Chasing Cars |Chase Elliott x Reader|

47

Chase's black truck pulls up to the curb as I sit in the wheelchair, a kind nurse behind me and comes around to help me stand. I can walk okay, but I'm still weak from the incident as well as from mostly laying in a hospital bed. The nurse grabs under my arms to support me as I push myself up and out of the chair.

Kat brought me some comfy clothes consisting of black sweatpants and a loose grey hoodie and some fuzzy socks and slides for my feet. My body is still covered in purple and yellow bruises, so I'm glad for the bagginess. 

Chase comes around his truck and opens the door for me and helps lift me into his truck. I grab on the handle on the inside to pull me in, and feeling his warm hands on me makes me flush. He hands me my bag of stuff, including my messed up racing suit. I didn't want it to be taken just yet. I want to keep it as it is as a reminder.

It might be odd, but it gives me motivation. The turning point in my career so to speak.

The door closes and I tug on the seat belt, feeling it press on my bruises across my chest. Chase hops in on the other side and I give the nurse a friendly wave goodbye as he puts it into drive and we ease our way out.

My parents are already at my apartment. They called and told me that they were going to pick me up and that I was going home for these two months while I recover. My gut twists at what they went through. Seeing all of that on TV and not being able to get to me.

"Think of it as a mini vacation" Chase says, feeling my distraught.

"I'm just... worried about them. Seeing that could not have been easy to stomach."

"Of course not. But, you're here and they're here and you're going to go get better back in Ohio and then come back for the final bit of racing. You'll probably make it for our last two or three races, but at least you'll be back and that's all I care about."

I look over at him and just watch him. His brown eyes focused on the road, flitting back and forth from the speedometer and the traffic. His left hand on the steering wheel where I can see his muscles and a few veins in his arm as he grips and steers the truck. His other hand rubs the growing hairs on his chin as his elbow rests on the center console. the morning sun highlights the curls in his hair and the soft texture of his skin with the round curves of his cheeks.

"Can I ask you something?" I say out of the blue.

He arches an eyebrow and glances at me, "What's up?"

"Why did you stay with me?"

"Did you not want me to?"

"No, I'm glad you did. But why did you? You didn't have to. You missed practice and will have to go into the race here in a few days on fumes."

"Because you're worth it."

There's a pause.

He wants to say more, I can feel it. I can see it in his face. But he doesn't. My heart lurches with that fluttering feeling.

"And I would do it all over again too, you know."

He gives me a warm look and then turns on the radio to some country music. It leaves me swimming in my thoughts and I just know that I want to tell him so, very badly how much I care about him too.

I just don't know how...

...

As soon as I hop out of Chase's truck my mom runs up to me and gives me the biggest hug. I wrap my arms around her and feel tears swell behind my eyes. "My baby, you're okay!" she sniffles.

I pull away and give her a teary-eyed smile, "I'm okay mom."

"You have no idea how... how..." her bottom lip quivers and I just pull her to me again in a hug.