Chapter 88 88. Chosen maiden
Tabitha’s POV
By lap eighteen, it is chaos at the front. Reed, Andrew, and Arthur are practically wheel-to-wheel in a high-speed triangle. I can hear Evelyn and Elsie shouting for Rhett who is now slowly gaining back speed, fighting to keep pace. Melanie cheers for Arthur, urging him to stay on the gas. The crowd’s roar is a physical wave pressing against the deck.
Lap twenty is the apex of madness. Engines scream as riders push past limits. Andrew, Reed, and Arthur fight tooth and nail for the lead. Luca and Rhett, trailing but closing fast, are poised to challenge when suddenly Winslow and Harrington swoop on them from either side. I freeze. They deliberately pinch them, and although Rhett finds the perfect opportunity to break free and slip past the two aggressive riders, Luca isn’t very lucky. Winslow and Harrington push further in, one wheel on either side, forcing Luca’s bike to sashay violently across the track.
“LUCA!” The scream leaves my throat before I can stop it.
Luca loses control of his bike and collides with Reed who is in front. Reed immediately loses rhythm and his red bike teeters under the impact. Both struggle to maintain balance, scraping dangerously close to the guardrails. My stomach drops as they tip together, the sound of tearing metal and rubber on asphalt making me nauseous. Winslow drives past them, robbing Reed of any chance to regain momentum. The engine of Reed’s bike coughs violently as if trying to spit him out until he flies a few meters from the finish line, the momentum of the crash throwing him violently onto the track as Luca’s bike rolls into him, spinning like a top.
OH MY GOD.
Andrew surges past, untouched, crossing the line first. The crowd erupt, a mix of cheers and horrified gasps. Staff and marshals sprint toward the accident. Suddenly, the track is swimming with flashing lights and staff shouting for commands. The announcer’s voice is tinged with disbelief.
“Unbelievable! A new champion emerges, and we’ve got two major crashes right before the finish line! Reed and Luca Aldair are down, but Andrew King takes the victory in stunning fashion! Arthur Beckett claims second place and Rhett claims third place.”
Elsie lets out a sharp cry the moment Reed hits the ground.
“Reed!” she shouts in horror, her voice breaking as she turns away from the railing and runs for the stairs. Evelyn calls after her but Elsie is already rushing down, her steps frantic as she tries to reach the track. Jace mutters curses under his breath before following her and the rest of us rush down to see what is happening.
The moment our feet hit the ground level, everything feels harsher. The air is heavy with fuel and dust. People rush in every direction. Marshals wave their arms. Medics run with equipment. Shouts fill the track like overlapping waves. Everything is a mess of voices and people and camera flashes that I can barely make out what is happening.
Harrington is being dragged away by some of the marshals when he tries to climb up the platform where the announcer is declaring the winners of the season.
“Due to Jay Harrington’s violation of the rules that resulted in the injuries of multiple riders, he is officially disqualified and banned from further participation in the future,” the announcer says.
“That’s not fucking fair!” Harrington bellows but a broad-shouldered marshal quickly grab and takes him away.
“And since he is disqualified. The player who reached the finish line after him shall be the winner—congratualtions to Rhett Sharpe for securing the third spot in this year’s tropical thunder circuit season.”
Rhett doesn’t look impressed when he is awarded the bronze medal, but that doesn’t stop the media and photographers from taking multiple photos of him as he stands bored on the podium.
“And to the next rider who exemplified the spirit of sportsmanship and excellent skills, congratulations to Arthur Beckett for clinching second place!”
Arthur offers a curt smile while accepting the medal as well. I try to head where Reed and Luca are being crowded by the medics but I am jostled by a wave of crowd fluttering everywhere, shoved back and forth, my heart racing with fear and confusion, not knowing how Reed and Luca are faring. Elsie stays near Rhett and Evelyn, though she is straining to get a view, while medics kept the accident scene cordoned off. Jace and Evren are now arguing with some of the staff who are blocking their way to their brothers.
“And now, may I present to you the unexpected new king of the Tropical Thunder Circuit who beat two of the defending champions—none other than Andrew Kingsley!”
Andrew walks to the highest podium while wearing a hesitant smile. Even he looks confused at the chaos and celebration happening simultaneously. The staff offer him the gold medal as well as a golden plaque. It doesn’t take a minute before the camera flashes feast on him, the blinding lights flickering all over that licks him from head to toe.
“Just as tradition dictates, this year’s winner must also choose a maiden and offer the golden wreath!”
More cameras flash near me. Some turn away from the injured riders and aim instead toward the winners. Andrew stands tall at the front as a staff member places a golden wreath in his hands. Reporters push forward, almost tripping over each other.
“Andrew, who are you giving the wreath to?”
“Look this way!”
“Hold it up for a shot!”
Flashes burst nonstop like a storm of white sparks.
I stand frozen in the middle of it, my heart still tight from the crash and my eyes burning from the lights. I look toward the medics again, but all I see are helmets and uniforms blocking every angle. I cannot tell if Reed or Luca are moving. I cannot hear anything from them. I feel small and useless. Everything is dizzying, overwhelming. I feel so lost.
In the midst of the pandemonium, Andrew turns his head. His gaze sweeps past the crowd—past the cameras, and past the reporters shouting his name and lands on me. With the wreath on his hand, he walks straight to me.
Reporters gasp and angle their cameras to follow him. I blink a few times, making sure I am not seeing things. I stand frigid in my spot, confused about what is happening until he softly puts the crown of golden leaves on top of my head.
“Here,” Andrew says and smiles tentatively.
“W-What?” I ask, barely able to breathe.
“Take it,” he replies as cameras fire off in rapid bursts.
My mind cannot keep up with anything. I raise my hand and absentmindedly stroke the golden wreath on my head. What is happening?
“Look here!”
Flashes explode again. Reporters shout over each other.
“Look here!”
“Smile for the photo!”
“Andrew, is she your chosen maiden?”
Before I can steady myself, one of the event staff steps up with a microphone.
“For this year’s event, the champion and his selected maiden are entitled to an exclusive all-expense paid date. Congratulations to our winner Andrew Kingsley and his chosen maiden, Tabitha Huxley!” the announcer enthuses.
An all-expense what?!
“Andrew! Tabitha! Please, look here!”
“Give us a smile! Look here!”
“Can you two move a little closer? You look stiff in the pictures!”
Everyone is shouting so loud that it makes my head pound. The media people and photographers are especially aggressive in barking out instructions. They look displeased at the quality of photos that they are getting from us.
“Move a little closer! Come one, Andrew! We need you two to look more romantic!”
Andrew smiles politely and glances at me.
“May I?” he asks, gesturing toward my side.
“I—uhh. Okay…”
Faced by the disorienting flashing lights from the cameras everywhere, I find myself nodding. Andrew scoots beside me and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. The photographers go crazy and more camera flashes explode on our faces.
“Perfect! Look over here!”
“Can you smile more?”
I force a hesitant smile, feeling my cheeks burning, and just as the flashes continue, I see Jace and Evren looking at me in apparent disappointment while stretchers carry Luca and Reed’s unconscious bodies past us. Evren turns around and follows the ambulance that carries his brothers. Jace’s eyes linger on me for a while, shaking his head before following Evren.