ENZO

11 - Racing

He tossed the car keys at me. The keys to one of only six Lykan HyperSport cars in the world.  I stared wide eyed looking down at the keys in my hands. I've always wanted to drive this car,  but I couldn't ever get my hands on one. The car was a beauty. I didn't care if I was giggling like a girl staring at it. I ran my hand over it's sleek body, over its diamond encrusted headlights. Fuck.

"Why Ace? Why can't I? Why are you doing this to me? Don't you love me?" Alessia whined. Ace only looked at her amused. "Because my love, you'll crash it. She won't." He shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled at me. I was still admiring the beautiful wheels.

"Who wants to sit with me?" I asked as I opened the door to the car. I was beyond excited to drive it. Just to feel the purr of its engine. I skirted my fingers along the leather interior of the car. "How fast does it run?" I asked, not expecting an answer. But Ace came up beside me, explaining all about the car. He seemed to have enough information, it's as if he's swallowed an instruction manual. Without even knowing it we had both entered the car and drove off.

"You just fucking left me." Alessia stared at Ace who was looking at her with both hands in his pockets. We were at the racetrack now and fuck, we did leave her behind. Shit. "I was getting to know our daughter in law better. Come on I'll make it up to you." Ace smiled, walking over to her. He already thinks of me as his daughter in law. Oh fuck. I stood speechless. Ace kissed Alessia and made her chuckle somehow.

"I'm sorry Alessia. Just got too excited." I smiled apologising to her. She shook her head. "No it's fine. Go on Ace. You go ahead." She smiled looking around the very noisy racetrack. The track was wild and big, with tight corners. People were around, especially a lot of women in bikinis and shorts. It was a warm day. The men eagerly stood by their cars, showing it off to anyone who showed a glimmer of interest. A lot of people came to see Ace's car. Women began to pour all around him but he never showed them a single ounce of attention.

He drove the car down to the track and sat it at the starting line. Alessia and I found a table and chairs to sit at. We were served drinks and fuck it, I already lost the drinking bet. I sipped on a fruity mix while watching a girl step onto the track. She wore short shorts and a bikini top, her mouth chewing gum. Ace revved the engine of his car. He was facing another man, a grey car lined with blue stripes. When the girl set the flag down, a bullet rang out and the cars sped off.

"I know you liked painting. You don't anymore?" Alessia asked. I sighed, looking down. "I did. I just don't paint anymore. I don't know. Before it just felt normal. It made me feel normal. Like I had somewhere to escape too. When everything went down with my parents, my mom leaving, my dad being thrown out. My paintings became darker and Admir needed my help. So I stopped. I guess I never tried again." I sipped my drink.

"Why not?" She asked, looking at me while stirring the black straw in her drink around. "Because I'm afraid if I do, the paintings would show me things I don't want to see. Monsters I want to keep buried." I gulped. Painting was a way for me to express myself. But now I was scared that I might paint my demons. My father, my mother. What I felt. Loneliness and despair. It would be like I was painting my weaknesses.

"Oh. I understand. You know with my father, I could never smile or laugh when he was around. But then when I met Ace, I realised I could because I was so much stronger than my father. You should never let your past define your future." She smiled softly. She understood. She was perhaps the one person who understood me the most.

I hummed, a smile on my face. "You're right. I shouldn't give up on it. I think I just need to find some inspiration. But what if I try and I can't do anything." I looked down at the track, seeing Ace ahead. He took each bend with ease. "You tried that's the main thing. Mariano hangs up paintings of lines and paint strokes. Why don't you try that first. You know what would be funny? If you sold it to him pretending it's worth millions. The bitch would actually fall for it." She laughed throwing her head back.