My Escape

Chapter 30: Phoenix

Sunday, March 13 – Phoenix Raceway

Danielle takes a deep breath as she gets set to watch the race, knowing it was going to be a long – but hopefully fun day. With all the emotions swirling, she couldn't imagine what it would feel like to see Chase in victory lane when the race was done and over.

He showed speed early, running up front amongst the leaders, battling for positions inside the top-five. The speed in the car was half the battle, now they just needed to maintain and not screw up like a few weeks ago. Taking a deep breath, she didn't want to recall the incident with Kyle, either.

"Tight on you," Eddie D'Hondt calls on the radio with about six laps to go in the second stage, as Chase battled Ryan for the lead.

A series of deep breaths kept her calm, but yet she also trusted Ryan to a degree herself. Why would her favourite driver wreck his best friend, and not even in the final 10 laps of the race? There was nothing to worry about.

She may have taken a few more deep breathes than necessary in seeing how close they battled each other for the spot, though was very entertained by the exciting race they were putting on together. There was also a mini cheer in watching Ryan win the stage, with Chase coming across the line in third.

The final stretch of the event started off strong with Chase continuing to show speed within the top-five. Then it happened. The car got loose off of two, and she watched him go around.

She lets out a sigh, not even wanting to watch much more in knowing the disappointment that'd lace off of him later on.

"Fast car, just nothing to show for it," were his words when they were back in the motorcoach later on that night together, packing bags together. it was clear that sticking around Phoenix was not in the cards for either.

"At least you're showing speed, and you know that's half the battle," she comments as she watches him closely. "Now you just need to put it together – and I have faith in you and Alan."

"Says the Ryan Blaney fan..." She chuckles, surprised he went down that road. They hadn't revisited that chapter since one of their first encounters together.

"Let's just say that you may have surpassed him in my books." She catches the look in response as he sets down his bag, making his way over to where she sat on the couch. This certainly wasn't the response that she expected in return.

"May have?" He then leans in, brushing his lips lightly across hers, just like he did the day before. "I thought that would've convinced you otherwise."

"Are you trying to bribe me, Mr. Elliott?" Chase just smirks in response, not having a single complaint with the flirting. It just meant the comfort they were both looking for in moving forward was finding itself more each day.

"Is it working, Mrs. Albertson?" She then leans in, stealing a kiss as she wanted to taste him more after the samplings he continued to offer her. It was actually taking everything to resist deepening it even further, and slipping hin back out of his clothes. Why was he so resistible?

"It appears you have cast a spell over me." He just smirks in response as he returns back to his bags, excited to see what would come in the weeks to follow.

"Then I guess it would be okay if I took you out for dinner one night." Her jaw drops, intrigue and shock washing over her, as she follows every single step that he makes. "I'm formally asking you out on a proper date. You need a night to escape everything, and we both know we have feel-"

"Chase..." She feels her heart beat quicken, eyes falling to floor immediately. She thought she was ready and wanted to embrace the feelings, but yet the tug she felt inside said every bit of this was wrong. "I haven't even formally divorced him yet. I haven't even formally ended things with him rotting in a jail cell yet. I just left him, mere months ago. I am still getting over what happened. Do you really think I am ready for a relationship?"

"I don't know as that's for you to decide, right?" He knew that was probably not the line to use, however he also wasn't going to force her into something she didn't want. His eyes didn't leave her in the process, now, having witnessed the whole let down before him. "Look, I said we were going to take it slow. I said I was willing to work with you because fuck, I think we can see that I have my own shit going on too. How would you feel to watch the one person you love more than anything be tortured and then killed while pregnant with your child?!?"

"Chase...." It wasn't stern this time like the last time, but rather very softly and barely audible. She then stands up, making her way over to where he was, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and the familiar tears begin to fall again. "I had no idea. I know you said you cared about her and everything, but I didn't realize it was that ba-"

"He was angry that we slept together, jealous that I got her pregnant so he made sure we didn't get to enjoy that together. That's why it's so hard to convince myself it's not my fault!" He takes a deep breath, though it does nothing to soothe the tears that were now streaming down his face and anger boiling. "He said those words. How else do you not blame yourself?"

"Because you didn't twist the knife, you didn't torture her – that was him, Chase. He did every one of those things. The same way this is not your fault is the same way that what Thomas did to me isn't my fault because we can't control their actions." They then sit down on the edge of the bed together, eyes both locked on the floor, tears streaming down their cheeks. "I love the kiss of your lips. I love the caring heart that you have. I love spending time with you, hanging out with you, being there for you, everything you've done for me. But I'm not ready to put a label on it or move forward into a relationship. I'm scared of what may beco-"

"I would never, ever hurt you.." She nods her head, not needing to question that as if anybody understood the pain, it was the pair of them together.

"I know, my brain knows that. But how do I convince my heart to ignore the labels, and fears? That's going to take time, Chase, and I would appreciate some co-operation." He nods his head, accepting, despite knowing he was set on this for the future no matter what. After all, she was the only person keeping in sane most times these days.

"Can you tell me when you're ready, though?" She nods her head as a small smile forms back in response.

"You'll be the first to know."