Текст книги "Whipped"

Автор книги: Elizabeth Lee

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

“Nice do, Sally,” Reid said as I walked over to his truck. He reached over and rubbed his hand across my head. “A little short.” It had been three days since I’d decided shaving off my hair was the best way to forget about having my heart ripped out. I had to admit, it helped a little. Seeing the reflection of a dude that seriously looked like he had zero fucks to give was making it easier to pretend. Fake it ‘till you make it, right?

“Good thing I’m awesome enough to pull it off,” I said, cracking half a smile.

The only text messages I got were from Hoyt and Reid. The only phone calls were from Pilsner and Dr. Forlani asking how I was feeling. The one person that I wanted to hear from was busy pretending I never existed, so I did the same.

“Heard from Georgia?” he asked.

“Nope.” There wasn’t much else to say. I’d told him what had happened already. Once was enough.

“Nora went home yesterday. Maybe she can talk some sense into her.” I knew that he was just trying to be helpful, but I was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she meant it when she said she couldn’t do it. I wasn’t enough.

“Doubt it,” I said. “She’ll probably tell her sister the same thing she told me.” The two of us stood beside his truck, our arms resting on the side of the bed. “I shouldn’t have pushed her into a relationship in the first place,” I confessed. “I knew she wasn’t ready. She needed a rebound and that’s what she got. No harm no foul.”

“I call bullshit. She was ready,” he insisted. “If I know anything about Bennett women it’s that they don’t do things they don’t want to do. She wouldn’t have started anything with you if she wasn’t ready.”

“Yeah, well, looks like she changed her mind. You win some, you lose some.”

“Wow.” He looked at me like he thought I was screwing with him. “I can’t believe you’re giving up so easy.”

“I’m not,” I snapped. “Or I didn’t. I was two seconds away from going back to Illinois when your brother talked me out of it.” I huffed out of frustration as I turned my hat backwards. “Give her time,” I said, mocking Hoyt’s advice.

“He’s usually right about most things,” Reid said with chuckle. “Maybe she’ll come back around.”

“Maybe,” I said, aggravated at the entire situation. “What the fuck ever, man. Who knows?” I threw my hands up in frustration before resting them on the back of my head. I turned and leaned against the truck. “This is why I don’t do relationships. I need to focus on riding. Not on whether or not she’s going to ever want to see or speak to me again.”

“I think she will.”

A little part of me wanted to tell Reid that I was over it and that she could do whatever the hell she wanted, but a bigger part hoped he was right.

“Do you love her?” Reid asked.

“Obviously,” I bit out at him with sharper teeth on the word than I’d intended. “Which is exactly where I went wrong. I should have never let myself get caught up in her. I should have come back home and done my recovery here. At least then I wouldn’t be standing here feeling like a little bitch crying over a girl who doesn’t want to be with me.” I knew exactly how jaded I sounded. Seventy-two hours of radio silence from the woman he loves will do that to a man.

“That’s love all right.” He smirked. “If you ain’t tied up in a million different knots then it’s not the real thing. Believe me. I know.” I thought back and remembered Reid being a mess when he realized that the girl he loved was dating someone else. I didn’t know if it was worse or better that there wasn’t another guy involved. At least if Georgia wanted to be with someone else I could beat his ass and be done with the whole thing.

Unless he was already dead.

Jamie Shaw was the one guy I couldn’t compete with. Maybe I’d finally lost her to the better man.

I’d somehow found myself in the front seat of Brett’s Expedition a few days later. My sister taking the wheel and pulling the Airstream back to Texas.

“Did you at least text and tell him your coming?” she’d asked. Her persistence had worked, but I wasn’t just doing this for her. I did want to be happy and I’d tired being happy without him. It hadn’t worked. Maybe I could be strong enough. I’d promised him that I’d come to one event—his exhibition was in a few days and I owed him at least that much.

“No,” I told her. “I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to say yet. I still don’t know if we can make it work.”

“I’m just glad that you’re going.” She reached over and grabbed my hand. “You’ll see. It’s not as scary as you think. He’s going to be so excited that you’re there.”

“Don’t tell him just yet. I... I just need some time to figure out what my game plan is.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “You can stay at Reid’s apartment until you’re ready to see him. He’s at the track with Brett anyway. It’s only about twenty minutes from the track.” Nora took the time that we had on our drive and the night before the event to fill me in on all things motocross—more specifically what it was like to be a motocross girlfriend. I have to say, she made it sound exciting.

“Not many jobs get the perks of seeing the world,” she said. “We’ve already been all over the place. Vegas. London. I think in a couple weeks we’re heading to Spain for an event.” I knew that she wasn’t just excited about watching Reid. Nora had been hired as the photographer for Throttled Energy so she was not only living Reid’s dream with him, she was fulfilling hers as well.

