All This Time

Chapter 1

I couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was the excitement of a brand new season. A new job for me. A new relationship. A new team for Erik, my boyfriend of two months. New opportunities and adventures for both of us. Being back in Daytona with so many high hopes for the coming year had me itching to get started. I loved the beginning of the season more than anything. This was my life.

I peeked out of the bedroom window of Erik's bus. It was still dark out. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand next to me showed it was barely five a.m. Of course Erik was dead to the world, snoring softly next to me, but there was no way I was going to fall back asleep. Erik needed his rest, so I didn't want to wake him. Maybe I would go for a run. Burn off some of this restless energy.

As quietly as I could, as to not wake Erik, I slid out of bed, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and one of Erik's new Petty hoodies. I slipped on my running shoes and grabbed my phone, stepping out of the bus into the cool, crisp Daytona morning. I inhaled deeply, taking in the morning air and smiled to myself.

I had planned on a run, but decided to take a walk instead, taking in the sights of the Daytona infield drivers lot packed full of busses. I loved everything about this place. Everything was so new and exciting. I couldn't wait until later to see this place packed with people hustling around, and getting reacquainted with everyone I had missed during the three month offseason.

I smiled again when I saw a familiar face coming out of the bus parked a few spots from us. An old friend who broke out in a big grin when he saw me.

I had known Ryan Blaney for nearly my entire life, as we had both grown up in the sport. My dad had worked as a crew chief for Ryan's dad Dave for a several years. Our parents were longtime friends, so Ryan and I had pretty much grown up together. I had worked in NASCAR for the last few years, and had recently started dating Erik Jones, who was friends with Ryan, over the last couple of months. I had also just started a new job as social media director for Team Penske, Ryan's team, during the offseason.

"Hey Laynie, what are you doing up so early?" He asked, with a friendly smile.

"I couldn't get back to sleep, and I didn't want to wake Erik, so I decided to go for a walk. What about you?"

"Same. Feeling a little restless, so I decided to go for a walk myself. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." I smiled at him. Ryan was such a sweetheart. Always had been. "How is Katie doing?" I asked, then watched as a shadow immediately crossed his face, and his smile dropped a bit.

"Uh...Katie and I called it quits about a month ago. She got a new job and was traveling a lot, and we just didn't have time for each other." He replied with a shrug.

"I'm so sorry Ryan." I said, placing my hand on his arm.

"No, it's fine. I'm happy for her, and we parted on good terms. It's all good." He flashed his signature smile. No wonder all the women loved him.

He didn't seem too upset, so I was glad for that. I had met and hung out with Katie on several occasions, and although she was nice enough, I honestly didn't see them settling down for the long haul. She was fully invested in her career as a photographer and was always looking for new adventures. She loved traveling to exotic locations around the world. I guessed whatever new job she had found had offered her that. I felt bad for Ryan though because he was such a genuine guy, and so cute too. More than just cute.

Whoa! Where did that come from? Okay. Sure Ryan was cute. Just because I had a boyfriend doesn't mean I don't have eyes. The truth was, I had had a childhood crush on Ryan. He was my first kiss, my first make out session when we were kids. My crush never went anywhere though. We were just friends, good friends, and that friendship had continued to grow and flourish over the years. I had long ago outgrown that crush. Yet why did my heart give a bit of a flutter when he smiled at me?

"So, how are you liking Penske?" He asked, changing the subject.

I couldn't contain my smile. "I love it. Everyone is so nice and so much fun. I can't wait to actually get started. Everything before was pretty much preliminary stuff, but now that the season has started, I can't wait to dive in and really get to work with you guys. Y'all are an entertaining bunch for sure." I chuckled.

"I bet Erik is excited about working with Petty."

"He is. It's such a change from JGR. He's really looking forward to it."

Ryan and I continued to walk around and talk. Conversation had always flown so easily between us, and despite the fact that we had not seen each other for the last couple of months, we had never missed a beat. Everything was seamless, almost as easy as breathing. He was always such a good friend.

Ryan and I sat on the ground and watched the sun come up. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so at peace. Maybe it was this place. Ryan stood up and extended his hand, helping me up. What the hell was that? It had to be static electricity or something. I could have sworn I felt an electric current pass through my body. Maybe it wasn't just this place, but the company. No. That was absolutely crazy. So what if Ryan was cute. Okay, so what if he was hot. I didn't see him that way at all. Or did I? We had shared numerous kisses during our lifetime. If there was any spark there, we certainly would have felt it ages ago. New season excitement and lack of sleep must be affecting my brain.

"Thanks for the company this morning Ry." I gave him a smile and realized my hand was still in his. It was tingling. Did he feel it too? Almost as if he just realized he still had my hand, he quickly let it go. I guess not.

"I'll see ya around Laynie." He smiled at me, and I swear I nearly melted. Then he gave me a quick hug, and my heart began to flutter again. He smelled so damn good. Coffee. I need coffee. I figured I should get back to the bus and get breakfast started for Erik and myself. We both had a light schedule for today, and I was looking forward to catching up with everyone.

I'm not really sure what happened next. One minute I'm joking around with Ryan, about to go back to Erik's bus, and the next, I'm stumbling, falling face first, the ground quickly and seemingly rising up to meet me, then everything went black.