Chicago Love ✔️

Chapter 11: "I've been thinking about you....."

An ill-handling car all night, and then contact with his favorite fellow competitor Denny Hamlin was certainly not how Alex Bowman imagined his night going in Atlanta, Georgia. However, that was the case en route to another disappointing finish, this time ranked 26th in the final rundown.

He was glad to be heading home immediately following the race, knowing it'd be great to be within the four walls of his own house for a distraction. Maybe he could get himself lost in watching the World of Outlaw sprint car event from the past weekend. Maybe he could get himself lost in thought by listening to some music. Maybe he could play fetch with Finn and forget about the day that was in that form. Either way, he didn't want to think about Atlanta anymore in his mind.

He gets inside the door after driving back to his house from the airport, immediately met with a pair of paws on his chest and black face right before him. He rubs both of the long ears, giving the black lab a kiss on the head. He then makes his way through the house, thankful Finn had behaved and not destroyed anything while he was gone, before opening the back door. He lets the dog run outside into the yard, before walking out on the deck himself as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. 

He knew the type of messages he was about to read. There would be his friends trying to make him feel better after the rough day he had. There would be jokes about Denny's ability and being a hack. There would be words of encouragement. It was the usual run of the mill stuff he had grown used to all season so far it seemed.

I've been thinking about you.... was the first message he read, though, bringing a smile to his face as he recognized it to be from the newest contact added to his phone just a week ago. Her number would always pop out with the Chicago area code, though also by the name attached. There was no forgetting about her now. 

I had the afternoon off work after a rough week so I decided to tune in and watch. I see you met your favorite person once again. 

He had hoped her messages would be an escape from everything that happened, in the same way she was the perfect medicine the week before in Chicago. Why did she have to remind him of the day that was? He just wanted to forget Denny Hamlin ever existed for at least 24 hours.

My favorite person, really? I'm pretty sure that title does not belong to him. That'd be like you saying the criminal you chased was your favorite person. 

The message in response had started off as how he intended - flirty, perhaps changing the topic of conversation. However, as soon as the words were typed on the screen and sent, he knew he had screwed up in sending not what he had intended. What was he thinking? He should've just sent the first two sentences. Why did he always mess up these relationships?

If you want to call someone who was willing to blow up an entire city because he was owed some couple millions of dollars my favorite person, then you can go right ahead. Or if you want to call someone that had the worst ill-intentions in mind when it came to the girls of this city. Truth be told, that makes me a little sick to my stomach there. 

He had certainly screwed up the message more than he had intended. There were always line in the sand, and he had crossed every single one of them. How was he supposed to get her back on his side now? 

You may want to call Denny a villain for continually involving himself in your life, but man, he doesn't compare to what I have seen this week. I'm just thankful that we're all okay.

There was the message that seemingly put everything in perspective from Hailey for him. While he was sitting there complaining about a simple day on the track gone wrong, she was chasing some of the worst criminals around the city of Chicago and putting her neck on the line doing so. There was no bad he could have that would compare to what she was dealing with. That's why he knew right now he should be comforting her, not adding to her headache. That was the basis of their original friendship, right?

I'm glad that you're all okay, too. I wouldn't want to see a single scratch on that pretty face of yours. I would probably personally make my way to Chicago to kick the guys ass if that happened. Wait - I probably wouldn't as you would have it taken care of already, or Hank. I wonder how he and the team reacted to you being hungover last week anyway.

It was almost a shame they hadn't texted each other in a week, but here they were. Neither of them had wanted to send the first message. Alex didn't want to seem too forthcoming, scare her way with the feelings that hadn't faded since she dropped him off last Monday. He didn't want her to know that he had been thinking about her every single night since they had separated. It was why there was relief in seeing she had texted first, and he hoped it was the first of many messages they traded.

Hank didn't catch onto my behavior, for the record. He was too focused on Jay's predicament - which rightfully so considering what that man went through. Kim caught onto my smile, though, and questioned which man had put it on my face. I didn't answer the question.

Alex did not how to respond to that. Why didn't she share his name, or the reasoning behind the meeting? Was she ashamed? Was she scared of his reaction? Then again, he hadn't dared shared all the details with Kyle in fear of what he would say in return, either.

How was he supposed to ensure they got to spend time together? How was he supposed to act on these feelings if he couldn't dare say a word about them? 

What was he supposed to send her now in return to that thought, too?