The more she talked, the more I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be a part of something. I wanted to be a part of couple. I wanted to be the girl he knew was cheering for him, standing in the spot his family never filled. I just hoped I hadn’t screwed it all up.

I stood in front of the mirror in Reid’s bathroom for a good twenty minutes trying to psych myself up for the event that day. I was going to see him. I was going to see him ride. I was going to talk to him. I took in a calming breath and held my shoulders back.

You can do this.

Nora had left early that morning to head over to the track and get everything ready for photographing the day. She’d given me a pep talk over coffee, telling me how excited he was going to be to see me and how much I was going to love seeing him in his element.

“It’s like getting to see a completely different side of a person,” she’d said. “He’s the best freestyle rider out there, so you’ll definitely get a good show today.”

“I’m excited,” I told her. “And nervous.” I genuinely was. I’d thought about my conversations with my sister over the past couple of days and she was right about me avoiding the obvious. I loved him. I wanted to make this work. I just hoped that he hadn’t decided I wasn’t worth the effort.

I’d planned my apology and picked out a cute, little, floral sundress to wear that day. I had no idea what people typically wore to an event like this, but I wanted to look good for him. I wanted him to see that despite the fact that I’d fallen apart emotionally, I wasn’t a complete disaster. I fixed my hair and make-up and slipped on a pair of leather ankle books before heading out the door.

I’d driven Nora’s car and followed the directions she’d given me to the track. The traffic slowed as I approached. I waited in line for ten minutes before pulling on to the property, giving myself enough time for one final pep talk before I saw him again. The pass that Nora had given me got me access to the pits, which was where I found my sister and her camera.

“Hey there, baby sister,” she said, greeting me with a smile. “You look extra adorable today.”

“You think?” I asked. “I don’t really have any motocross apparel.” I laughed. I should have just pulled one of her shirts from the closet. The simple black Throttled Energy t-shirt she was wearing with jeans made her look like she was meant to be there. I, on the other hand, was definitely out of my element.

“He’ll love it.” She winked. “Come on Travers,” she screamed at the track. I saw Reid falling behind the other rider he was competing against. “He’s taking the freaking corners too high,” she said tossing her hands up. “Like he’s never raced a damn dirt bike before,” she said under her breath. Her passion for the sport was evident, as well as her passion for number two-thirty-seven. “Come on, babe.”

“I thought this was just an exhibition? Does it matter who wins?”

“It always matters,” she said, the competitive gleam in her eye had me putting my hands up in surrender.

“Okay then.”

We watched the rest of the race and when Reid finished second, I saw my sister shaking her head.

“Well...”

“I shouldn’t worry about it,” she said. “I just know he’s going to beat himself up over that one.” She shrugged and shook her head. “I guess Chayse earned it.”

I looked out on the track and saw the winner pulling off her helmet. The infamous Chayse McCade pulled her dark ponytail over her shoulder and gave Reid a thumbs up as she smiled. Reid sat on his bike, smiled at her and shook his head before clapping. I had to admit, that chick was kind of badass. I was a little prouder to be a girl right then.

The crowd was eating it up. All of them on their feet for the winner as she waved and rode her bike off the track.

“Brett’s up next,” Nora said. “I need to get in a better position for photos,” she told me. “But, if you watch from here you should be able to see everything.”

“Okay,” I said, feeling the nervous energy roll over me. The second she walked away I heard the announcer call out Brett’s name. He was at the center of the track, driving his bike around the jump I assumed he was going to use.

My skin rippled with goosebumps as I watched him take his mark. I wished I’d talked to him before he went out. I wished I’d told him good luck and that I loved him. Instead, I joined in with the audience clapping and chanting his name and letting myself get totally engrossed in the thrill of it all that afternoon. The smell of exhaust and dirt was growing on me with each passing second.

As his bike roared toward the jump, I held my breath and watched as he soared through the air. His hands let go of the bike and I felt my heart stop dead in my chest. The second his wheels were on the ground and he pumped his fist in the air I came back to life. It was a feeling a lot like I got the first time he kissed me. I had to trust him then and I had to trust him now.

Each time he hit the ramp, I became more and more mesmerized. The control and precision of his movements were perfection. There was no denying that he knew exactly what he was doing and the crowd agreed. I was quickly coming to understand exactly why he loved this sport. It was electrifying. When I saw him ride off the track, I was actually disappointed that it was over. I wanted to keep watching. I wanted to see what more he could do. I’d officially started to become a fan.

I watched the direction he went and took it upon myself to go and find him. I had to tell him that I got it. I had to tell him how amazing I thought he did. My sister was standing across the track as I walked toward the row of sheds where the riders were keeping their bikes. I gave Nora a smile as I passed her—silently asking her to wish me luck.

