Race Track of Love

RTOL 12

Chapter 12

A day had passed in Concord, I'm scooping out my stuffs from the suitcases when Jodie suddenly squealed when she burst the door open in my hotel room.

"Oh my gosh! Mitch! Guess what?" Her voice seems from a marathon run. "Vanessa!"

My brows automatically furrowed, forehead creased. "Vanessa what?!"

I fished out my towel, heading my way to the bathroom.

"How many times did I tell you to please stop mentioning her and him to me?"

"But, she's Marcus'..." I slammed the bathroom door at her. I immediately went to the shower.

She didn't finish her statement.

The cool splash of water from the shower made me feel refresh. If I could crawl into a hole and burrow in it comfortably just to forget everything after I met him not just by name, well, then that is what I would do.

My phone vibrated next to me, it's Tyler.

"Is it true?" I can hear him puffing on his cigarette.

"Is what true?" I'm lying already on the bed, other arm on my nape.

"Did someone change my place in your heart, babe?" he giggled. Somewhat I and Tyler are still good friends and sometimes call each other babe.

"What are you talking about? No one."

"Nothing, it means I still got that place."

"Tyler..." I prolonged. "Tyler, please."

"Okay, I'm sorry baby. It's just that, I'm still here." His voice somewhat begging.

"Babe, there's no one." I paused, my mind circling for Marcus. "But, please stop."

"I know, just always remember I'm still hoping. If there's no one got your heart, I will still be loving you. I never stopped loving you, Demon," he chuckled. "You got me—that much."

We just found ourselves giggling. He's laughing but I know he was hurt. Somehow, I did love Tyler but not as much as I felt now. The way our relationship happened was a sort strange of serendipity.

I stopped saying sorry when I made him realize that I can't love him back the way he does for me, that's why I shouldn't say it. It's kind of pity already.

"Tyler baby, you know what? We got some race to win the day after tomorrow, right? We should take our rest because we still have a track practice tomorrow."

"I get it. It's only you, can win the race. Who can ever beat the Young Goddess of Racing? The demon of the track? The Queen of my Heart? Just kidding. The demon's gonna rule—Mitch Pauleen Demonteverde. Good night, baby."

"Good night, babe." Tyler hanged up.

I woke up the next morning. Jetlag is the worse when travelling on the plane county to county and much even worse across the globe.

I made it perfectly clear to myself that he isn't my type of guy. I focused my full attention to the start tower as we practice for the Coca-cola 600 here in Charlotte Motor Speedway. I gripped hard the wheel, my right foot awaiting to step on the gas and my right hand on the clutch. I cursed, thinking what had happened week ago before we headed here.

What a douche bag.

Marc kept on looking for me but Jodie excused that I wasn't around, that I'm at another friend's place, at a fellow driver in Parker Racing—Tracy Stenhouse.

Actually, I wasn't there because once and for all, Tracy was busy practicing for the Indy Car Series. The bottom line there was when I went out to the balcony adjacent to my bedroom, he could've seen me but I almost hit the floor crouching down so that he won't catch me.