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Today, Joshua would be re-joining the team after being away for twelve weeks. As much as Kate liked Luca, she was glad to have Joshua back.
The way Joshua left had been a mess. He’d been distressed before the Italian Grand Prix and refused to tell anyone what the issue was. Then he delivered a performance of a lifetime, earning P2 and giving APX their first podium finish. But before the team could even celebrate it, he had a mental break. Rico and Sonny had to pry Joshua from under a shelf he curled up under and drag him to his room, where they forcibly shoved his anxiety medication down his throat, trying to make him presentable for the podium the FIA made him stand on. Joshua made it through two questions of the post-podium press conference before passing out face-first into the table. An irate Graham Henshaw carried Joshua back to the APX paddock, where he promptly got into a heated shouting match with Ruben that ended with Ruben sporting a black eye and Graham being dragged away by security. After that, Joshua went on medical leave and missed the next three races.
Truth be told, Kate didn’t think Joshua would come back. He was initially supposed to be back after the summer shutdown. However, as per Bernadette, he “wasn’t ready”. Kate could attest to that; the few times she’d seen Joshua since Monza, he’d seemed hollow. Zandvoort was then moved to Suzuka, which was pushed to Mexico City, which became Spa. And if he didn’t show up for Spa, what was the point?
Kate feared that whatever had shut Joshua down at Monza—and kept him shut down until now—would shut him out of next season, too. While she wanted to be optimistic, Kate didn’t think APX was making it to 2024. Sonny was a great driver and did a lot to make APX a midfield team. But he hadn’t won, hadn’t even gotten close to it. Luca hadn’t made the points. Joshua’s flameout had been their only podium. And Joshua hadn’t been around to prove to other teams that Hungary and Monza weren’t one-offs. If anything, with each race that Luca subbed in for him, he looked a bit more unreliable, especially since he dodged answering why he was gone.
It was unfair.
Kate remembered first meeting Joshua during the off-season. He made a good impression. A sweet and kind kid, yet extremely cocky. Exactly what Kate imagined a rookie to be. It was that cockiness that stayed with Kate as she went home. Why did this kid join a dead-end team? Going into their third season, APX hadn’t produced a win; they hadn’t even made it to the points. Kate was going to ride it out—the team was as much her baby as it was Ruben’s—and she knew what she was getting into when Ruben approached her. But joining a failing team in what was likely its last year? That was suicide. But Joshua seemed arrogant enough to think he’d be APX's savior. Because why else would he risk his career, potentially spending his only season driving for them? Kate rationalized as follows: What options did Josua have? Have a Formula One seat, albeit with a failing team, or serve as the reserve for Mercedes or Williams and potentially never drive? Most rookies would be bullheaded enough to think they’d make a difference.
He didn’t know APX was on its last leg; that was why.
And that tracked. Joshua was cocky and arrogant; Kate wouldn’t take that from him. But he also got depressed when he didn’t do well, tried hard to cover for any presumed deficiencies he had, lied when he thought it would endear him to people, and was always eager to please, sometimes to the point of discomfort. He had the personality of someone who’d do well at Mercedes or Williams but wouldn’t handle the pressure a truly failing team would bring. And after Graham left, he went downhill. He struggled to test the upgrades alone, and then didn’t take to Sonny the way he had to the rest of the team. A DNF at Silverstone led him to try to fight Sonny, and even after scoring a point in Hungary, Joshua was mildly happy. And then there was Monza.
It was unfair. But hopefully, they could make the most of the rest of the season.
Joshua was welcomed back with a lot of ballyhoo. Maybe back in June, Joshua would have been ecstatic to be regarded so warmly. Now, he quietly took his seat, ignoring the noise around him, staring at the table in front of him until it petered off. He didn’t speak during the debriefing, even when prompted.
“He’ll be better during the free practices,” Rico said. He sounded like he didn’t believe what he’d just said.
“Hopefully,” Kate sighed.