“Big day,” Nick said. I was giving my bike a thorough once over in the garage. Making sure everything was the way it was supposed to be. I’d perfected my runs over the past few days. Channeling my focus into riding had been easy during the day when I could actually ride. It was the nights that brought on the self-pity and wallowing.

The liquor helped there. I might have drank more than I cared to admit since Georgia dumped me. The sad part was I couldn’t even get drunk and have fun anymore. I pretty much just drowned my sorrows and sat around watching the others in the bar—dancing and having the time of their lives. I’d become that sad sack of a man for a hot minute, and then I decided to suck it up. I had a lot of work to do and not just on my bike. As soon as this exhibition was over, I was going to get her back. I wasn’t letting her go as easily as she thought.

Reid and Hoyt had been doing their part trying to keep my mind off of things. They stopped asking me if I was okay and just started treating me like I was. That helped. Not talking about her was a good thing, even if it’s all I wanted to do. It took everything I had in me to not have Reid ask Nora what her sister was doing. How her sister was doing? If she’d talked to her? If she’d pass a note in class? Do you still love me?

“Sure is,” I told Nick. “I think they’re going to be impressed,” I added referring to the sponsors. “If Travers can’t wow them with his time trials, surely they will hand over the cash when they see me fly through the air,” I chuckled.

“I’m banking on it,” he said patting me on the back. “I wanted to say thanks for giving this your all. I know that last few months have been rough with the injury,” he said.

“What else was I going to do?” I shrugged. “This is all I’ve got.” It was true. This dirt bike was the only thing I had in my life. Sure, it might crash to the ground and break my body into a million pieces. Couldn’t hurt any worse than having your heart ripped out.

“Don’t think the higher ups haven’t noticed your dedication,” he added. “You’ve got a contract with Throttled as long as you want it.”

“Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.” At least with things in my personal life such a mess, I had one good thing to focus on. I’d wanted this career for as long as I could remember. “I won’t let you down today.”

He smiled as he shot me a thumbs up. “I better go check in on Chayse. I’m sure she’s nervous about today.” It was her first day of riding for some of the big wigs at Throttled. I knew one person that was way more nervous than the company’s newest rider.

“You might want to check in on Hoyt too,” I suggested.

“Will do,” he agreed with a low chuckle.

After he left, I pulled on all my riding gear and enjoyed the moment alone. There were already hundreds of people filling the property. The hum of dirt bike motors was already littering the air. I’d be out there soon, but right now I needed to clear my head. I needed to visualize my approaches. I needed to visualize each trick and how I was going to execute it. Nothing could go wrong today. I had to be perfect.

When I finally saddled up and headed over to the track, I was ready. My pulse raced as I waited for my turn to shine. Reid and Chayse were putting on quite a show at the moment—racing each other for the crowd they’d invited for the event. It was smart to open the gates to the public. A free event every once a while was good for the brand. Throttled wanted to make money, but they also wanted to reward loyalty. Five hundred tickets had been handed out to MVP fans and their families. They would make enough money off the merchandise they sold to cover the costs.

Riding for an audience had always suited me better. I needed the applause to fuel me. I loved being the center of attention for those few seconds. I stopped my bike and signed few autographs when I got to the crowd. The excited faces of the young fans were my favorite.

“You’re my favorite rider,” a little boy said as I signed his Sallinger jersey.

“Thanks, man” I told him getting ready to sign my name. “What’s your name?”

“Joey,” he said proudly. The missing front teeth were really adding to his adorable factor. “I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

“I’m sure you’ll be better than me,” I told him. He didn’t want to be like me. I wanted to tell him not to wish away his youth. I remembered when things were easier. When I had no responsibilities. No heartache. No woman driving me to the brink of insanity. I smiled for a couple pictures with him and bit my tongue, not offering up my advice on not falling in love. The light in that kid’s eyes reminded me that I was a lucky son of bitch to get to have a career that I loved so much. I needed to stop thinking about what I didn’t have and be thankful for what I did.

The sudden gasp and wild cheering of the crowd told me the race was over. When I looked up I was just as surprised as the crowd by what I saw. Chayse McCade was taking a victory lap.

Had she really just beat him?

That was going to be a discussion for after the event. If Reid Travers had just got beaten by a rookie, I was never going to let him live it down. She’d earned it though. When she finally pulled her ass out of bed, she trained hard. Her riding was improving and whether or not she wanted to admit it, Hoyt was a big part of the reason. I was happy for the both of them. If they could get their shit together off the track that’d make it even better.

I pulled up to my starting point and waited for the crew to clear out. They knew how I wanted to the track to feel on the jump approach. We’d been over it a hundred times. We’d hard packed the dirt and made sure it was smooth.

