Chapter 645
Christina glanced at him, amused by how pleased he looked. Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she said, “Well, no time like the present. Once they finish, let’s have our match.”
“Wait—me?” Ralphy’s grin vanished on the spot, his face contorting with comic dread.
His reaction sent the group into laughter.
“Didn’t you say you wanted a friendly race with me?” Christina asked, raising a brow, clearly enjoying his panic.
“I did say that, but can’t we wait till I’ve practiced more?” he said, looking utterly miserable. Not long before, Dylan had told him that Christina was actually Skybreaker. He admired Skybreaker and wanted to race against Skybreaker, but he wasn’t ready yet. Racing Christina now without prep was basically asking for humiliation. Even if he trained for months, he’d still lose—but at least not as embarrassingly.
“There’s no better time than now,” Christina insisted lightly. “We might not get another chance when we’re both free.”
Ralphy looked like he wanted to bolt, but in the end, he muttered, “Alright then.”
Everyone turned their focus back to the race. Soon, the race took a turn. Just moments ago, the two cars had been side by side. Now, one was pulling ahead fast.
“He—he overtook!” Chloe squealed, practically jumping out of her seat.
Eloise’s heart leapt. Her pulse raced. It was thrilling—but then her excitement faltered. The one being overtaken was her brother. She bit her lip, eyes locked on the track. Dylan’s maneuver was smooth—flawless even—but her heart still rooted for Elliott.
As the distance between the two cars lengthened, Eloise knew her brother didn’t stand a chance. She wanted to shout for him, scream his name—but she was afraid it might upset Chloe.
Just then, Christina reached over and gently squeezed her hand, smiling. “If you want to cheer for Elliott,” she said, “then shout it out.”
“But…”
“No buts,” Christina said. “If someone in my family were racing, I’d be out there with a megaphone.”
Eloise stared at her for a beat and then smiled widely, heart swelling with gratitude. “Okay!” She nodded hard and then took a deep breath. “Go, Elliott! Go!” she shouted, beaming. “You can do it!”
“I’ll cheer for Elliott too!” Chloe chimed in brightly, joining Eloise in cheering for him. Her lively voice rang out, “Elliott! You’ve got this!”
“You can do it, Elliott!” Davina called, joining in as well.
Ralphy gave a lopsided grin. “With everyone rooting for him, I’d look bad just sitting out.” A flicker of envy rose in him when he saw how much energy Davina put into her cheer, but he didn’t hold back. “You can do it, Elliott!”
Laughter and shouts filled the air, each voice adding more joy to the moment. Everyone’s spirits soared as smiles and excitement spread through the group.
Relief washed over Eloise as she watched, grateful to be surrounded by such easygoing company. She turned to Christina with a soft smile, her gaze full of thanks and genuine admiration. The warmth in Christina’s smile was like sunlight—always able to lift a room’s mood and brighten even the worst days.