Wildest Dreams

Chapter 39

May, 2026

He thought he had lost it. He remembered stuffing into his pocket the day Marisa put in his palm. That felt like one of the worst days of his life. Ty picked it up out of the bottom of the dresser drawer before turning it over in his hand. The emerald stones caught the light coming through the bedroom window. Memories flooded back, memories he hadn't thought about in a good two and a half years. Memories of a completely different life.
"Ty!" Ty heard her voice but didn't respond. He was too transfixed on the charm in his hand. "Tyler!" Ty turned, finding Elsie standing in the doorway of the bedroom. "Did you not hear me?" She asked, leaning against the door frame.
"Sorry, got distracted. What's up?"
"What's that in your hand? Did you get me something?" Else asked, looking excited. Elsie loved when people gave her gifts.
"No, sorry, this is something I just found." Ty dropped it on the top of the dresser. "Thought it got lost years ago.
"You must have bought it for someone." Elle said, crossing her arms. "You don't just randomly buy something like that."
"What are you getting at?"
"You never buy me things like that." Elsie frowned. "It's like you don't like me."
"Elsie..."
"My mom just called."  When Frankie Hutcherson called, it was never just to talk. The lady always was at a motive for everything she did. "She's wondering when she can start planning." Ty didn't like the sound of that.
"Planning what?"
"The wedding, of course."
"Elsie..."
"I knew it!" Elsie threw her hands up before stomping out of the bedroom. Ty sighed before following her into the living room.
"Elsie, what is wrong? What did I do?" Elsie turned to face Ty. It was times like now that he was glad he didn't have a roommate anymore. Sammy had moved out after the end of the 2023 season after he left JGR for JRM. Ty was sad he had left, but they still found time to hang out from time to time with John Hunter.
"We're not together just for the heck of it, Ty."
"What are you talking about?"
"There was a reason why our moms were so insistent on us meeting." Ty knew it from the get-go. Why Heather Gibbs wanted something like that for her son, Ty could never figure out.
"I know."
"Then what is taking so long?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's been about two years for us, and I just think it's time."
"Elsie, I'm 23, and you're 21. We're young still, why..."
"Plenty of people get engaged and married at our ages, Ty! My parents were married and had my older siblings by the time they were 24."
"Why do you want to rush this? There is nothing wrong with us just dating. We don't even live together yet."
"Why are you being so difficult about this?"
"Me? I'm not the one trying to rush us into something that might not work out?"
"Might not work out?" Shit. "You think this isn't going to work out?"
"That's not what I meant, Elsie."
"Of course it is. You wouldn't have said it if you didn't think it."
"Elsie, we're too young to even be thinking about it."
"Do you even love me?" Elsie asked. Ty sighed.
"You know I do."
"Okay, let me rephrase myself. Do you love me like you loved her?" That was a punch to the gut. Ty had told her about Jocelyn when they first met. She had asked about her over the years, but Ty didn't tell her much. It still hurt too much to talk about her.
"Elsie..."
"You don't love me like that. I don't think you ever will."
"Don't compare yourself to someone else."
"Do you want to marry me?" Elsie asked, hating that she already knew the answer.
"Elsie.."
"Do not skirt around it. Tell me if I'm wasting my time."
"No, I don't." Ty could see the tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Please don't cry."
"How do you expect me not to?" Elsie asked, wiping the tears that had managed to fall out.
"I'm sorry for upsetting you, Elsie." Ty looked at the time. "I have to head to the shop for the comp meeting. We can talk when I get back."
"I won't be here when you get back."
"Els..."
"Don't." Ty look one last look at Elsie before he left. He barely got into the Supra before he was getting a call from his mom.
"Hello?"
"What did you do, Tyler Randall Gibbs?"
"What are you talking about?" Ty asked as he pull out of the apartment complex parking lot.
"Elsie called Frankie in tears. No wedding?"
"I'm 23. Why do I need to get married at 23?"
"Ty."
"Mom."
"You could have had a long engagement, Ty."
"I can't do something that doesn't feel right." Heather sighed. "I'm sorry. Maybe if I were older or..."
"She's not coming back, Ty."
"I know."
"I just want what's best for you."
"I know mom. I just..." Ty let out a sigh. "I appreciate everything you've ever done for me, I do. This particular subject I need to do on my own." They said their goodbyes before hanging up. The rest of the drive to the shop was a silent one. Ty finally pulled into the shop parking lot next to Christopher.
"Great job Sunday, Ty." Christopher said as they walked towards the front door. "Second place in the 600 is no easy feat."
"3 more laps and I think I could have caught the 4 car."
"Berry was scary fast all night." They walked into the building and greeted Marlene.
"That idiot in the 10 didn't help you, did he?"
"Absolutely not. Who races that hard that early in a 600 miler?"
"An idiot." Ty said with a laugh. "He did that shit when we ran Xfinity together." They got on the elevator and headed up to the second floor.
"How are things with Elsie?"
"Considering she's probably packing up what things she has in my apartment..."
"What happened?"
"I told her I didn't want to get married."
"You two are at that point?"
"I didn't think we were, she did. Her mother certainly did. Mrs. Hutcherson has been pushing for an engagement, I guess. Didn't think an engagement required more than two people." Ty and Christopher walked into the conference room finding almost everyone there already. They took their respective seats by their crew chiefs while they waited for Joe.
"Guess the summer internship program starts today." Christopher said outloud.
"Internship program?" Ty asked.
"Joe and Dave started a new internship program to help teenagers and college students get a foot in the door in Motorsports. We have three interns starting today." Christopher said as Joe and Dave both walked into the conference room with the interns behind them.
"Morning everyone. We just wanted to quickly introduce this year's summer interns. Everyone meet Jamie Whitlock, AJ Delgado, and Mercer Davis-Thompson." Ty thought she had looked familiar. He hadn't seen Mercer since Pheonix in 2023 for the championship weekend. Joe had been kind enough to invite Mercer to join them. "Jamie and AJ will be interning with the engineers while Mercer will be with our crew chiefs, more specifically, Chris Gabehart." Dave took Jamie and AJ out of the conference room as Mercer took her seat around the table. Ty couldn't help but watch Mercer the entire competition meeting. After the meeting, Ty wanted to talk to Mercer.
"Mercer." She stopped and turned to face Ty.
"Long time no see, Ty."
"You too. Didn't know you applied for this internship."
"I haven't talked to you in two and a half years, Ty. How would you know?"
"Right."
"What do you really want?"
"Mercer..."
"I can't tell you what you want to hear, Ty."
"What do you think that is?"
"You think I didn't know? About you and Auntie Joce? I overheard the conversations she had over the phone with my dad. The conversation she had with Taylor and Morgan when they visited the November after she left. I know what you two had, and I know what she did. There is nothing I can tell you that's going to ease your mind about it. I'm sorry." Mercer left Ty alone in the conference room.