The car broke through the guardrail, flipped several times and landed with a sickening crash. Pain seared through my body as everything went black.
When I briefly regained consciousness, all I could hear were cheers and laughter. Through blurry vision, I saw Paula surrounded by the team, celebrating as though she were some kind of hero.
In the center of it all, Jason wrapped her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Paula, I knew you’d win!”
It hit me like a dagger. Jason—my navigator—had lied. He had gambled with my life to let Paula win.
The last thing I saw before slipping back into darkness was his smiling face.
***
When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The sterile smell stung my nose and my head throbbed. Beside me, Jason sat slouched in a chair, his face lighting up when he noticed I was awake.
“Hailey!” he exclaimed, almost in relief. “I didn’t think… I didn’t think the car would actually go off the track. I just wanted Paula to win. That’s all.”
His voice was soft, guilt-ridden.
Then, as if it would make up for everything, he reached out and touched my face tenderly. “Why didn’t you tell me you went abroad for surgery?”