Despite Kate’s worries, Joshua drove fantastically during the Free Practice sessions, including getting P1 during FP3. The team was impressed, though Rico was miffed by the lack of input from Joshua. Still, the car was looking good going into the weekend. Kate even had the hope that Joshua would qualify well for the Sprint.
He qualified P1.
“That long break has done wonders for you!” Sonny told him, slapping Joshua on the back. Kate watched their interaction. Before Monza, Joshua would have shoved Sonny off him, made a joke about how old Sonny was and how he couldn’t match his level, and playfully bitched to Kate that Sonny was bullying him. Instead, Joshua silently nodded and slipped out of Sonny’s grip. He went to his driver’s room, where he stayed unless someone needed him.
Sonny tried joking with Joshua on Saturday morning, too, and got nothing for it. No anger, no derision, no banter, not even a comment. Joshua stared at him, looking like he had something to say, but physically couldn’t. Kate pulled Sonny aside before the Sprint. “I, uh, I figured if I goaded him a bit, he’d…”
“I get it, I really do,” Kate told him. She’d been trying since Thursday night to get something out of Joshua. “Let’s leave him be for now. No point in distracting him before the Sprint.”
Joshua won. The paddock was momentarily stunned into silence before erupting into cheers. When Joshua entered, everyone was on him, congratulating him, high-fiving him, hugging him. It was APX’s best result ever. Joshua eventually found his way to Ruben. Ruben looked elated—maybe because Joshua won, or maybe because Joshua approached him at all; it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Joshua was avoiding Ruben—and leaned into him. Joshua put space between them, and while the smile didn’t leave Ruben’s face, it got more strained. Kate moved closer to the pair.
“What can I do for you, mi campeon?” Ruben asked him.
“Is this good enough?”
“Is ‘what’ good enough?”
“We need a win,” Joshua said in a small voice. “Is this good enough?”
Ruben’s smile completely disappeared. Even Kate let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. They stared at each other. Kate wondered if Ruben felt as helpless as she did. Kate reached out and squeezed Joshua’s shoulder.
“Oh, no,” Ruben started. “It needs to be a Grand Prix win. But you did amazingly regardless and—.”
Joshua was already slinking away.
Kate worried that the brief conversation would throw Joshua off his game. But it didn't matter. Joshua came away from quali as the pole sitter.
“Oh my God,” Kate whispered, heart hammering in her chest. It was a sentiment shared by everyone in the paddock. Could Joshua actually win tomorrow?
After his media duties and a debriefing, Joshua was whisked back to the hotel by Cash, claiming he needed all the rest he could get before the race. No one protested that. In fact, people slowly filtered out after them, all wanting to be in top condition. Kate tried retiring early, but couldn’t. She tossed and turned in bed, stared at her phone until her eyes dried, and even looked over Joshua’s onboard. By the time midnight rolled around, her eyes had grown heavy and kept rapidly closing. She put her laptop away and tucked into bed.
Strange yet familiar dreams accompanied her sleep. Ever since Monza, Kate had been plagued with nightmares about Joshua. Her unconscious mind supplied her with rather creative ways of watching him die. She’d had a few where his car caught fire. She’d watch as he burned alive, unable to help, while ambulances never came for him. There was one where his hand was caught underneath the halo—how that happened, she didn’t know. Occasionally, she had one about the motorhome collapsing, killing her and Sonny. They were all fragmented little snippets, fucked up alternate realities showing the absolute nadir of what could have happened had Joshua not held it together until the finish line.
There was one dream that Kate always saw clearly. Joshua asked her what she’d do if APX didn’t survive. She said she’d look for a technical director job elsewhere. And when she asked him what he’d do, he’d say, “Nothing.”
It was just a nightmare. Still, it worried her.
So when Joshua looked tired the next day, despite leaving before everyone else, Kate couldn’t help but worry about him. Was that exhaustion from a poor night’s sleep, or was it something else?
“Good luck today, Joshua,” she told him, pulling him in for a side hug. “Break a leg.”
“Yeah,” he said distantly. “I’ve got this.”
Joshua finished second.
