging rescue lights*

I had been nineteen. Mid-season in Formula Junior. A rainy night, driving home from a track day. I was at the wheel. My parents were in the back.

I wasn’t the nail‑salon Cleo Ward back then.

I had run a go‑kart development program. Won three consecutive West Coast championships. Coach Lena said I had guts and fast reflexes. If I kept training, **Formula 1 was a matter of time**.

My father used to say it too. *"My daughter drives steadier than I do."*

But one rainy night, all those words shattered against the guardrails of Pacific Coast Highway.

.......

The old dream rose up and drained the color from my face. I stood there, frozen.

Jude thought I was making another scene.

“Cleo, don’t embarrass me in front of everyone. It’s just a different seat. If you’re scared, I’ll drive slower. Okay?”

Mia was already in the passenger seat, seatbelt fastened, waving at me.

“Cleo, come on! I’ll help you watch the road!”

The door closed.

The city slid away behind us. Mulholland began to climb.

At first, Jude really did drive slowly. He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “You okay?”

I looked out the window.

“Slow down.”

“Okay.”

Then Mia lifted her phone and went live on Instagram.

The camera swept over the mountain road ahead, then over Jude’s hands on the wheel.

*“Hi guys! Ry’s taking me flying tonight! This road is absolutely insane!”*

The comments rolled in fast.

"Ry, you used to carve that next corner so clean. C'mon, give us one!"

Jude frowned. “Mia, don’t.”

“Oh, come on, driving slow is boring.” She pushed the camera closer. “Is it because Cleo’s in the car? You scared?”

The in‑car radio also had people egging him on.

“Ry, don’t be a wuss!”

“Show your girl what you’ve got!”

I stared at the pavement ahead.

It had rained the night before. Water stains still lingered in the shadows.

I couldn’t help speaking. “The road’s wet.”

Mia’s smile cooled a little. “Cleo, relax. We’ve run this road a million times.”

I repeated, “Don’t carve.”

In the rearview, Jude's eyes flicked to mine, his brow pinched with impatience.

“Cleo, I know you’re not feeling well, but don’t ruin everyone’s fun. I know what I’m doing.”

I gripped the seatbelt with both hands. My breath kept shrinking, getting thinner.

I heard my own voice come out small.

"Stop the car."

No one heard. Or no one wanted to hear.

.......

The car suddenly fishtailed.

Tires scraped against the wet pavement. The world tilted.

> *Brakes.*

> *Mom’s scream.*

> *Glass.*

All the memories flashed before my eyes in an instant.

Mia screamed first. “RYDER—!”

After Jude steadied the car, his first reaction was to reach over and hold her.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ve got you.”

He unbuckled his own seatbelt, leaned half his body toward her, and pressed his hand to the back of her neck.

I sat in the back seat, my ears ringing. I tried to open the door, but my hands wouldn’t work.

A long beat passed before he remembered to turn around.

“Cleo, look how scared Mia is. And you’re still making that face? We’re all out here trying to have a good time. Can you not be so tense?”

In the rearview mirror, Jude kept talking. I didn't hear most of it.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone, found a moving company’s website, and sent them my address.

【Please come on time the day after tomorrow.】