Remind Me « Chase Elliott »

Chapter Five // Shattered Heart

May 2014

"Chase!" I ran towards victory lane, pushing people out of my way and trying my best not to slip and fall on the mud everywhere. It was rare that he even ran a dirt race, but this was the first time he ever won. "Chase!" I pushed past the race crew and came to a sudden stop. Chase was standing by his car, his arms around the waist of some blonde that had her hands on his cheeks, their foreheads close together.

I felt sick to my stomach, and my world suddenly became upside down.

I wanted to disappear, to run away, to be anywhere but here. My vision became blurry and I could no longer hear the cheers for Chase, just the loud pounding of my heart in my ears.

His head turned in my direction when someone called his name from behind me. Our eyes locked and I could see the panic in them as he pushed her away quickly. But it was too late. The damage was already done.

I knew then falling for him was the biggest mistake of my life.

**

Darlington was a small town with a rich history when it came to racing, and it showed while driving through the streets to the track. This was one of my favorite tracks and I always begged dad to let me come along with him here when I was younger. He'd let me wander around by myself because the track was seated in the middle of nowhere.

So when we pulled up to the tunnel to go into the track, a sinking feeling came over me that this place was no longer what it used to be, just like the man sitting beside me. I glanced over at him for the first time since we left Charlotte and took in the things that have changed over the years.

He was no longer the cute little boy down the street with the chubby cheeks, he was now a young man who had defined jawline covered in stubble. His voice was so much deeper, his hands more coarser with working on cars over the years. The worry line between his brow was new and I wanted to reach out and rub it away.

He still sang along to the radio under his breath and still had road rage.

Some things never changed, but still, it was like I was sitting next to a stranger who I knew every single thing about them, but yet nothing at all.

Chase parked his truck next to his RV but made no move to get out. "What happened to us, Sadie Mae?" He made a reach for my hand, but I moved it away. I swallowed thickly, trying my best to hold back tears and thinking of a million things to say to him, but I couldn't form a single word to say.

He took the silence differently than what I intended it to be. "Fine. Nevermind. Forget I even asked." He got out of the truck and slammed the door.

It was going to be one long weekend.