Chapter 2

2.

"Ava..." Ethan's breathing grew heavy. "You already know my answer."

"Good," Ava said, closing her eyes. "I'll get my spousal visa and come to London."

She hung up and immediately started searching for UK visa requirements on her laptop.

Once she had the information, she gathered her documents and left the house.

She had just gotten into her car when her phone buzzed. A text from Julian popped up on the screen: "Ava, I need you upstate. Devil's Bend. It's important."

Ava stared at the message for a full minute.

She should have ignored it. But after a long silence, she told the driver to turn the car around.

One, she wanted to see what he was willing to do for Claire this time.

And two, she wanted to tell him to his face that she was getting married, too.

Devil's Bend was an abandoned mountain road in upstate New York, famous for its treacherous curves. It was an illegal playground for the city's rich kids to get their adrenaline fix. The silence of the night was shattered by blinding headlights and roaring engines.

As soon as Ava got out of the car, she saw a crowd gathered around Julian.

"Julian, are you crazy? You're really going to risk your life for some antique Cartier necklace Claire wants?" a friend yelled, grabbing Julian's arm. "This is Devil's Bend! Three cars went off the cliff here last year!"

Ava stopped in her tracks.

She saw Claire, dressed in a white sundress, crying her eyes out and tugging on Julian’s sleeve. "Julian... I was just talking... Please don't do it, okay?"

Julian looked down at her, his gaze so gentle it was blinding.

He wiped away her tears, his voice dripping with affection. "If you want it, I'll win it for you. No matter how dangerous."

Those words were a knife straight through Ava's heart.

She remembered two years ago when Julian crashed during a race. She had stayed by his hospital bed for three days and nights.

When he woke up, she was crying so hard she could barely breathe. "Julian, if you ever touch one of these death traps again, we're through. Do you hear me?"

He had panicked then, trying to rip out his IV to wipe her tears. "Okay, okay, don't cry. I promise, Ava. No more extreme sports. Never again."

The promise still echoed in her ears, yet here he was, standing at the starting line of a death race for another girl.

"Ava, you're here." Julian finally noticed her and walked over.

Ava stood her ground. "Why did you call me here?"

Julian casually adjusted his racing gloves, but his eyes were still glued to Claire. "The rules say I need a passenger. Claire gets scared easily, I can't risk her getting hurt. So, I called you."

His words hit her like a physical blow. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

He was afraid of Claire getting hurt. What about her?

Before she could process the shock, Julian grabbed her wrist.

The warmth of his hand, once a source of comfort, now felt like a branding iron on her skin.

"Wait, Julian, I―"

Before she could react, Julian dragged her toward his McLaren.

"Ava, just bear with it. Twenty minutes, max. We'll leave as soon as I win."

She was forced into the passenger seat, the seatbelt digging painfully into her chest.

Julian expertly started the engine. His profile was sharp and defined under the track lights. The man she had loved for over a decade suddenly seemed like a complete stranger.

The car shot forward like an arrow.

Julian drove recklessly fast, drifting around every curve, the tires nearly scraping the guardrails at the cliff's edge.

Ava gripped the handle, her stomach churning. But the nausea was nothing compared to the agony in her heart.

He was really going to get himself killed.

All for a necklace Claire had mentioned in passing.

On the final lap, they were slightly behind.

Julian cursed and slammed his foot on the gas.

The engine screamed, the speedometer needle swinging wildly to the right.

"Julian! Slow down!" Ava screamed.

He ignored her, his eyes fixed on the finish line.

The moment they crossed it, the car spun out of control, hit the guardrail, and rolled for dozens of meters.

The world turned upside down.

Ava felt a warm liquid trickling down her forehead, her vision blurring with red. The screech of twisting metal and the screams of the crowd filled her ears.

The car door was kicked open.

Julian, covered in blood, crawled out. He didn't even glance at her. He ran straight toward the edge of the track.

Through the shattered windshield, Ava watched as he pulled a terrified, crying Claire into his arms. His voice was impossibly gentle. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm fine. See? I won the necklace for you."

He carefully fastened the sapphire-studded necklace around Claire's neck, his movements as delicate as if he were handling a priceless treasure.

Blood dripped into Ava's eyes, turning her world red.

She suddenly remembered when they were fifteen. Julian had stolen his father's Porsche to take her for a drive.

A car had lost control and swerved toward them. Without a second thought, he had thrown himself over her, taking the brunt of the impact.

He was covered in blood then, too, but he had buried his face in her neck and whispered, "Ava, you're the only one I'd ever risk my life for. Only you."

Turns out, forever was a very short time.