All This Time

Chapter 17

Phoenix

I couldn't believe we were at the end of the season already. I'm not sure where the time went. It flew by so fast. It seemed like just yesterday that I was arriving in Daytona for speed week, and now here we are in Phoenix, ready to decide a new champion. Crazy how much my life has changed since then.

Ryan had been clutch throughout the playoffs. Racking up stage points, staying consistent and reeling in top fives and top tens. Keeping himself well above the cut line. An accident at Kansas, not of his making, nearly derailed his run for making the final four, leaving him below the cut line. But a win at Martinsville punched his ticket to the final four.

My nerves were now really catching up with me. The stress of coming this far, with only one race standing between Ryan and a championship, had me feeling sick to my stomach and run down for the last few days. We had been so busy this weekend. Penske had two drivers, Ryan and Joey in the final four, so work had me running around like crazy trying to keep up with the publicity and media releases. Barely time to eat and sleep. Luckily, Ryan was in a drivers meeting for the next couple of hours, so I could use that time to rest up and hopefully get my second wind.

"Ugh." I groaned, hearing a knock on the door of the bus after I practically collapsed onto the couch. I had just gotten comfortable too. I'm now starting to think I picked up a bug or something, unless it was those nerves of championship weekend getting to me. I really just wanted to lay down and sleep off this icky feeling I was experiencing, not deal with company.

I slowly made my way to the door and groaned again, seeing my sister's smiling face.

"You look like shit." She grinned, stepping into the bus. Lucky for her she was already through the doorway, otherwise, I would have slammed the door in her face after that snarky comment. I loved my sister dearly, but I just wasn't up to a chit chat session right now.

"Gee thanks sis." I mumbled sarcastically.

"So what's wrong with you?" Alyssa asked, walking into the room and taking a seat where I had been laying just moments ago. "You're not contagious or anything or you?" She looked around nervously before looking back at me.

"No clue. I think I picked up a bug, or I'm probably just nervous about this weekend. You know, championship race." I replied, choking back the wave of nausea in my throat.

"Or you're pregnant." She smirked.

I snorted. "I am not pregnant." I protested.

"Are you sure? You look as if you are about to hurl." She smirked at me again.

"It's just a bug. I am not pregnant." I stated again, more adamantly.

"Whatever you say." She said nonchalantly, the subject seemingly dropped. "Anyway, I really hope Ryan wins tomorrow. I'm pulling for him." She continued.

"You're pulling for him over Chase and Kyle? Alex's own teammates? You, being a Hendrick Motorsports employee?" I laughed.

"Well of course I'm pulling for Ryan. He's practically my brother in law."

"Yeah, well I wouldn't hold my breath on that." I muttered, mainly to myself. Her comment admittedly stung a bit, much to my own surprise.

"Why not?" She asked, and I realized she had heard my muttered comment.

"I don't think Ryan is ready to get married. I don't know. We joked about it when we first started dating, but he's never mentioned it since. I'm not even sure I'm ready for that to be honest." I replied, knowing I was lying to myself.