Race With a Heart
Chapter 214: Love Is a Strange Thing

Chapter 214: Love Is a Strange Thing

Arthur Floyd swallowed hard. He waited anxiously for the words, an offer that Michael Moore was about to make.

"You actually have three options," one of the most powerful men in this city and perhaps the country informed him. "First - you forget about the existence of my son and his friends and focus on your career in the theater. Second - you bet on who you are currently betting on and go to the bottom with him. Third possibility ... "

Moore paused deliberately as if to build tension. It was an unnecessary west, Arthur was already anxious now.

"Third possibility?" Floyd asked, unable to bear the prolonged silence.

"You will reveal to me who you work for and you will be properly rewarded for it. Think carefully about whether you can play against the Moores or if you prefer to play with them."

Arthur Floyd had nothing to wonder about.

***

Karl Walton emerged from the private room of the clinic where Steve was now resting and pushed for the door he had locked. There was a sad smile of bitter satisfaction on his lips.

Karl probably shouldn’t have told Paxton what he said and shouldn’t have done what he did. After all, Walton had Anna, the woman he really loved. Only if ’really’? If so, why in the last few days was Steve his only concern and the only person he had on his mind?

This situation was some horrible joke, some incredible irony of fate. Steve...

It all didn’t make sense anymore. It takes two to love, as to tango. If the other side has someone else in his heart, why feed on illusions? You can’t live like this. Steve never belonged to Karl, and would never belong to him. Under these circumstances, was there at least a friendship between them?

Love is a goddamn strange thing. Karl had heard that she was supposed to be beautiful, but his love for Steve only hurt him, and yet ...

Yet Walton was unable to get rid of her. Although he knew that because of what happened to Hannah, Paxton would never find love for Karl, he still could not be indifferent to him. If only you could steer your heart so easily!

Karl really thought he was over it. He really believed he could give everything to Anna and make her a happy family. But it didn’t seem possible as long as Steve was somewhere in Walton’s world. And Steve must be in it, or Karl would have gone mad with anxiety for him.

Love is a truly terrible nightmare.

At least this unrequited love.

Walton laughed bitterly. Now he will have to start all over again. He has Anna. He has a really good life.

And Steve?

Karl will have to push him back into the role of friend again, hoping that this time he will do it forever.

***

"You miss him, huh?"

Martin flinched out of his reverie. He shouldn’t have drifted away with his thoughts, not now that Abe Allen was analyzing his accomplishments today with him, but to fix his thoughts there and at that time it was really hard.

"What?" he asked, looking surprised at Allen. "I miss who?"

"Miss your idol. Miss your mentor. Who else would you miss? "

At Fergus’ Stable, no one was worried about Steve’s disappearance, although it was already known that Paxton would not be back on the track just yet. Karl officially announced that since Steve is not resuming training yet, he has taken a few days trip. It was not spoken of loudly, but everyone knew that the events of the last few months had been difficult and stressful for Paxton, so no one was surprised that the driver wanted to change the environment for a while. Probably everyone dreamed of going somewhere cool, but unlike him, they had to work.

The mechanics made a little laugh at Martin, who had clearly been in bad mood since Paxton’s sudden disappearance. No one has yet suspected that the two men might have something erotic and romantic in common, but they definitely noticed their friendship. Since Martin was a nice and cheerful boy, he was credited with making Paxton a little more accessible, but that didn’t mean he would be open like a book. Well, maybe only Martin was so naive, which is why colleagues thought he was offended that Paxton had not introduced him to his plans and is now completely ignoring him, most likely having a good time with some girls.

"I don’t understand why I should miss him," muttered Martin grimly.

Allen smiled like an indulgent, understanding father dealing with a moment when his adolescent son denies the obvious.

"If you say so," he replied. "If I were you, I would miss him. Anyway, to be honest, being in my place I miss him too."

"Really?" Martin was surprised. "Why?"

"Hmm, that’s hard to explain. You know, looking at Steve’s image on TV and other media, you might get the impression that he’s an arrogant playboy, but to me he’s a very unhappy boy. From the first moment I saw him, I felt something special about him. A bit like you, Steve is like a real son to me. "

"Are you kidding? From the first moment? And ... Steve’s real father? "

"He abandoned them when Steve was a teenager. I didn’t know Steve at the time. It was Karl who brought him to the stable when Paxton was already a really good driver. But Old Fergus did an investigation about him before he hired him."

Abe Allen sighed, which made Martin understand that Steve’s situation before he came to the Fergus Stables was not the best. Father abandoned Steve when he was a teenager? What about his mother then?

At least a hundred questions came to Martin’s mind, but Abe didn’t seem to be the right person to ask him those questions. Martin should ask Steve these questions when he gets back.

Because Steve will come back to him. Martin knew it just like that because he knew Steve loved him. Maybe now he needs time to be alone to deal with his problems on his own, but when he does, he will definitely come back to him.

Martin told himself this every day, every hour, every minute. He couldn’t allow himself to doubt even a moment because he would burst into tears. Steve did not abandon him, he just had to deal with this problem on his own. Yes, that’s right!

Martin forced himself to focus his full attention on what Allen was saying to him, but he succeeded. Steve wanted to race on the same racetrack as Martin, so now that Paxton was struggling to keep racing, Martin had to fight to win the right to stay on track. Someday they will both be strong and will be racing each other. They will race with their own heart.

Abe finally announced the end of the day for them, and Martin dragged himself into the locker room. He wanted to avoid people so he changed very quickly and went outside. The weather was fine, but sometimes there were stronger gusts of wind, so Martin in a hurry started buttoning his jacket ...

The boy stopped suddenly. A stronger gust of wind brought the smell of gasoline, leather, cigarette smoke and expensive cologne into his nostrils. The one and only, most beautiful fragrance in the world. But...

Martin looked around and ...

A tall man with black, slightly longer hair, with a damn handsome face with sharp, masculine features and piercing, dark eyes, tugged his back, dressed in a leather jacket, from the building’s wall and with a slow movement he stamped his cigarette. The sight was almost a copy of that from a few months ago, when Martin fell in love with a man completely and without memory, without even realizing it.

Martin’s heart pounded like mad.

The man looked up and fixed Martin with deep, dark eyes filled with guilt, sadness and... hope. Martin had the most beautiful view in the world before him.

"Hey Martin, how about if I drop you home?"

"To yours or mine?" the boy asked, surprised that he could make a voice at all.

"Is there any difference?"

"There is," nodded Martin, surprised that he could remain calm. "Your bed is more comfortable."

"Martin ..."

"Steve, let’s go, please. Whatever you want to tell me, tell me later. Now let’s go, okay? "

"Of course," Paxton agreed. He looked a little confused and concerned. "Did something happen?"

They were already walking side by side, almost touching their shoulders. They were walking so close that they would be able to hear their hearts beating at any moment.

"Yes!" Martin announced quietly. "I want to hug you, I want to kiss you, I want you to me ..."

They were close. They were very close. Steve’s fingers surreptitiously found Martin’s. When they touched, a spark ran between the men.

"I love you, Martin, you know that, don’t you?"

"Shut up Steve, I know," Martin groaned, his voice breaking. "Let’s just get out of here!"

It didn’t take long in Steve’s sports car to drive into town, but every minute of delay was excruciating to them, so Paxton pulled down the first forest road where they could tell each other everything without using words.

THE END

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