Everyone was thrilled with the result. It wasn’t first, but it was still a podium. It was their second in three seasons, second this season, and second delivered by their rookie. There were teams on the grid that hadn’t had podiums in years, if ever. He’d delivered hope, too—two podiums and a Sprint win. Maybe Joshua didn’t win today. But his growth showed that he could win it in Vegas or Abu Dhabi. It wasn’t over yet. And even if he didn’t win one of the last two races, at least other teams would be interested in him…
Kate wasn’t sure what she expected from Joshua once he made it to the paddock, but it wasn’t the shattered, haunted look he bore when he pulled his helmet off. It was enough to suck the oxygen out of the room.
“Hi, Joshua,” Rico said sweetly, pulling him in for a hug. “Are you ready for the ceremony?”
Joshua’s eyes were misty. “Sure. Let’s get it over with.”
Joshua looked downright miserable on the podium. He made it through media without much issue, downtrodden countenance notwithstanding, to the relief of Verstappen and Hamilton, both of whom shared the podium with him again. Hamilton kept an arm draped over the back of Joshua’s chair, occasionally rubbing circles in his back. Verstappen watched him, put out by his behavior, but kept close in case he passed out again. And speaking of keeping close, Graham stood off to the side, ready to swoop in and save Joshua again if need be.
Once Joshua’s media obligations were finished, Kate went to find him. He’d made his way back to the paddock, Bernadette and Cash in tow, but before she could approach him, Ruben stepped forward. “Joshua, let’s chat.”
Joshua pulled the drawstrings on his hoodie tighter, further restricting his face from view. “Okay.”
Kate joined Rico instead. “Today was…”
“A great day,” Rico finished. “Joshua podiumed, and Sonny got P4. These are our best finishes. We’ve been in the points ever since the upgrades. You should be proud, Kate.”
“It was a great day,” Kate mused. “We came away without being summoned by the stewards.”
“So why do you seem so defeated?”
Kate snorted. “I'm not the one who’s defeated,” she muttered. “You’d think Joshua would be happy with his podium, but…”
Rico sighed. “Yeah. Well, there’s a reason for everything,” he said, not elaborating. “Where’s he, anyway? We need to debrief.”
“Speaking with Ruben.”
Rico cursed under his breath. “He doesn’t know when to quit.” He stalked off and came back five minutes later with the group, none of them looking particularly happy. “We can debrief another time,” Rico told Joshua, massaging his shoulder. “I’m sure you’re hungry; why don’t we have dinner? We can go somewhere nice. Ruben’s treat.”
Ruben let out a garbled sound. “Yes, of course! That was always the plan.”
Kate rode back to the hotel with the Pearces and Rico. Joshua sat quietly the entire drive, unengaged in any conversation, tapping at his face. At one point, Bernadette took his hand into hers in a bid to stop him. Joshua simply shifted in his seat, resting his head on his mum’s shoulder, and tapped his face with the other hand instead. By the time they all piled out of the van, Bernadette was leading Joshua into the hotel by both hands.
“Let’s meet back here in thirty for dinner,” Ruben told the team. “We need to celebrate Joshua’s podium! Hell, we still need to celebrate the last one!”
“I’ll pass,” Joshua said quickly before walking away.
“Oh…okay,” Ruben said. “Well! Our results today were a team effort! And Sonny here also got his best result, too!”
Kate intended to go to the team dinner. Ruben was right; today’s success was a team effort, and Sonny had done well. That was cause for celebration. And Liege was a beautiful town, maybe one of Kate’s favorites to visit. It’d be a shame not to see it at night. So when she exited her room, it was to go to the lobby and meet the rest of the team. However, her door was four down from Joshua’s, and Bernadette and Cash were busy trying to coax him from the room.
“Is everything alright?” Kate asked, approaching them.
“I’m trying to get him out to dinner,” Bernadette grumbled. “He hasn’t eaten all day and is foolish if he thinks I’ll let that lie.” She began banging on the door. “Open the door, Joshua!”
