Page 69 of Endurance

“Shit. You’ve got it really bad for him.”

I studied Gabby’s face and wondered if I should share my thoughts.

“I do—Ireallydo. I’m not sure what to do about it either,” I admitted.

“What do you mean?”

“This is going to sound so stupid, especially after you told me the truth about what Austin did, but what if the gypsy wasn’t faking her predictions after all?”

“Oh my God, Kallie. Stop right this minute.”

“I told you it would sound stupid,” I said with a small laugh that I didn’t really feel. “I guess it’s been such a foundational belief in my life for so long that it’s hard to shake the foreboding feelings about what the gypsy said. Even though I now know it was all a ruse, it’s almost like the damage has already been done. Plus, I just can’t help considering my history of falling for the wrong guy. I have no illusions when it comes to Sloan. We aren’t a fairytale. In a few months, my contract will be over, and we’ll go our separate ways. And when that happens, it will be just like the gypsy said, regardless of whether she knew it then or not—my heart will be broken.”

“Who says you have to leave when your contract is over?”

“Gabby, I can’t stay here. I have a whole life in D.C., and I could never stay away permanently. I’d miss my parents and little sister too much. Emma is growing so fast. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

Gabby tilted her head, seeming to contemplate something for a moment, before giving me a small smile.

“Do you know what I think?” she asked.

“What?”

“I think everything you’ve experienced in your life has brought you to this moment—the gypsy, Austin’s prank, Dean, the job transfer to California, and even the dumb Charlie-Charlie game we used to play. I think the universe was preparing you for something bigger. And maybe, just maybe, Sloan is that something. You’ll never know unless you take a chance.”

22

Sloan

Kallie and I entered the front door of my house after having spent the morning at the track. I’d been behind the wheel practicing almost every day of the past two weeks, and my hip was feeling the result. Kallie had been by my side for it all. I loved having her there, but I hated it at the same time. Her constant presence made it difficult to disguise the pain when it got really bad. I wasn’t sure why I continued to try to hide it. Perhaps it was my ego not wanting to make me look weak. She’d been so supportive, and I didn’t want her to worry or second guess my decision to do this.

Deliberately falling behind to stay out of her line of sight, I followed her into the living room with a slight limp as I attempted to shift my weight away from my left hip. I managed to make it to the couch just before she turned toward me.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I’m feeling great,” I lied and flashed her a bright smile. “I’m happy with the progress we made today on the track. Tyler’s crew and I have really clicked. They’re starting to feel like my own now. It’s always a good day when we manage to shave a few seconds off the clock.”

Her expression was doubtful, but I didn’t let my grin falter.

“If you say so,” she said with a shake of her head. She walked over to the patio doors, folded her arms, and stared out across the yard.

“Don’t believe me?”

“Not really.” She sighed, then turned to face me once more. “You try to hide it, but I can see you’re hurting, and I don’t understand why you’re pushing yourself so hard. I get that you want to race again, but why push so quickly for this race in particular? There are other races you can enter, ones that would give you more time to prepare. As it stands right now, you’ve barely gotten through the past two weeks, and there are still four more weeks to go.”

I knew she was right, and I should probably do as she suggested. The pain I felt after only one day behind the wheel had been enough to give me a reason to reconsider. However, after the conversation I had with Tyler a few days earlier, I quickly realized it was too late for me to pull out. He needed me to win this.

“The thought has definitely crossed my mind, but I can’t. Not now. It’s not just about me, Kallie. It’s about Tyler McDermott too.”

“Tyler? What about him?”

I leaned back and rubbed my forehead, remembering the anguish in my friend’s voice when he talked about Amy.

“It’s his wife. She has cancer. After Tyler got home from the hospital last week, I called him. Amy, his wife, is in rough shape—much worse than I realized. He’s been in touch with some doctors about an experimental treatment available in Switzerland. He wants to take her there, but the price tag is insane. It’s basically going to cost him two-hundred grand just to walk in the door, then seventy-two hundred dollars per treatment after that, spanning three days a week for four months. His wife qualifies for the trial, but he needs the prize money from the MILL to do it.”

“I’m not following you. If you race, how does it help him?”

“If I win, it’s three million dollars, minus the crew and Milo’s cut. That doesn’t include any contingency dollars put in by sponsors. Even if I don’t win but finish in the top ten, there’s still a sizable amount of bonus money to be paid out. Obviously, I’m going to race to win, but I don’t plan to keep any prize money. I don’t know how I could after hearing about Amy. Tyler is desperate. I’m going to give any winnings I get to the McDermotts so they can get Amy the treatment she needs.”

---