Page 6 of Speed Crush

My pulse kicks.

She lifts a hand to push the braid back but pauses halfway, frozen.

I can almost see her dilemma—bolt for the exit and risk interrupting the couple mid-lap of their Animal Kingdom routine, right here in the temple of speed, or stay frozen and hope invisibility’s a real option.

I snigger quietly. Sweet Cedar Falls, you really do deliver.

One-part late-night romance, one-part thriller. Maybe, a mystery too if I keep checking her out.

I mean, who is she?

So, I step forward—slow, quiet, instinct in overdrive.

I don’t want to spook her, but I can’t stay back either. Something about her has me locked in.

Like she’s all heat and hesitation in a hoodie.

Maybe that’s more of my imagination. Doesn’t matter.

But there’s certainly a pull. A slow, magnetic draw.

Which, I know—makes me sound like a stalker with a nice jawline. And maybe I am.

Because the way she looks? Like her whole body’s at war with itself—mortified, turned on, trying to vanish?

It’s the hottest thing I’ve seen off the track in a long time.

Before I even know her name, before I see the color of her eyes or hear her voice—something about her already has me hooked. It wasn't purely physical, not entirely. I just know I’m already drawn in.

I haven’t been this keyed up in months.

Maybe it’s the dream from this morning—the kind that scrambles my wiring and doesn’t let go. But whatever it is, I’m tingling. Tight.

And this beautiful stranger crouched in the shadows—feels like the only way to ground this live wire energy surging through me.

Chapter 2

Not Here to Crush

June

I’mnotsupposedtobe here this late.

Not officially. Not on paper. But the garage bay at Mega Max is still warm, and that soft electric hum in the ducts makes it feel like the brand-new track itself is purring. Besides, no one said I couldn’t be here.

And someone needs to check the alignment on Kart 14.

I tighten the bolt one more quarter-turn and sit back on my heels, eyeing the front tires with a practiced glance. The toe alignment looks good—nothing pulling wide or uneven, and the steering response feels tight.

Years of listening, adjusting, rechecking have taught me how to see it before I even grab the leveler. I watch the shadows shift across the glossy curve of the go-kart’s front bumper, satisfied.

Mega Max is still so new it doesn’t smell like Cedar Falls yet. No sweat, no teenage boy cologne, no spilled sports drinks or burnt rubber. Just paint, polish, and possibility.

It’s beautiful.

And yeah, it’s over the top. The world’s first one-mile indoor kart track, right here inCedar Falls.

Thanks to Levi and Lily Johansen's generous donation, Mega Max is finally real. Brand new. Shiny as hell.

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