“Oh my God,” came Joshua’s voice, muffled by the door. “You are so fucking annoying! Go away!”
Kate’s eyebrows skyrocketed into her hair. “Oh, wow!”
“Auntie, the key,” Cash whispered. She produced one and handed it over to Cash, who let himself into the room. The door shut behind him, and Kate could hear the sound of struggle coming from the room. A lot of ‘how’d you get in here?’s and ‘you’re invading my privacy’s and ‘leave me the hell alone, or I’ll fire you’s. Kate raised a brow at Bernadette, who shrugged.
“I’m sorry you’re seeing this,” she said to Kate. “You should hurry to meet the others; I don’t believe we’ll be joining you.”
Kate sent a quick text to Ruben that she couldn’t join them either. “Don’t worry about it. I’d rather join you lot.”
There was a bang, followed by a yelp and then a ‘you’re embarrassing yourself in front of that nice white lady’ before the struggling ceased. Soon, Joshua emerged from the room looking mortified. His eyes were red. “Kate! Why are you here?”
She ushered them down the hallway. “We’re getting dinner, aren’t we?” Joshua had changed into pajamas, still wearing them under a hoodie and hotel-branded slippers. They weren’t leaving the premises, but that didn't matter.
“I’m sorry you had to hear that!” Joshua grumbled, glaring at Cash, who just shrugged.
“Don’t apologize to me! Apologize to your poor mum; I cannot believe you’d talk to her like that. Honestly, Joshua! I thought you had better manners than that!”
If he were mortified before, Joshua looked downright ashamed at being called out. “Sorry,” he mumbled, not meeting Bernadette’s eyes.
“It’s alright. Just don’t make a habit out of it, you hear?”
They settled at the hotel restaurant. While there were people around—including other drivers—it wasn’t terribly crowded, so no one worried about inflicting a crowd onto Joshua.
But then, perhaps, they should have worried about the opposite.
“I’m not hungry!” Joshua said, loud and petulant. “Let me go back to my room!”
“Joshua, shut up and order,” Cash commanded.
“I won’t be forced to eat like a pig against my wishes,” he snarled. “You’re making me out to be a criminal just for wanting to sleep!”
“So risotto it is?” Cash said, ignoring his cousin’s meltdown.
Joshua pouted. “I hate risotto.”
“Isn’t that funny? Maybe you’d eat something you want if you chose it yourself!”
Joshua looked to Kate for help. She pretended to look elsewhere.
Joshua slid down in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m being deprived of my freedom.”
“You don’t have freedom,” Bernadette told him. “You have the short leash I allow you, and you’re aching to make it shorter. Stop embarrassing yourself and act like an adult.”
Joshua pulled up his hood and tightened the drawstrings. He started tapping the one bare area of his forehead. Bernadette looked defeated.
“I’ve got this,” Kate whispered to her. She looked over to a table about five over from and stuck her hand out, trying to get their attention. “Oh, Nico! Hello—!”
“Okay, fine!” Joshua stuttered out. “I’ll take whatever pasta. Jesus!”
Satisfied, Kate flagged down a waiter and placed their order. She and Bernadette chatted idly while waiting until Joshua got up from the table. “I’m going to the toilet,” he told them before strolling away. Cash promptly got up and followed after him. Once both were out of sight, Bernadette let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry about him,” she said. “He’s been a pain in the arse all weekend…sometimes I wonder what’s going on in that head of his.”
“I thought Joshua’s been good, all things considered. Got a bit weird there at the end, I’ll admit, but I can’t imagine how disappointed he feels.”
“Sure,” Bernadette sighed. “I suppose so. But…it’d be easier to avoid all this if I knew what was going on with him. It’s been months now, and I still don’t know what spooked him so bad at the Italian Grand Prix.”
Yeah, that was the question everyone wanted to know. Kate hadn’t gotten it out of Joshua either. Neither had Rico. Or Graham. Or the team psychologist. Ruben had tried too, but at some point, his attempts were more of a detriment than a help, so Bernadette politely asked him to stop.
