Can't Help Falling in Love {Ryan Blaney}✔️

| twenty-seven |

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

Sunlight stung Lara's eyes as she slowly opened them. For a moment, she stared at the ceiling, the events of earlier replaying in her mind.

    Pregnant. She had been pregnant. She hadn't even allowed herself to digest that information, she didn't really have time. But laying there with a throbbing midsection, she digested it and she didn't feel anything but relief. Pangs of guilt hit her -- she knew that most women would be devastated. But she was not most women. A pregnancy now would have ruined her career and trying to co-parent with Chase? That would've been a nightmare all on its own.

    Chase. She knew that her grandfather had been right, that she should tell him but she had no idea how. Panic tightened her chest as she thought about it, thought about his reaction. Would he be mad? Would he blame her? She shifted uneasily, alerting her grandfather that she had woken up.

    "Lara?" Her grandfather's voice filled the room. "How are you feeling?"

    Lara shrugged as she pulled herself into an upright position, wincing at the pain, "I'm sore." As if on cue, her stomach growled, "And I'm hungry."

    Rick chuckled, "I'm going to go get a nurse, I'll be right back."

    Lara nodded, watching as her grandfather stood up and walked out of the room. She kept her eyes trained on the now open door, watching as people walked by. Her eyes widened as she spotted a familiar face walk by.

"Chase?" Lara called. She had figured that at least her team would be there but Chase? She hadn't been expecting that.

"Yeah?" He appeared in her doorway, a Hendrick polo and dark wash jeans on. He didn't have a hat on, his usually styled hair now a mess of curls.

"I didn't think you would be here," Lara shrugged. "Is everything okay?"

Chase shoved his hands in his pockets as he took a couple of steps into the room. "Everybody else was here so I thought it'd probably look bad if I wasn't here." He shrugged. "And maybe I was worried about you?" His brown eyes shone a little as he studied Lara, trying to gauge her response.

Lara sighed, "I have something I need to tell you." She motioned for him to sit down.

"What's going on?" Chase plopped into the seat that her grandfather had been occupying. "Are you okay?" Lara's heart pounded a little at the softness in his voice and the concern in his eyes. If only he was always like this. She shook the thoughts, the feelings for Chase off. That part of her life was done and over, no matter how nice he was being in this moment.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She took a deep breath, "Chase, I had an ectopic pregnancy."

Lara watched Chase's features furrow as he processed what she had said. "You were pregnant?" He finally asked.

Lara nodded weakly, "But it wasn't a normal pregnancy. I'm not pregnant anymore."

"Did you know?" Chase whispered, his face unreadable.

Lara shook her head, "If I would've known, I wouldn't have gotten into the car. Not that racing had anything to do with this. It started out like that."

Chase let out a long breath, running his hand through his dark curls, "Shit Lara. Is it bad that I'm relieved that it turned out like this?"

Lara shook her head, "I feel the same way. You're not mad at me, are you?" Her voice squeaked at the end.

Chase gave her a sideways look, "Now you're worried about if I'm mad at you or not?" Chase chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry though, for how everything ended up between us. We could've been so good together..." He trailed off, shaking his head again.

Lara nodded slowly, remembering what her grandfather had said about finding peace. "But I think we both need to move on."

Chase offered a weak smile. "I think so too. Friends?"

Lara smiled, "Friends. But can you keep the reason behind my operation a secret? I don't think I need the garage's gossip mill to get ahold of it. As much as I hate the rumors about our rivalry or whatever, I feel like this would be a million times worse."

Chase chuckled as he stood up, "Of course. I better get back to the waiting room. Can I tell everybody that you're awake and okay?"

Lara nodded, "I'd appreciate that. Thanks, Chase."

Chase reached out, brushing a curl from her face like he had the day they played mini-golf. But this time it was different, friendly and nothing more. "Of course, Lara."

Chase shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked out of the room, nearly running into her grandfather.

"Sorry, sir," Chase nodded as Rick before continuing on.

"Everything okay?" Rick asked as he took his seat again. Concern whirled around his blue eyes as he waited for Lara to answer.

Lara nodded, thinking for a moment. Part of her was surprised at what had happened but another part of her wasn't — Chase wasn't a bad guy, the pieces of him that Lara had fallen in love with were still there. They'd always be there but the white-hot burning passion she felt with and for Chase had dimmed to a warm glow of friendship. Maybe that was what they were always destined to be, friends.

"Yeah," She finally answered. "I think we might be able to be friends."

Rick let out a sigh, "I hate to be your boss for a minute but man, am I glad to hear that. You two were fixing to bankrupt me with PR fees."