Chasing You

Chapter 4

CHRIS

"You don't get to do that, Chris", Yvonne grabs my wrist just as I'm about to step through the doors of the lounge. Every garage on the paddock has multiple rooms, some garages are bigger, some smaller. Due to how well-known Astoria is, our team has one of the biggest garages, along with Apollo and Espen.

After the tour, Lewis and Levi still had business over at their place with Duncan, Fabio was still MIA, Aria and Winnie were on their pearl dive, so Yvonne stuck around with me in our garage's lounge for coffee. She posted some pictures she took of the paddock on her social media while I mulled over my life choices.

I still can't believe she is here.

I've never felt more alive than in that night in Monaco, when we went to that party. I don't even know why I stopped at first. I just knew that something inside me told me to. Something inside me told me that I was going to regret it if I didn't stop my car.

So I pulled over, and there she was. The most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold. Her rich brown eyes looked at me as if she just saw something spectacular. Her brown strands were up in a messy bun, one that matched that short glittery dress. A glittery dress that revealed too much skin for my brain to go down sane paths.

But it was her personality that made me fall for her. She got in the car, and the first thing she did was to threaten me that she knows Muay Thai. As soon as she realised I didn't mean any harm, and I literally just agreed to take her to the party, she calmed down and we started talking. We arrived thirty minutes late at the party and she didn't know just because I drove us in the same circle for five times in a row, in order to keep hearing her talk. She told me how she loved Harry Styles and has always dreamed of visiting London. I told her it's where I was born and grew up. I didn't tell her my full name, and she didn't know who I was. She told me she wished to become a journalist, and that she just found a program but didn't have the money to pay the tuition. After the party, which we left early cause nothing there was more interesting than what was happening to us, we remained in the bay and looked at the night sky.

The night sky I've been looking at every night since, begging the stars to bring her back to me.

"What do you want, Yvonne?", I ask her. I am so sorry, I know she is one of my best friends, but right now, I can't afford a lecture. All I need is a drink, and as it happens, I have practice in a few hours. So drinking is out of the question.

"Oh, cut the bullshit", she pockets her phone and turns her full attention to me. I get it's going to be a long talk, so I take a sit back on the couch, and Yvonne locks the door behind us. "Are we simply going to ignore the fact that was the Addie? The Addie you've been obsessed with for years?"

I curse at Levi for ever telling his wife about Addie.

"And what if she was?", it pains me to say. "It's been two years. Two years."

"Two years in which you obviously couldn't help but think of her", she counters. She sighs rubbing her temples, and comes take a sit next to me on the couch. "Chris, look at me", she demands. I don't, so she lifts up my chin to look at her. "You just acted as if you don't even remember her, when we all know you obviously do. Why was that?"

"I...I...I don't know."

"You're scared", she reads straight through me. "Scared she doesn't remember you. Scared you didn't mean to her as much as she meant to you."

"What if..."

"Ask her out", she interrupts. "Ask her out. Tonight. Invite her to dinner. If you don't feel comfortable to be alone with her, we'll call it a double date. Levi and I can join you."

"I can't do it tonight. It's still...still so soon, you know?"

Her lack of response is response enough. However, she still agrees: "If you say so. If not, just do it tomorrow."

Her phone lights up with an incoming call from Duncan Sage, the Apollo team principal. "That would be my cue", she mutters. I can see her want to leave, but she stops and takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. "Call me if you need anything", she says.

I close my eyes and rest my head against the couch. I don't watch as she walks away, the sounds of heels clattering on the floor the only sign she's gone.

Even as I close my eyes, I see the pained expression on her face as I told her we've never met before.

I might really use a drink.