Chapter 8 Adeline
Adeline POV
"Feeling better now?" he asks.
"Much," I admit, tossing my hair back. "The brakes are a little loose than I'm used to, though."
"The loose brakes allow me the freedom to do what I want."
"I was going to say it's for someone that knows what they're doing." I shrug, and he raises a brow.
"You think I don't know what I'm doing?"
"I think you’re decent," I tease with a smile. "For a rich kid."
He laughs, and this time, it’s genuine. "I’ll take it."
He walks over to a mini-fridge in the corner of the garage and tosses me a bottle of water to hydrate.
"So," he says, leaning back against the workbench. "You’re really going through with it? The internship in the city?"
I freeze with the water bottle halfway to my mouth. "Why wouldn't I?"
"A law firm in the city is a shark tank, Adeline. It’s not just a firm, it's the most cutthroat corporate law firm in the city. They chew up interns and spit them out before lunch."
"I can handle myself," I say defensively. "I worked my ass off to get that placement. Top of my class."
"I know you did. I looked you up."
My eyes narrow. "You background checked me?"
"After the race," he admits. "When you almost beat me. I wanted to know who Ghost was. I didn't find much, just Adeline Volkov, a law student on scholarship and on the dean’s list. I was hella impressed. You're an impressive young lady."
"I don't need your validation, Percy."
"I know you don't. I just thought I'd give you a warning. A law firm isn't like law school, those people are ruthless."
"And how would you know? Richard said you’re at a firm in the city, but you never said which one."
Percy hesitates. "All law firms are the same." He says carefully. "I know most of the partners there, and they demand perfection. You won't have a personal life or any form of distraction. You will eat and breathe work. They will be out to break you."
"I don't break," I say simply.
"Everyone breaks, Adeline. It’s just a matter of how much pressure it takes."
"Why do you care?" I ask quietly.
"Because," he says, and he sounds frustrated by his own answer. "Because despite my best efforts, I can't seem to stop caring about what happens to you."
The air in the garage shifts to something softer.
"Percy..."
"What firm are you at?" I ask, suddenly needing to know. "If you know the city so well, who are you with? Sterling? McKenzie?"
He looks away, staring out at the night. "Does it matter? We’re rivals, remember? Opposing counsel."
"Tell me."
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I’m at a firm called Monarch Legal but they have other firms under them, which I work at too."
I frown. "I've heard of them. They do boutique corporate work."
"Yeah. Something like that." He pushes off the workbench. "It’s late, Ghost. We should head back before the parents wake up and send a search party."
I watch him as he starts closing up the garage. Monarch Legal, there was something very familiar about it. Monarch Legal was a big law firm, so I decided to search it up, and what I saw amazed me. Monarch Legal was the owner of the firm I was due to start my internship at.
I looked at him again, and I wondered if he knew this, because Richard failed to mention Percy connection to it at the dinner. I didn't know how to feel about that information, so I just filed it away for later when he couldn't see that there was something on my mind and I couldn't let him know that I know he's the man I’m going to be reporting to in two weeks. He is the man who holds my entire career in his hands.
"You coming?" he asks.
I pocket my phone, my heart hammering from the recent information I just learned.
"Yeah," I say. "I’m coming."
I walk past him, careful not to brush against him. We walk back to the house in silence.
He thinks we have a secret. He thinks the only complication we have between us is that we’re step-siblings who slept together.
He has no idea how much more complicated our relationship just got, and I have no intention of telling him until I can no longer hide it.
The next three days are a blur of confusing and terrifying contradictions. By day, we play the part of the dutiful children of the happy couple. We smile for photos and sit through long lunches where Mom drones on about their wedding plans that sound more like a coronation.
But by night, we become the most authentic versions of ourselves. Every night after the parents go to sleep, I sneak out to the airstrip. And every night, Percy is there waiting.
We race and fix engines and talk about several bikes. We talk about everything and anything except my internship. I don't tell him the firm belongs to him, and he doesn't seem to remember it.
I wonder if it would be so terrible if I told him, but the truth is, I’m terrified that if I bring it up, this bubble will burst, and I don't want it to burst.
I don't want him to stop looking at me with desire when he thinks I'm not looking. I don't want him to stop being proud of me whenever I outrace him.
I’m starting to forget that he is Richard Akilov’s son and my boss. I’m starting to forget that he holds my career in his hands.
Soon, our two weeks are almost up, as we have only two days left there. The atmosphere that night at dinner is manic. To be fair, the only manic person at dinner was my mother.
"We have an announcement!" she chirps as soon as the appetizers are cleared.
I look at Percy across the table to see if he can sense the same thing. He can.
"We’ve set a date," Richard announces with a smile. "February 14th. Valentine’s Day!"
I nearly choke on my water. "February? That’s six weeks away."
"Why wait?" Mom laughs breathlessly. "When you know, you know! We’re going to do a small ceremony in Italy. Just family."
"And," Richard adds, looking pointedly at Percy and me, "we’ve decided that since we’re moving so fast, we want you two to be with us. Percy as Best Man, Adeline as Maid of Honor."
The silence that followed their announcement was deafening. Percy looks angry, so angry that I thought he would throw his glass. Clearly, he's not the only one who is angry at the thought of them walking down the aisle, and we will be at the altar with them.
"That’s… wonderful," Percy manages to say. "Congratulations."
"Adeline?" Mom prompts with an expectant smile.
"Yeah," I force out. "Congratulations, guys."
The rest of dinner is torture. I excuse myself as soon as possible. I escape to my room and start pacing the floor.
For some reason I couldn't possibly examine, I'm not okay with the fact that he will legally become my stepbrother in only six weeks. I'm going to be sick. In two weeks, he will become my boss, and in six weeks, my stepbrother.
Right now, he's the only person I can talk to so before I can overthink it, I step out of my room.
I need to tell him the truth.