Chasing Cars |Chase Elliott x Reader|

51

"Go out there and get em'. I'm behind you all the way."

I close my eyes as the wind blows my (H/c) hair back as I gaze over the track of Las Vegas.

I can feel my heart beat faster with anticipation, or nervousness, or fear, or all three.

Slowly, my eyes open and I take a deep breath, my hand clutching the handle to my duffel bag containing my racing suit.

I can feel the ghost of the harness across my chest and hear the sound of metal crunching and hitting the wall. Ever so faintly, my body aches where my bruises were. It's like I can feel something crawling up my spine...

A hand rests on my left shoulder and I turn my head to find Cliff standing next to me in his black Hendrick Motorsports jacket to combat the slight chill of the morning, "Glad to have you back (F/n)."

I nod, "It's good to be back."

"Are you sure you're ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I turn my gaze back to the track, "It's time I make my comeback and pay a little respect to my fans by working karma's magic."

He gives me a long look, "We'll get you back out on top, don't worry. I'm sure you'll have all kind of forty-eight fans in the stands tomorrow with your return."

I grin, "Then lets get this practice underway, shall we?"

He grins back at me, "Gear up."

...

Alone, in my hauler, I unzip my bag and pull out my brand new black and neon blue fire suit. My sponsor's logo right in the center and the Velcro strap with my name on it stares back at me. For a moment I recall my old one, back at my apartment, all banged up from my wreck. I take a deep breath and grab my black shoes and gloves as well and set them next to my helmet on the counter. 

I stick my left leg through the pants leg, and then the right, sliding the fabric over my skin and my shorts. I let it hang at my waist as I adjust my black long sleeved shirt that I always wear underneath, and then proceed to pull it up and slide my arms in. I zip it up and secure the strap, then pulling my hair out from the neck area.

I wiggle my toes before I slide my shoes on and I sit on the little stool as I bend over to tie them up. There's a knock on the hauler door and I holler, "Come in!"

It opens and Chase sticks his head in, already geared up for our practice rounds. "Just making sure you aren't butt-naked in here," he smirks.

I playfully roll my eyes, "Well, lucky for you, I'm not."

He just watches me.

There's silence as I finish tying my shoes and I strap them down. They feel snug, but I haven't worn my gear in a while either.

"So, are you ready?" Chase asks, shutting the hauler door behind him.

I nod, looking down at my feet with my hands on my thighs, "I think so. It might not make sense, but it feels haunting in a way to be here."

I feel his eyes on me, "It'll feel better once you get going. Just take your time to readjust during practice and take it as it comes."

I finally look up and meet his dark brown eyes, "Hopefully," I smile softly.

"If anyone can make a badass comeback (F/n) I know it's you."

"Hopefully..." I say again, my eyes finding my feet again.

I feel his reassuring hand squeeze my shoulder, "Remember, you have the whole Hendrick Motorsports team behind you. Plus all of your fans have been eagerly awaiting your return. Noah was cool and all, but I missed my partner."