Chapter 129: Neurologically Stimulated, Unfortunately
Leo
"The pit window is opening," I stated, my voice flat against the chaotic backdrop of the Red Bull garage’s telemetry. "If you had stayed in the restroom for another ninety seconds, you would have missed the most statistically significant tactical shift of the afternoon."
Miller didn’t answer immediately. He simply grunted and slumped back into the leather seat beside me, his shoulder brushing mine.
It was unnecessary physical contact that sent a sharp, irritating spike through my focus.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the screen with a sudden, suspicious lack of his earlier hostility. "Go Team Filler."
My jaw tightened, and I finally shifted my gaze from the monitor to him. "Viller, Miller. It’s Viller."
I groaned, rolling my eyes at his persistent commitment to annoying me.
He seemed to enjoy it.
I couldn’t understand why he was staring at me with that peculiar, wide-eyed expression—a look that bordered on the "peasant" aesthetic I had accused him of earlier.
It was illogical, especially since I was being affected by it.
My heart rate had kicked up to 108 bpm, I presumed, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.
I cleared my throat and quickly shifted my focus back to the red car on the monitor, watching Alaric De Viller.
A few minutes earlier, when he and Rhys had excused themselves, Kayden had immediately turned to me, his expression shifting from fanboy glee to something uncomfortably perceptive.
"You’re doing it again," Kayden said, leaning toward me.
"I am observing a high-stakes professional race, Kayden. I am ’doing’ exactly what we paid several thousand euros to do."
"No. You’re giving Miller the cold shoulder. The extreme cold shoulder," Kayden countered.
He raised an eyebrow, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips.
"I heard your talk the other night. You know, when you video-called me and Miller’s voice was very present in the background? I know what I heard about him kissing you, so don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean."
I felt a rare heat crawl up the back of my neck. "The audio environment of that call was compromised. Any inferences you drew are statistically insignificant."
"Leo, shut up with the stats," Kayden groaned. "I know what I heard."
I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Fine, you got me. But seriously... what about you and Rhys? Who would have thought he would ask you to be his boyfriend? The captain and the rookie? That’s a cliché opening to a book I would never read."
"You must know a lot about books you don’t read," Kayden said, chuckling. "Well, I’m not going to hide it from you. I love Rhys, and he loves me too."
"Aww," I dramatically placed a hand on my chest. "Beautiful romance."
"He’s actually really sweet when we’re alone," Kayden whispered, grinning like a fool. "What about Miller?"
"Miller is surprisingly soft for a man who spends his life colliding with other men at high speeds," I admitted, then frowned when I realized what I had just said, but it did not go unnoticed by Kayden.
Kayden’s expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Leo, be honest with me," he asked, moving back to the original topic. "Do you actually like Miller? Or are you just keeping him around for medical research? You know, the whole doctor-patient thing? Because I know what I heard about him kissing you."
I looked at the screen, then at the empty seat where Miller had been sitting—the seat that still smelled faintly of his heavy cedarwood scent.
I adjusted my glasses.
"I find his company... neurologically stimulating," I admitted.
"Leo," Kayden groaned. "Human words. Please."
I couldn’t help it.
A small, genuine chuckle escaped me—a sound so rare it would never have come from me on ordinary days.
"Yes, Kayden. I like him. Quite a lot, actually," I confessed, the words feeling heavy and foreign. "But do not tell Rhys. He lacks the emotional maturity to handle the disruption of the team’s internal social structure and would undoubtedly tell Miller. It is a secret, so let it be between us."
I had barely finished when Rhys and Miller walked in.
Did they hear what I had just said? I wondered, but they did not look like they had heard, because Miller still wore the same frown he had when he left with Rhys.
I immediately pretended he was not there and focused on the race, which went by in a blur of high-speed frustration.
When they reached the final lap, the tension grew within me. Alaric was holding the lead, but Nico caught up to him.
"YES! GO NICO!" Kayden shrieked, jumping up and clapping his hands excitedly as the navy blue car crossed the line first, followed by Alaric.
Nico had won.
"He did it!" Kayden screamed and hugged Rhys, and even Miller was clapping, looking at me with a triumphant glint in his eyes as if he were glad that Alaric had lost.
I frowned at him and just sat there, my heart sinking as I watched the screen. Alaric’s Ferrari slowed down, pulling into the runner-up spot, and I felt sorry for him.
"Hey," Miller said, his voice softer than I had ever heard it. He leaned closer to me and nudged my arm. "Cheer up, Doc. Your cousin just took the podium. You should be happy for him."
I let out a long, heavy sigh that bordered on a groan, leaning my head back against the headrest. "Nico’s success is expected. He is a Park, after all, and even though we are distant cousins, we are built for efficiency."
"Then why do you look like someone just stole your favorite medical tools?" Miller asked.
"Because Alaric..." I gestured vaguely at the screen. "He used to be the king of the grid. He was the standard. Watching him lose... it’s a disruption of the natural order."
I felt Miller’s hand rest on my forearm, squeezing it gently.
"I wish he could come back as himself," I whispered as I turned back to the screen, watching as Alaric removed his helmet and ran a hand through his hair. "The accident ruined his career, and I hope..."
"He is a good racer," Miller said. "Even though this sport has a boring name, it was exciting to watch, and he doesn’t look like someone who had an accident. I’m sure he’ll make a comeback."
I stared at him as he spoke, raising my brows in confusion. "A moment ago you hated him, and now you suddenly care about him?"
Miller shrugged. "I always say the truth."
"I see," I muttered, though seeing was the last thing I was doing.
Just then, my phone beeped in my bag, and I brought it out to check the notification on the screen.
"Guys, we have a party to attend tonight. Nico just invited us to his Victory Gala," I announced, scrolling through the digital invite. "And apparently, it’s a masquerade. The theme is ’Gods and Monsters.’"