Fast Track

Chapter Ten

Addie's POV:

"You know," said Kaitlyn, her words slightly slurred from the wine we had each consumed "If things don't work out with you and Jeb, you can always go after one of the other guys in the sport. Chase is single and from what I hear, totally ready to mingle."

"I am staying clear of all things NASCAR if and when I decide to start dating." I replied, clutching the pillow that I had been holding onto. I;d already had my breakdown moment over the fight with Jeb so tears didn't begin to stream but I can't lie and say that I didn't feel a little twinge of pain at the mention of his name.

"Yeah, and I said the same thing, that I wasn't going to go after another driver after Ryan and I split. But look at me now... all happy and shit with Joey." said Kaitlyn, stars popping into her eyes at the mere mention of her fiance.

"It's different for you. Joey was already in the cup series when you two met. It doesn't look like he singled you out because of your last name."

"If you really think that's what happened between you and Jeb, then you know I stand behind you one hundred percent. But I've met Jeb before. He comes from a good family, one that doesn't need the last name Gibbs to get them anywhere in the sport. His own dad and Uncle are well known enough that he shouldn't have a problem getting a foot in the door. Plus, you know just as well as I do that if Pappy Joe is putting him in one of his cars, its because he has talent, not because he's fucking you." said Kaitlyn, never one to mince her words or keep her opinions to herself, no matter how crass thet came across. I knew she was right. Ward and Jeff both were legends in NASCAR. Jeb could ride the wave of notoriety on their names alone. He didn't need me or my name.

"I know all that. I really do. But that doesn't mean that I don't also know what it feels like to have someone use you."

"I know. And if you had let me do what I wanted to do to Christopher, you wouldn't be second guessing if Jeb was being honest with you. If you had let me castrate that motherfucker, you wouldn't be worried about Jeb keeping secrets from you." said Kaitlyn.

"Not sure what Christopher being castrated has to do with Jeb and his secrets." I said, a laugh bubbling up courtesy of the wine. Tonight might be the first time that I had tried the viral tiktok wine -Taylor Port- but it wasn't going to be my last.

"Well for starters, castrating him would have given you piece of mind after his whole cheating scandal. Secondly, it would mean that he could never do to someone else what he did to you. And thirdly, it really had nothing to do with anything; He just deserves it." Kaitlyn laughed.

"That might be the case but it still doesn't help me figure this shit out with Jeb." I said, shifting on the couch and pulling my knees up to my chest. "He told me he loved me."

"And you didn't believe him." said Kaitlyn, already knowing that was the problem.

"Part of me wants to. But–"

"But you don't want to get hurt again."

"I just don't trust my instincts anymore. I trusted Christopher with everything in me and I still couldn't see what was going on right in front of my face. How am I supposed to trust that Jeb is telling me the truth, that his intentions are pure, when I don't even trust myself?"

Kaitlyn was about to respond whenI heard a key slipping into the lock. A second later,the door swung open and Ty walked in. "Look who I found out on the street..." he said as he stepped aside, revealing Jeb.

Jeb's POV:

Even though I'd had three hours alone on the truck to figure out what I was going to say, I still had nothing. I didn't know what I was going to do to prove to Addie that I was being honey with her. But none of that mattered when I laid eyes on her. Even though it had only been a matter of hours since I'd seen her, since I'd held her, it felt like an eternity.