Chapter 86: Tears Flow Like a River (Revised)

A white Maserati sped along Grant Avenue in Brooklyn.

"Woohooo~"

The blonde driver, Britney, rolled down the window. Her long golden hair danced in the wind as she pumped her fist outside and shouted enthusiastically, a little wild.

Whoosh~

Even though it was March in New York, the wind was still cold.

In the passenger seat, Luca's face was pale.

It was freezing.

He had left his jacket with the crew, and the chilly breeze made his whole body shiver. Hugging himself for warmth, he looked a bit wimpy, but at least he was staying warm! Britney, noticing his state after a few more shouts, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hey~ Luca, you're just too cute like that!"

Britney closed the window, still giggling.

"Thanks!" 

Luca let go of his arms and asked, "Britney, is your music video finished?"

"Nope, I've still got two more to shoot here in New York. One of them is for your song, 'Nobody.'"

"Oh, you guys decided to go with that one?" 

Luca had been worried the song wouldn't make the cut.

"Yeah, my team thinks the song is super sexy, and the choreography is really creative. It fits perfectly with the vibe of my new album, so we all agreed to include it."

"That's great!"

Luca breathed a sigh of relief. If Britney hadn't picked the song, he might have had to offer... *other* favors.

"Luca, I'm shooting the 'Nobody' music video next week. How about being my backup dancer?" 

Britney asked, chewing gum as she turned the music back on.

"Me? A backup dancer?"

Luca was confused. "Isn't the dance supposed to be for girls?"

"Nooo~"

Britney wiggled her finger. "I saw you dance last time, and it was amazing—super sexy! I mentioned it to the team, and they thought using male dancers would be more cutting-edge. So, are you in?"

"Emmm~ sure!"

Considering how much of an advantage he'd already gained with his song, agreeing to dance was no big deal.

"Luca, thank you!"

Suddenly, Britney leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. In the process, she accidentally jerked the steering wheel, causing the car to swerve sharply into the oncoming lane.

**Honk honk!**

A large truck was barreling straight towards them.

"Watch out!" 

Luca shouted.

"Haha, relax, I got this!"

Instead of slowing down, Britney stepped on the gas, speeding toward the truck.

"Britney, what are you doing?!"

Luca's heart was pounding.

"Haha, trust me!"

Britney accelerated, and with less than three meters to spare, she swiftly turned the wheel.

**Whoosh!**

The two vehicles barely grazed each other, with no more than a hand's width between them.

**Screeeech~**

The truck came to a halt, and the driver got out, cursing loudly, "F***! You crazy b****!"

Britney calmly stuck her middle finger out the window.

"So, Luca, how was my driving?" 

Britney grinned, eyes gleaming.

Luca shook his head, staring at her flushed cheeks. "Britney, are you on drugs?"

"Nope, but I'm high."

"What?"

Luca was sweating now.

Britney laughed and grabbed his hand. "Luca, you're my drug. Whenever I'm with you, I'm on a constant high."

Luca smirked. "In that case, Miss Spears, for your safety, please let me out of the car."

"Haha, no way! I'm having too much fun with you." 

Britney let out another shout and started singing along with the music blaring from the speakers.

"Across the endless sea, I'd die in ecstasy...

...I'm alive, but barely; a walking corpse..."

Britney's singing turned to shouting, then gradually faded. She messed up her hair, making her golden locks even more tangled.

"Luca, I saw Jessica Alba at the set earlier."

"Yeah, Jessica's the lead actress. I'm just a supporting actor." 

Luca briefly explained the filming.

"Wow, you've been shooting together for two weeks? Has she made a move on you yet?"

Made a move on me?

That phrasing felt weird. He shook his head. "I barely know Jessica. We've spoken fewer than ten times off-camera."

"But you don't need words to do *that*. She could just scream, 'Oh, oh!' and it'd be done." 

Britney imitated some dramatic moans, laughing.

Luca stared at her. "Britney, are you being serious?"

Britney nodded earnestly but then burst out laughing again. "Alright, alright, but seriously, why haven't you hooked up with her? She's super hot."

"Jessica doesn't like me. She has some issue with me, so there's no chance we'll be sleeping together."

"No way, you're so sexy and sweet. What woman wouldn't want you?" 

Britney looked surprised.

That compliment felt great. Luca silently praised Britney's taste—she had a sharp eye for talent. A hundred points for that.

"Britney, have you heard any rumors about me lately?" 

Luca asked, changing the subject.

"Rumors?"

Britney licked her lips. "You mean the one where they say you're packing half a meter?"

Luca felt awkward.

Britney had been in LA lately, but apparently, she'd caught wind of *that* rumor, too.

"Not that one. There's talk that I staged the whole car incident to get famous. People are saying I'll do anything for fame, and Jessica believes it, so she doesn't like me."

"Oh, so that's how it is! Great! I haven't hooked up with you yet, and I can't let anyone else beat me to it." 

Britney seemed genuinely happy about it.

Luca was speechless.

Their thoughts were on completely different wavelengths.

"Britney, what do you think about the video from last time?" 

He asked.

"Think about what?" 

"The rumor that I'm using you to get famous." 

Luca looked at her profile.

"Who cares!" 

Britney waved it off with a laugh. "It's not like I actually hooked up with you, but now everyone in the world thinks I did. Wow~ that's super cool. I should thank whoever leaked that video."

Luca raised his eyebrows. This was cool? Shouldn't she feel embarrassed? Was she still the same Britney?

**Wee-woo~ Wee-woo~**

"Oh, damn. Cops!" 

A police car appeared in the rearview mirror, sirens blaring.

Britney immediately shifted gears and floored the gas pedal. The car roared ahead, quickly hitting 180.

Luca glanced at the mirror. "Britney, shouldn't we just pull over and talk to the cops?"

"No, no, that's not cool!" 

Britney drove with one hand and called someone on the phone. "Tom, bring the car up and cover me!"

After hanging up, she smiled. "Handled!"

A Ferrari soon appeared in the mirror, pulling ahead and intentionally crashing into another car, blocking the police's path.

"Hahaha~ how's that?" 

Britney boasted.

Luca was speechless. This girl was living in a real-life *Need for Speed*.

After driving for a while, they left Brooklyn, and the scenery outside became unfamiliar.

"Britney, where are we going?" 

Luca asked, curious.

"To my place, of course!" 

"Your place?"

He thought they were headed to a bar or a music venue.

"What for?"

"To hook up with you, obviously." 

Britney winked. "Honey, do you know why I came back so early? Because I couldn't wait any longer. You slipped away last time, but this time, there's no escaping me. Haha, are you scared?"

"..." 

Luca stared out the window. Should I jump out of the car to preserve my dignity? 

(End of Chapter)