The Mechanic's Daughter

19- Sweet Child O' Mine

"Ryder?"

A feminine voice said. We turned around to see a girl a couple of years older than us with straight brown hair and big dark blue eyes staring at us with a huge grin.

Ryder hugged the girl and I couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. Who is she?

"How are you?" Ryder asked hugging the girl again.
"I'm good. Congratulations on your win!" She laughed.

Nancy, Reece, and Drew came behind them and congratulated Ryder. I felt out so I stayed behind.

"Nancy! Reece! Drew oh my look at you!" The girl said and hugged each of them. I again, felt out of place and I didn't know where to go.

"Charlie, come here I want you to meet someone." Ryder said and all of them faced me.

"Charlie, this is my sister, Acacia." He introduced me. Oh. His sister. Ha I feel embarrassed now.

"Acacia, this is my girlfriend, Charlie." He said. They all had their jaws dropped and eye's widened. They kept looking at me then Ryder.
I looked below me to see Ryder's hand intertwined with mine. The blush rose to my cheeks.

"Charlie! It's nice to finally meet you. Ryder's been talking about you." Acacia smiled and
hugged me.

"Nice to meet you too. He's talked about you too." I smiled back.

I noticed Drew's eyes glaring at Ryder. Holy smokes. Nancy kept whispering into her brother's ear to call him down.
I felt bad. The only thing floating in my mind right now is that Ryder introduced me as his girlfriend, yet no one questioned it.

"So Acacia, what are you doing here. You know besides watching Ryder race." I asked shyly. Maybe she can answer some questions about my mom and Leo.

"Oh. Ryder didn't tell you did he?" She giggled. He said he wasn't ready to share.

"I think it's time for you to know. You are my brother's girlfriend and my, hopefully, future sister in law." She said. Everyone chuckled as for I couldn't even hide my face.

Earth, swallow me now.

"I think, that if you're here. You know about Ryder and Leo right?"

"I just knew, today actually. Your brother didn't tell me." I said crossing my arms and giving Ryder a glare.

"I'll tell you. Well you see, before Ryder was born, we lived happily." She started and Ryder scoffed.

"Please, everything turned better once I was born."

"What ever helps you sleep at night." She shrugged. Nancy spit out the beer she was drinking along with Reece.

"Well anyway, the street racing was just forming. Leo became head of the racing. After their lost of the best driver they had, they broke down. They rebuild themselves again.
They were looking for new racers. I was about a year old, almost two. They knocked on our door and Leo with two other men were outside.

My parents let them in. Leo explained what they did. All I heard were voices rising. I knew they were fighting. He said he was looking for young ones, that he would train so when they came of age, they would be the best drivers.
He was paying millions to parents to give up their children.

Many accepted, due to their poverty. It was terrible. They took the kids away. My parents declined. Leo left angry saying that he would get me, at any cost. He left and after that, my parents tried to explain what happened. I was young, unable to understand what was going on.

They sent me to California, to live with my Uncle Nate. They sent me away so I would be safe. My parents would call me to make sure I was okay. When Ryder was born, they never told him about me. They called me saying my baby brother was born, that they would fly to California so I can meet him. And I did.