- Zade Collins :
I bounced lightly on my toes, rolling my shoulders as I jogged small circles near the edge of the track. The early morning air burned cool against my skin. Focus. Focus. The woods around Hellcatcher were already filling with people—families, kids, the occasional drone buzzing overhead—but I blocked it all out. I was here to win.
"Damn, Zade. You're tense."
I smirked without turning around. I knew that voice.
My best friend, Maddox, swaggered up beside me, flashing his usual crooked grin. Same old Maddox. He was practically a legend at this point. Not for racing. For sleeping with half the city.
"You know what your problem is, man?" Maddox continued, stretching his arms behind his head as he eyed a group of girls nearby. "You need to get laid."
I laughed under my breath. "Thanks for the professional advice."
"I'm serious!" He elbowed me. "Loosen up. Big race ahead. Perfect time to celebrate early, if you know what I mean."
I shook my head, grinning. "Not before a race."
"Your loss." His gaze flicked past me. "My win."
And with that, Maddox strutted off toward some poor girl who didn't know any better. I watched him for a second, shaking my head. Same Maddox. Never changed.
I took another deep breath. Tried to recenter myself.
That's when I heard another voice.
"Well, well, if it isn't Golden Boy himself."
I turned, already bracing myself.
My younger sister's boyfriend.
Killian.
He walked up with that cocky half-smile of his, tossing me a lazy salute. His racing uniform was half-zipped down his chest. He always had to play the part.
"You ready to lose today?" Killian said, nodding toward the finish line. "See those cups over there? I'm thinking I'll be drinking wine out of 'em with your little sister later."
I snorted. "Good luck with that."
He jogged beside me, keeping pace, flashing that grin. "Come on, Collins. Don't make this easy for me."
I rolled my eyes but let myself smile a little. Friendly trash talk. Always the same with Killian. We stopped being close friends, since he never misses a chance to remind me how much he dislikes the fact that I'm pansexual, but we weren't enemies either. Rivals. Annoying ones.
"Just keep up, Killian. I'll slow down for you if I get bored."
He barked a laugh. "Cocky as ever."
The announcer's voice crackled over the speakers. I felt adrenaline spike through me. I shook out my arms. This was it.
"Runners, to your marks!"
I positioned myself at the starting line, muscles coiled, heart steady. I could feel my family watching. Somewhere out there, Mom would be adjusting her designer sunglasses, probably telling some stranger how her son was about to dominate the race. Dad would have that serious, proud expression he always wore when I competed. And somewhere nearby, I'd hear my younger brother yelling my name.
"Set…"
I glanced sideways. Killian winked at me.
"Go!"
I launched forward. Legs pumping, lungs steady. Feet pounding against dirt. The first race was pure sprint—through trees, across uneven paths, weaving past crowds. I let the rhythm take over. Step, breath, step, breath. Faster. Stronger.
Voices blurred around me. But then—clear as day—I heard her.
"Zade! That's my boy! Look at him go!"
Mom.
I didn't slow down, but I smiled.
"Keep pushing, son! You've got this!"
Dad.
I powered forward, breaking out of the treeline. The first checkpoint loomed ahead—the bikes. But not yet. First, finish the sprint.
I crossed the line first.
The cheers washed over me, but I didn't stop. I forced myself to focus. Breathe. Hydrate. Reset.
Behind me, I heard the chaos of runners arriving. Then a familiar, frustrated voice.
"Stop cheating, Zade! Let my boyfriend win for once!" My little sister Chris.
I laughed so hard I nearly choked.
"Love you too, Chris."
Killian staggered up behind me, gasping for air as my sister ran to him like he'd just saved the world. She was hyping him up like he'd come in first, not dead last. He collapsed to the dirt, and she crouched beside him, stroking his hair like he was some wounded hero.
I shook my head, laughing, as I climbed onto my bike.
Second race. Time to move.
I pedaled hard. Faster. Trees whipped past me. My thighs burned. Sweat dripped down my spine. I heard my brother yelling my name again, and my mom's voice carried sharp and proud over the wind. Even Chris was screaming—but probably at her boyfriend to hurry up.
I didn't look back.
I crossed the second finish line first.
More cheers. More adrenaline. Water bottle in hand, I took slow, steady sips. My family swarmed me. Dad clapped my shoulder, Mom kissed my cheek, my brother whooped and fist-pumped. Chris? Chris glared.
"Unfair! I told you to slow down!"
I just grinned and ruffled her hair.
Third race.
This was it.
I started the climb. Hands gripping rocks, feet finding holds. The mountain wasn't huge, but every step felt like pulling my body against gravity itself. My breathing turned ragged. My arms trembled. But I pushed. Higher. Faster.
I reached the summit alone.
Victory.
I stood there for a second, wind on my face, heart pounding in my ears.
First place.
By the time I climbed down, the others were still scrambling behind. I crossed the last finish line. Dad was already popping open champagne, the cork shooting into the woods. Mom looked like royalty, clapping elegantly like she'd expected nothing less. My seventeen-year-old brother jumped around like a lunatic.
Chris?
She was holding Killian upright, smacking my chest like it was my fault for collapsing.
"You cheated! You totally cheated!" she yelled at me, pouting.
I just laughed, shaking my head as I sipped my water. "Sure, Chris. Blame me."
I let her smack my arm and even leaned down when she reached up to kiss my cheek in surrender—only for her to shove me instead.
Family.
We stayed there for a while, celebrating. Maddox appeared eventually, sunglasses on, reeking of whatever girl he'd been flirting with. He congratulated me with a half-hearted fist bump.
I didn't care.
I'd won.
-----
On the ride home, crammed into the backseat with my little brother leaning against me, my dad's phone rang.
I wasn't paying attention at first.
But then Dad answered.
And his voice dropped.
His smile faded.
I sat up straighter.
"What? What happened…?"
Dad met my eyes in the rearview mirror. Something cold slid into my stomach.
He looked back at me.
And that's when he said it.
"Blake… Blake lost his mother today."
The world fell silent.
I couldn't even breathe.