“I wish I knew,” Bernadette continued, drawing Kate out of her thoughts. “It’d put my mind at ease. I’ve been so worried sick about that boy that it’s bleeding into my sleep. I’ve been having the strangest dreams about Monza.”
Kate perked up at that. “Me too. All about Joshua.”
Bernadette looked a bit pensive. “What about, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Kate paused. How appropriate was it to tell a mother that she dreamed of her son dying violent deaths? “Well. I’ve been having one where the paddock collapsed.”
“I’ve had that one too,” Bernadette interjected. “It’s weird. You were there, and a tile hit you on the head. Sonny carried you off, and that was the last I saw of you.”
What a strange coincidence. “...that happened in my dream, too.”
“But mostly, the dreams have been about Joshua…dying,” Bernadette whispered. “I guess my mind’s been rationalizing how lucky he was to hold on until after the race was over. One small mistake would have cost him his life.”
“Same. Same. I’ve, uh, had similar dreams. Like his car catching fire, or him and a marshal getting hit by Lance Stroll or—.”
Bernadette snorted. “It’s terrible that I’ve had those exact dreams. Especially the Stroll one. It seems like we’re the same.”
Kate debated telling Bernadette about her worst nightmare: Joshua’s lack of future sight. Most of these dreams were utterly ridiculous. But Joshua’s answer felt real. It was too hard to vocalize that, to force her concern onto Bernadette. So, instead, she said, “Hopefully today will give us new dream fodder.”
“I truly hope so.”
The food arrived before Joshua had. She and Bernadette didn’t bother waiting. By the time Joshua wandered back, his pasta had gone cold. Cash gave him the stink eye as he picked over his cold chicken, taking long chews of the meat that had gone tough. If the cold pasta bothered Joshua, he didn’t say, as he tore through it.
“I thought you weren’t hungry,” Cash said around bits of food.
“Shut up and chew with your mouth shut, you donkey.”
By the time Joshua finished eating, Bernadette and Kate had gotten through a bottle of wine together and were in a chatty mood. No longer starved, Joshua perked up and finally joined the table in conversation.
“It’s wrong of me to say this,” Bernadette prefaced, looking around the room conspiratorily. “But Sonny is one fine man.”
“Auntie!” Cash said, scandalized. “He is not! He’s old! Old!”
“I agree,” Kate admitted, chuckling into her glass.
“With me, right?” Cash asked sorrowfully.
“With Bernadette.”
“No!”
Joshua looked thoughtful. “You all find him sexy?”
“I don’t! I want no part of this!”
“Why?” Joshua asked, ignoring Cash.
It was Kate’s turn to think. “He’s got a good, laidback personality. He’s been a tremendous help to the team and is always looking for ways to improve.”
“He has a pretty face,” Bernadette added. “Real beautiful. Good body for a man his age, too.”
Kate snorted. “Yeah. There’s that too.”
“Hm,” Joshua replied. “Interesting.”
“I refuse to believe any of you think Sonny’s fit,” Cash moaned. “Come on, he looks like Chuck Norris! Who thinks that’s sexy?”
“Who even is that?” Joshua asked. “You keep saying that, but what the hell does that mean?”
“How dare you not know ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’” Cash said, eyes narrowed. “It was a police procedural from the nineties. Except Walker was also a martial arts cowboy, too.”
“Ew, you suck, man,” Joshua said exaggeratedly, scrunching up his nose. “That sounds so cringe. And imagine watching cop shows in 2023, especially ancient ones. Besides, Sonny’s more the type to run from the cops than be one.”
“I liked you more when you weren’t talking,” Cash deadpanned, causing Kate to laugh.
“You wouldn’t be hearing me if you let me sleep,” Joshua reminded him.
“Then let me get the check so you can hush,” Cash muttered.
Once the bill was settled, Cash headed out for the night while Bernadette went to her room. Joshua moved to follow his mum, but Kate caught him by the arm. “Joshua, can we speak for a bit?”
