Page 11 of Rivals

“Thank you. They sent me down to get a security badge made.” I hand him the paperwork. He ushers me inside and gets my picture before uploading it and making the badge. For a man that’s older he sure can use the electronics. Within fifteen minutes I have my badge and I’m ready to go. As I’m leaving, I look over my shoulder at Patrick. “What’s your favorite thing to eat?”

Patrick’s smile goes large. “Apple pie and whipped cream.”

I nod and head out the door. I’m admiring my badge when I nearly run into somebody. When I look up, I see Maxton. “I’m sorry. I guess I was in dream land.”

He chuckles. “Nothing wrong with that. No harm, no foul.” His eyes move to my hands to take in the badge. “So, it’s official, you’re the new driver?”

“Yeah, seems like it.” I shrug as unease comes over me.

Maxton nods his head. “That’s good. You’ll do great out there this season. This team needs a pick me up after the last couple of seasons.”

I chuckle. “I don’t know about that. Rathe’s rookie season was pretty epic.”

I watch as he gets a faraway look in his eyes. “Yeah, until that wreck. Damn, that messed the entire team up. Shook everyone to their core. Rathe is a damn good driver but he holds back now. I have a feeling you might give him a run for his money.”

Shaking my head, I laugh at that thought. “I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure he’s not a fan of mine.”

Rathe appears behind Maxton. His eyes narrow into a glare at me but not before I get to see those hypnotizing pools of chocolate. My heart skips a beat as the air shifts or maybe it’s just me. At this point, who knows? Rathe steps around Maxton and me. When he doesn’t hear Maxton follow him, he asks, “Are you coming or what?”

Maxton gives me an apologetic smile. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

“Yeah, I guess you will,” I reply, as he walks away. I turn around and watch them leave. I shouldn’t because it’s obvious that Rathe wants nothing to do with me, but for some reason, I can’t shake him.

Eleven

Rathe

I’m lying in bed counting the rotations of the ceiling fan above me. My mind is trying to come up with a legit excuse to give to Tucker as to why I’m not showing up for test runs again today. It’s been four technical workdays since I’ve been to the track. I’ve given lame excuse after lame excuse as to why I can’t be there. Tucker knows they’re all a lie. Maxton knows it, too. I’m killing time, licking the wounds that my ego received after getting slapped in the face with Sutton. I know that the team needs some wins and I know I didn’t deliver last season, but it still sucks to know that everyone else thinks you can’t deliver either.

Sighing, I sit up on the side of my bed and run my hands through my hair. I need to get my shit together, but how can you beat an invisible rival? I mean Sutton I can beat. I can climb into my car and race around that track, I can prove she’s not the best. I can fight off the pull she has on me, but I can’t fight the invisible rival. I can’t fight the anxiety, memories and all-consuming panic that courses through my body. There’s no cure for them. I can’t outrun them. I’m just stuck.

I walk over to the floor to ceiling glass windows that line the back wall of the room, overlooking my backyard, pool and the beach just beyond that and pull the curtains back. The sun fills the room and I squint against the attack. I’ve learned this house like the back of my hand so luckily being temporarily blinded isn’t that big of a deal. By the time I reach the hallway, I’m good to go. I move around the house that I bought the day after I signed my contract with Revv-It. It’s too large for just me but I was younger and cockier back then. My plan was to show the world that I was going to own it. I wanted the biggest and best of everything. This house was just one of the many things on that list.

It wasn’t until after the wreck when I got released from the hospital and walked into this large, empty house that I realized how dumb and naive I had been. I should sell this house and downsize, but for some reason, I can’t let it go. Maybe, this is the last thing that I have to remind me of who I used to be. I’m scared to lose that version of me completely.

In the kitchen I start cooking eggs and bacon for a breakfast burrito when I hear the doorbell echo throughout the quiet space. Turning the burner all the way down to the lowest setting I head to the door. To say I’m surprised when I open the door would be an understatement. Tucker is standing there with his arms crossed over his broad chest, for an older man he’s in relatively good shape. His eyes are hard and unforgiving, and I know I’m on his shit list now. His mouth is frowning at me. “Well, it’s good to see you’re still alive considering all the excuses I’ve heard these past few days for why you aren’t at the track.”

I look away, guilt swims through my veins. I’m also not a good liar so I know I can’t look in his eyes and tell him any of my excuses were true. “Yeah, I’ve just been under the weather.”

Tucker scoffs and scoots past me to come into my house. “More like licking your bruised ego if you ask me.”

I slam the door. Most people don’t handle criticism well. Sadly, I’m one of them. My defenses go onto high alert. “Well, why don’t you come on inside,” I comment, my tone sarcastic.

“Looks like I’m already inside. I had to invite my own self in since you seemed to have lost all your damn manners. I mean, I could have stood out there all damn morning if I hadn’t barged right on in.” Tucker challenges me but I just shake my head and walk away. I’ve got food cooking, and this is a legit excuse right now. I hear his footsteps following behind me. “Well, you look fine.”

Maybe, if I ignore him, he’ll go away. However, he starts to whistle the theme song to the Brady Bunch, and it gets on my nerves. I grind my teeth to keep from letting him know how irritating it is. Finally, on the fifth round of it I snap. “What the hell are you doing here, Tucker?”

“Apparently, I need to drag my star driver to the track since he can’t seem to find his way.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not your star driver anymore, you have Sutton for that.” I sound like a spoiled, temperamental kid and the worst part is I know it, but I can’t seem to stop it. Ever since the first day I saw Sutton I haven’t been able to shake her. Those brief moments I’ve been around her have done something to me. The moment I lay eyes on her, my skin hums with anticipation. If she wasn’t my biggest rival, I’d probably drop to one knee and ask her to marry me. But Sutton is my rival. She’s the person who has now put my job in jeopardy, and if I don’t have this job then I don’t even know who I am. I can’t keep daydreaming about her. I have to beat her.

Tucker sighs. “Really Rathe?”

“What?” I bite out. My tone is harsh, too harsh for the guy that handed me this life.

“You’re still my driver. Just because Sutton is there now doesn’t mean that you aren’t. It doesn’t mean you get to skip out on test runs and what not. The team needed another driver. We went all last season to honor Chris’ memory, but this season has to be different. I need her and you. We need wins and sponsors to keep going, you know how this works.” Tucker stares at me. I can feel him begging me to understand. That’s the thing...I do understand. I understand all of it, but I just don’t want to admit it.

I toss my plate onto my counter with more force than I intended. The clatter echoes throughout the house. Both of my hands run through my hair before scrubbing at my face. “I don’t know what to do Tucker.” The silence hangs between us while he waits for me to process and say what I want. “Do you remember the night you approached me and offered me a test drive?”

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