Page 18 of Rivals

Sutton shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Shit happens. Trust me, I’m not losing sleep over your assy ways.”

I chuckle. “That’s good. I wouldn’t want you to lose any beauty sleep, princess.”

She scoffs. “You may need beauty sleep but some of us are naturally beautiful.”

“Do you always bite back twice as hard?”

Sutton turns to look at me and smirks. “Oh honey, that’s not my bite. That’s just a nibble.”

Damn, this girl is some form of a dream come true and I really don’t think she sees it. “Then help the person that gets the bite.”

“Amen!” Sutton laughs and it fills the silent night.

We stand side by side, both staring at the dark track. I’m beginning to think we’re more alike than we originally thought. “Sutton?” She turns around to face me and I can see the question lurking in her blue eyes. “Can we start over?”

Uncertainty clouds her features, and I wouldn’t blame her if she told me no right now. Everyone, including myself, knows I deserve a big, fat, hell no from her, but eventually, Sutton smiles, it’s a small smile but I’ll take what I can get. She nods her head. “I’d like that.”

“Me too but you’re still my rival when we hit the track,” I tell her.

“Damn right although try not to choke on my dust,” she teases me with a wink. I laugh and she does, too. A weight lifts off my shoulders and for the first time in months I feel like maybe the darkness isn’t so dark after all.

Eighteen

Sutton

I’m finally starting to adjust to the new house. The first few nights I couldn’t sleep for crap. I tossed and turned. The new bed and room just threw me off. Last night was the first night I actually slept and this morning I’m feeling great. I’m ready to hit the track and own it. However, that thought dies the moment I see Rathe’s car slowing down as he comes into the second curve. I hold my breath and wait to see if he can manage to pull himself out of his head, but it never happens. Eventually, the car just comes to a stop.

An idea pops into my head as I stare at his stalled car. I jog over to the pit crew and find Maxton. This idea is either total genius or crazy, I’m not sure which. “Max!”

He looks down at me from where he’s sitting above the track. “Hey Sutton!”

“I have an idea...to help Rathe,” I admit. Saying that out loud feels weird as hell. Max’s eyes go wide. “Yeah, yeah, I know, crazy right?”

Maxton climbs down and joins me on the ground. “I’m not sure I heard you right up there, you said you had an idea to help Rathe?” I nod my head. “But why?”

“Rathe is a great driver and he needs to get back there. He needs help to find that version of himself again and I think I might have an idea. I don’t know if he’ll go for it or not though.” Maxton’s expression changes as he studies me and finally, he agrees to hear my plan out. I tell him my idea and he agree to it. I’m in my suit and car in record time. Tucker climbs the steps to sit above the track with Maxton as I pull out of the pit. I slow as I come up next to Rathe’s car. He looks over at me, confusion is clear in his eyes. He pulls his helmet off and I do the same.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” I counter back at him.

Rathe narrows his eyes at me. “It looks like you’re on the track during my practice time, care to tell me why?”

“Last night, you seemed to be searching for a different version of you. The version of you that owned this track. My guess is that you were much more competitive back then, am I right?” I ask him. He nods his head yes, but I can tell that he still doesn’t trust my reasoning. “You need some friendly competition to awaken that side of you again. So, I was thinking you and I could race a few laps.”

“I don’t know…” The hesitation in his voice pulls at my heart. I hate to see anyone struggle, especially when it’s something that they love as much as Rathe loves racing.

“Look, it’s just you and me. We can start out slow and then speed up as you like. The risk is minimal with just the two of us on the track, less worry and anxiety,” I add, trying to ease him into the idea. I don’t want him to think I’m trying to say he’s incapable of doing his job because I know he’s not, but it seems like he has a mental block when he races now and it’s holding him back.

Rathe is quiet for a moment, he stares ahead at the track in front of him. He watches it as if it’s going to magically give him an answer and I watch him, waiting for his answer. Finally, he turns back to me. “Why are you trying to help me?”

“That seems to be the most popular question of the day.” I take a deep breath and look away, trying to give him an answer is easier said than done. I may be a girl, but I don’t do the mushy, talk your feelings out type of situations. That’s Evanna’s territory, not mine. I return my eyes back to his. “We started over, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then do I really need a reason aside from that?” I ask.

He nods his head. “You don’t have to have one I guess, but I think you do.”

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