He nodded and followed her to a lounge on the fourth floor. They found an empty corner, overlooking the river. The sofas had tall backs that obscured them from the rest of the room, leaving them with nothing but themselves and a stunning view of nature. Joshua burrowed into one and pulled a cushion to his chest. He patted the space next to him, so Kate sat beside him. “Are you feeling better now?” she asked him. Joshua answered by resting his head on Kate’s shoulder. He tried snaking an arm behind her back; she grabbed his hand when it came out the other side. “If you want me to indulge you, you need to start talking.”
Joshua let out a whine. “Yes, I feel better.”
Satisfied, Kate pulled Joshua closer by the shoulders and hugged him. He melted into her. “I figured that would be the case. Something about men and their hunger. You should have seen Luca in Mexico. Totally non-verbal until he ate! Why do you all bother coming to the track before you’ve eaten? Even something small would suffice; he perked up after only a granola bar.”
“I didn’t think I could keep anything down,” he mumbled. “Still not sure I will.”
“Joshua, that’s disgusting. Do not throw up on me.”
He responded by squeezing her.
Kate sighed. “I think it’s time we address the elephant in the room?”
“We don’t have to, you just want to.”
Kate pretended to pull away from him, making Joshua latch onto her even tighter.
“I lost,” he finally let out.
“You did not. You came second. That’s an outstanding result.”
“Second place is just the first place loser,” he said, frowning up at her.
“Don’t say stupid shit like that. So many drivers would kill to finish P2.”
“I’d hope if they’re willing to kill, they’d aim higher than that.”
Kate snorted. “Okay, Joshua Pearce is only willing to kill for P1, got it.”
“Not even that. It’d have to be a guaranteed WDC or something.”
“Just the Drivers’ Championship?”
“No, the Constructors’,” Joshua corrected. “That way we can all share it. But it’d have to be soon; I’d rather share with Sonny than Luca.”
Kate laughed despite herself. “Back to the point, Josh. You did incredibly well today. It pains me to see you beating yourself up like this.”
Joshua tried retreating into his hoodie again, but Kate pulled it down before he could fully close himself off in it. Then, he tried simply turning away from her. She retracted her arm from his shoulder, causing him to face her fully. It was usually adorable how much cuddling Joshua liked to do with anyone who’d let him, and on a normal day, Kate would be willing to comfort him without explanation. Today wasn’t normal, however.
“Speak.”
Joshua let out a quiet sigh. “I came so close to saving the team. And I choked at the last second. I failed.”
Kate figured it’d be something like this. “You haven’t failed anyone.”
“I did. I held the lead for forty-one laps and then blew it. Second place is functionally the same as last place; the team’s still on the chopping block. Even if you lie and say you’re not disappointed, I’m disappointed in myself. I really thought I had this…”
Kate pulled Joshua closer, hugging him tightly. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck, and occasionally a tear would wet her skin. “I’m not disappointed, Joshua, and I’m not lying about it. I just want you to relax. You’re shouldering a lot of responsibility that isn’t yours alone.”
“I mean, whose else is it?” Joshua questioned. “Sonny’s? Sure. It’s his team, too, but it’s also not.”
“Sonny’s a part of the team whether you like it or not,” she said sardonically.
“I don’t have any problems with him! But. Like. When we lose, he’ll get to walk away and go back to doing his Sonny thing. We’re the ones who’ll suffer from the fallout.”
Yeah. Kate supposed that was true. “I think you’re internalizing our situation too much, Joshua. It sucks, sure, but it’s not one you created. Please don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“I came so close…”
“Yeah, you did. And we’re proud of you. Try to be proud of yourself.”
Kate nudged the conversation in a different direction. After finding out Joshua hadn’t kept up with the season, she found herself describing Sonny’s races to him. “He managed brilliant overtakes in Lap 70, passing Bottas, Russell, and Norris. He’s quite skilled. You know, I genuinely thought Ruben was crazy bringing him in. But it’s working out.”
Joshua giggled. “Doesn’t hurt that you think he’s fit, huh?”
