Cassie's POV.
I could still hear the echoes of the crowd cheering as I walked past Daelan without a word. I knew he had tried to congratulate me, I felt it in the way he moved toward me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, not right now. My heart was pounding, not from the race anymore, but from the sheer emotional mess churning inside me. I turned instead toward Derek, the guy who had challenged me before the race.
He smirked as I approached, leaning on his bike. "You didn't win entirely, but damn, you're fast," he said, brushing a thumb along his jawline. "Still on for that date, or are you backing out now that you've got the spotlight?"
I suddenly caught a glimpse of Nathan in the distance, his eyes lingering on me. My chest tightened. I turned back to Derek and offered a s