My practice run felt good. I throttled and reached the exact amount of speed I needed, going alongside the ramp and circling back around. My bike was tight and loose in all the right places. My knee was strong and I felt solid as I signaled to the announcer that I was ready to go.

“Ladies and gentleman,” he called out on the loud speaker. “If you’ll turn your attention to the center of the field,” he paused. “Throttled Energy is pleased to welcome back last year’s Freestyle Champion... Brett Sallinger!”

I could hear the crowd going wild. It wasn’t the same as an arena with twenty thousand strong, but it was enough. Their support and readiness to see me ride was all I needed. I revved the bike a couple times to egg them on. Their cheers grew louder. When I popped the clutch and took off, I knew this jump was going to be perfect. There wasn’t a wobble or a moment of hesitation. I hit the ramp at full speed and was soaring within seconds. I let go of the handlebars mid-flight and stretched my body out parallel to the bike before pulling it back under me. I eyed my landing and set my wheels down perfectly.

Nailed it.

For my second run, I opted for a Lazy Boy Backflip, which consisted of me tucking my feet under the handle bars and laying my body out on the seat of the bike as the bike turned vertically. It wasn’t my hardest trick, but the crowd loved it and I always played it up, tucking my hands behind my head like I was taking a split second nap.

I was only scheduled for two runs, but the roar of the crowd made me want to give them more. I pulled off a Double Back Flip before calling it a day. It felt amazing. My adrenaline was full steam ahead as I rode back to the shed to park my bike. Nick had scheduled a meet and greet for us, so I didn’t have much time to waste.

“Hey there big shot,” a familiar voice called out just as I had shut off the bike and climbed off. “Can’t even tell that you were laid up a few weeks ago.”

I pulled off my helmet and got a good look at the brunette standing in front of me and wiped the sweat from my brow. It wasn’t hard to stare at her, considering she wasn’t wearing much. It was almost impossible not to let my eyes fall on her tits as she sauntered over to me—the low cut of her shirt left little to the imagination.

“Took a lot of work,” I said, trying not to let the fact that she was dancing her fingertips across my arm as I pulled off my gloves and tucked them into my helmet affect me. My pulse was still racing from the adrenaline rush of being on my bike.

“You looked amazing,” she said, giving me her best wide-eyed look. Her lips were full and slicked with gloss. “Just wanted to stop in to tell you good job,” she said with a bat of her lashes. “And I wanted to see if you needed me for anything. You know, after…”

Wasn’t that long ago that I would have had her on her knees filling that flirty little mouth of hers. She knew better than anyone that there was nothing I loved more than getting off after a good run—when my pulse was still racing and my muscles were aching for release.

Alicia brushed her tits against my body as she circled me like I was her pray. I was on to her game. I bit down on my bottom lip and took a deep breath as she tried to tempt me. She knew that I was the one that liked to be in control. I could have had that little skirt she was wearing up around her waist in the blink of an eye.

Too bad things had changed.

Well...

I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t think about letting her help me out. It would have been easy to fall back in to my old routines. Only problem was, I was more into blondes these days. One specifically. If getting back on the track had taught me anything, it was that I was a persistent son of a bitch.

Georgia and I might not be on at the moment, but I wasn’t going to risk it on the off chance she changed her mind. If being miserable for a little while longer without her was what it took, I’d suck it up.

“Thanks for the offer,” I told Alicia with a shrug. Her flirty smile fell by the wayside. “But I’m going to have to pass.”

“Oh,” she said, her brow furrowing. “I thought I heard you and your girl were off.”

“We are, but—”

“But it’s complicated,” Georgia’s voice interrupted evenly, cutting right through our conversation.

I thought I was imagining it at first, but the sudden distance Alicia put between herself and me said that it wasn’t a hallucination. I turned to find her standing just a few feet away from me and the sudden dryness in my throat made it hard to swallow. Georgia Bennett looked sexy as hell and as angry as a swatted wasp. The jealousy was written all over her face as she glared at Alicia. “And the last thing we need is you making it more complicated.”

Alicia, eyebrows rose, looked over at me for confirmation, or at least waiting for me to defend what Georgia had just walked in on. I shrugged. This was all news to me. I didn’t mind getting to see the feisty side of Georgia. The last person I thought was going to show up today was her. Especially seeing as how I hadn’t heard so much as a peep from her in two weeks.

“Is that right?” I asked. I pulled my neck and chest protectors off and tossed them on the ground. I wouldn’t let her see how excited I was that she was there. I kept a straight face and crossed my arms over my chest. Who was she to just waltz in here and think that I’d just forgive and forget? “Last I heard there was nothing going on between us.”