She pinched him. “Oh, hush. Don’t throw that back at me.”
“Oh, I’m gonna blackmail you this,” Joshua said gravely. “I want preferential treatment now. I’m first seat in Vegas.” While Joshua was the first seat driver, Sonny had taken up the position while he was away, and APX didn’t operate with a strict hierarchy. Whoever crossed the line first did just that, and at this point in the season, it was better for them to collaborate rather than fight. Still, if Joshua wanted to be petty, then so could she.
“I should make you fight for it,” Kate said. “We should go to a casino and make you do craps over the first seat.”
“I don’t even know what that is, but it sounds like favoritism toward Sonny.”
“What’s ‘favoritism toward Sonny?” the man himself asked, leaning over the top of the sofa. Joshua peered up, took one look at Sonny’s face, colored pink by alcohol and a nighttime breeze, and burst into laughter. Kate pinched him again, trying to shut him up, but Joshua started to wheeze. Despite herself, Kate started to laugh, too.
“Uh-huh,” Sonny said, vaguely amused. “I see you’re in a good mood, JP.”
Joshua choked on whatever he was going to say. “He’s in a fantastic mood,” Kate answered. “Very happy. Laughing at nothing. Nothing at all suspicious here.”
Sonny grinned at that, curious. “Is that so?”
“Hi, Sonny,” Joshua finally got out. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Heya, JP. Not that long? Heard there was a coffee bar in here and got distracted by your loud voices. Glad you’re feeling better.”
“Yeah, I’m feeling better.”
“That’s good,” Sonny commented. He reached over and placed a hand on Joshua’s shoulder, squeezing it. “Great work out there today. I didn’t get the chance to tell you that. You’re killing it, JP.”
“Thanks, man. You weren’t too bad yourself. Actually, Katie was telling me about your performance in the last three races. Waxing poetic and all that.”
“Never call me that again, Josh,” Kate admonished.
“Sorry, Katherine.”
“You both are close,” Sonny commented breezily. “Wouldn’t have guessed.”
“Ah, yeah. I love Kate,” Joshua told him. He made a show of pulling her closer and nuzzling his face in her neck.
“Cute. Don’t let me interrupt you.”
“No!” Joshua all but shouted, standing up. “Actually, I’m quite tired. Why don’t you stay with Kate? Make sure she gets back to her room okay? Or just chat? She’s good at giving hugs.”
Kate shot Joshua a look; what the hell was he up to? “Do not hug me, Sonny. I’ll chew your arm off.”
Sonny replaced Joshua next to Kate. He made an awkward attempt to drape his arm over the too-tall back before dropping it into his lap, mindful of not touching her. “Aw, but JP said you gave great hugs! I feel like I’m missing out.”
Joshua was slowly inching his way to the door. “She does! I’ll leave you two to it, then.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t finished with you, Josh,” she called after him. “Get back here.”
Joshua stopped in front of them and crouched down, hands resting on his knees as he looked at them. Kate didn’t want to privy Sonny to something that wasn’t his business, so she said, “You know you can always come to me if you need anything, right?”
Joshua nodded solemnly. “Of course.”
“I mean it, Joshua. Anything. Don’t just say what you think I want to hear.”
He blinked owlishly before nodding again. “Okay. I promise.” He held out his pinkie finger. She linked hers with his.
“Alright. I’ll see you in the morning, Joshua. Get some rest; you earned it.”
He sped out of the room, as if Kate had been holding him hostage, and finally freed him. “JP sure is something,” Sonny said, watching him go.
“Yeah, he is,” Kate said distantly, combing over this conversation in her head. Had she been clear enough? Said enough? Consoled him enough? She wouldn’t know until the next race, she supposed. Perhaps she could do some team bonding before the race, if only to temper Joshua’s expectations. That, and she did want to see just how good at cards Sonny was…
Speaking of Sonny. “You’re lingering, I see. Really curious about that hug?”
“I figured I’d try.”
Kate smiled. “We’ll see what the night gets you.”
She’d check in with Joshua again in the morning.