Only the Lonely {Chase Elliott} ✔️

xxv.

chase watched as kathryn claire slowly backed from the car. he had a sinking feeling that he had just ruined everything. they had survived the first time he had misled her but he wasn't sure she would forgive him this time.

"kathryn claire, wait!" he called as she turned to walk away.

she paused, turning back to him. chase's stomach dropped when he saw the tears staining her cheeks. "what?" she leaned back into the cockpit.

chase knew that it was now or never. he reached up, pressing his lips to hers. fear flashed through him briefly that she was going to pull away -- that his kiss would upset her more. but he relaxed when she melted into the kiss.

kissing her set his body on fire. he didn't want it to end but he could feel his crew chief hovering so he pulled back slowly. "please be here when the race is over, okay?"

kathryn claire backed away, nodding slowly.

chase wanted to say more but alan stepped in front, handing him his helmet. "focus chase."

chase nodded slowly, pulling his helmet on. his heart pounded at what had just happened. this wasn't how he had imagined everything happening but when she pressed him, the words tumbled out.

he closed his eyes, taking a couple deep breaths. when he opened them, he caught a glimpse of kathryn claire climbing up to his pit box. he let out a sigh of relief as he flipped his visor down, ready for the command to fire up his engine.

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"alright, we've got three laps to go," eddie came over the radio, "you're still in this bud, just don't be a carousel casualty."

"10-4." chase answered, shifting in his seat. there had been a late caution and chase had made it out of the pits in fourth.

"green, green," eddie called, chasing pushing the gas. the car lunged forward, up the hill, sweeping to the left.

he held his position, right behind the leaders. this race was his to win and he desperately wanted to be in victory lane.

chase wheeled his car to the right, kissing the bumper of whoever was ahead of him.

"easy there," eddie warned. "do not get overzealous yet."

"10-4," chase grumbled. if he could make a move, he was going to do it. while a lot could happen in three laps, he would rather be in front and have to defend than try and chase the leader down at the last lap.

he chased the leaders through turn 3 and 3a, his heart pounding at the quick turns. he tightened his grip on his steering wheel as he started the downhill drop into the carousel.

chase gained enough speed that he was side by side with the leader. a quick glance told him he was battling for the lead against ryan. side by side they ran hard through turn 5 and into turn 6, chase on the inside, ryan holding the outside line. the downhill had given chase speed -- too much of it and he hit the turn too wide. he flinched, trying everything he could to save his car.

his car careened towards the wall of tires as chase switched tactics, trying to slow the car down to minimize damage, to no avail. his car hit the tires, the force of the impact crumbling his car and spitting his car backwards onto the track again.

chase tried to steer his car off the track but he couldn't. metal on metal screamed as somebody hit him at full speed, sending his car spinning. the two impacts had left the cockpit compromised, chase knew that his legs had been pinned.

he tried again to get his car off the track, to safety. his heart pounded in his ears as he realized that he had no steering left.

before he could even come on the radio, he was hit again. this time his car flipped, landing on the roof. his neck jolted at the impact, only the hans device saving him, whiplash the price to pay for it.

he was trapped. he was hurt.

he was suspended in midair as he noticed smoke filling his cockpit.

"there's a fire, there's a fire," he yelled into his radio, hoping that somebody would hear him and get him out. "i'm trapped. my legs - -" he couldn't finish the sentence, he didn't want to. he knew he was hurt, the pain radiating through his body indicated that but he couldn't think about the severity. now was not the time, now he just needed to get out of the car.

the smoke seeped into his helmet. chase tried to focus on taking deep breaths, praying that help was on the way but the smoke was suffocating.

"help." he pleaded over the radio, "i'm hurt." his voice had lowered into a hoarse whisper. he could hear somebody yelling at him through his earpiece but he was fading fast, unable to comprehend what they were saying.

as the world blackened, kathryn claire's face flashed in his mind. a million thoughts of her flooded his mind as he fought to keep his eyes open.

he coughed, gasping for air. his eyes widened at the orange flames that were creeping closer to him.

a sinking feeling hit him as his eyes fluttered shut.

he was going to die in this car.

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fin.