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"She's in the arena. She's fair game."
I shake my head as Laredo pulls up alongside me his focus on the field of cars ahead of us. "Yes. About time," he warns and points around the next curve.
The tag-team couple has Ariel pinned in the corner. The guy to her front, the girl to her rear. She's a sitting duck, and she knows it. So does Laredo.
His lecherous grin sends a chill through me. He's going to ram her without mercy. Ariel spots us approaching. She pins a 'don't you dare' glare at Laredo, yet the corners of her lips tip up into a half smile.
I stomp on my pedal a half second ahead of Laredo. It's all the advantages I need. We both streak toward her. Electricity crackles from the metal mesh above us, and I prepare for the collision.
My hands twist, hand over hand, at the last instant as I slide in broadside next to Ariel. My cart takes the brunt of Laredo's assault. His late attack shoves me against her purple cart.
"What the hell are you doing, Adam?" she yells, not with appreciation, but with disgust.
The fire in her eyes matches the anger in her voice.
The couple who had pinned Ariel back away, and my cart takes another hit. I twist, surprised at the culprit. Laredo.
"You want to act like a girl. I'm going to treat you like one." He rams me again. I spot Emily approaching from behind him and try not to react. She's in his blind spot and will surely make him pay. She doesn't. She twists around him and rams the front of my cart.
I lose power in the cart and notice that in the commotion, Ariel escaped. Laredo rams me again, then Emily, and then a third cart. A purple cart. Ariel.
I stomp on the pedal, but it's useless. I've misread the situation and now must pay the price. The emcee flicks on his microphone. "Looks like we have a dead duck in the corner. Get your free hits in before the song ends."
Laredo backs away in time for me to see the line of carts forming behind him. Cart after cart hits me, each one reinforcing the message. This is what happens to good guys. I lower my head and take the punishment, hoping the message finally sinks in.
The song fades, my nightmare ending. But not before Ariel shoots me a warning look. I feel one final blow. A soft bump on my side accompanied by a squeaky, youthful voice, "Sorry."
The pony-tailed teen who I spared earlier. She offers an apologetic half shrug as she unhooks her strap and races away from the cart. Even a twelve-year-old can spot a loser.
****
Chapter Thirteen
Ariel
Maybe I was hoping for too much. In my head, this plan was brilliant. Two talented guitarists riffing with me during the day, chilling in the evening, and by the end of the week, I'd have a new member for my band.
But I should have known better. Any plan involving men who I hadn't met in high school is flawed. Laredo continues to be… well, Laredo. And Adam, no matter how ridiculously attractive I find his gentle soul, continues to frustrate and confound me.
I have half a mind to pull the plug on this half-baked plan, have Emily call in sick to work, and lie on the beach until the music festival kicks off in a few days.
I push through the doors to the studio and pause when I hear the gut-wrenching sounds. Adam is singing. I ease into the sound booth. He's in the main room on the other side of the glass, head down, staring at papers on the music stand in front of him.
Acoustic guitar in his lap, he strums a slow tune. I recognize bits of the melody from earlier in the week. Other parts are brand new, and it now has lyrics.
I wonder if he's chatted with his sister, as he indicated he collaborates with her to write the lyrics. When I hear the words, I realize that can't be the case.
Sorry isn't a word I'll ever use for feeling the way I do about you. You continue to torture me, and I continue to love you.
The song is an emotional opus to a complicated love. Each lyric builds on the prior, revealing an emotional journey.
His voice cracks, and he struggles through the chorus, a hint that this song carries with it an emotional toll—all the best songs do. I lean forward, elbows pressed to the board, and take in every word, every chord.
I've seen Adam perform before but never like this. Never this raw, never this open. On stage, he's always blended in, becoming the supporting pillar a band required. Alone on the stage, he can no longer hide. He has no choice but to shine.
The last chord fades, and Adam closes his eyes. Silence fills the studio and for the first time, I feel like I've invaded his personal space. I press the speaker button on the control console to let my presence known. "Adam." I hear pride in my voice. "That was beautiful."
I expect him to reward me with one of his warm smiles. Instead, he squeezes his eyes tight with annoyance. "I didn't realize I had an audience."
