Page 3 of Love Collided

He grinned, messing up my hair. “I know. We aresogenerous. Are you driving it tonight or do you want to take one of ours?”

“One of ours?” Ash scoffed, her eyebrows shooting up. “You think I’m giving up my car to race tonight?” Fox only groaned and pulled out his keys.

“No babe, I think I’m giving up mine,” he said to Ash before turning back to me. “But we’ll get your car fixed up this week so you’re ready to go next time.”

“Thanks.” I leaned over, hugging him as Ransom and Quinn walked in.

“Let’s go,” Kye yelled from his car. “If we don’t get there early I’m going to miss my first race and will already be out thousands.”

“Maybe don’t bet all your money before you even show up,” Jax yelled back with a laugh as he walked in with Carly.

Kye turned, the wicked grin on his face letting me know exactly what type of parking lot fight would break out if I didn’t stop them now. And while it was all for fun, the minute these guys started fighting, it would take forever to stop them. I was with Kye on this, I needed money and I needed to actually make it to the races for that to happen.

“Before this entire place erupts into chaos,” I said. “Let’s go please.”

For once, everyone listened, heading to their cars as I went to Fox’s new yellow Supra. He had always had a yellow Supra, but upgraded it over the years. I’m pretty sure he had demanded to buy me mine so we would match, which only made it harder to think about retiring it.

My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it. I wasn’t ready to face the fact that Jesse might not show up at all. Every part of my life was getting overwhelming, even the parts that used to make me feel calm and happy were now only bringing me anxiety.

I hated it.

And when it came to Jesse, it felt like all I did anymore was ask to spend more time together, while he spent all his time explaining how I needed to be the cool girlfriend and not complain so much. I really didn’t want to spend another night of my life playing that game with him.

Whether he showed up or not, I needed to focus on the races tonight. I needed to win enough money to put this mess with my dad behind me, and move on with my life. I had more important things to worry about.

I hit the gas, the car taking off with ease, and I moved through the gears. If there was one thing I could do to take my mind off of all my problems, it was go for a drive. And lucky for me, all I needed to do tonight was drive.

TWO

CHASE

This event sucked.

They were keeping the alcohol to a minimum, and smoking was out of the question. The things I would give to get high right now just to make it through this thing were reaching desperate levels.

Instead, I had to sit here, almost completely sober, and listen to another one of my dad’s long winded speeches. Not only that, but I had my mother next to me, criticizing my every move while setting me up on a date in the same damn breath.

I stifled a groan when my dad went on a side rant, putting down all the people he had stepped on over the years so he could get ahead.

Yet, I managed to be the problem in our family. They had planned for me to be the golden child, but their dreams were crushed the day I came home drunk from the Ivy League of high schools, and explained how I only planned to do it again. Or maybe it was the day I crashed the Porsche into the house.

Honestly, who knows.

“Chase Williams Parker, sit up, stop frowning, and at leastpretendyou aren’t miserable,” my mother snapped.

I listened, knowing she would repeat herself until I did. The woman could say the same thing for hours, a skill I assume she mastered raising me.

“I’m getting another drink. Do you need anything?”

“Wine,” she said, already knowing I knew her order.

The driest red wine they had. I tasted it once, and immediately had to spit it out. It was now a day my mother could never forget. The red wine and thewhitedress she wore to my sister’s wedding looked great together. My sister cried tears of joy, my mother screamed until her face turned as red as the wine.

“Refills on these please,” I said to the bartender, holding up the wine glass, and my glass with the big ridiculous ice ball barely melted.

Square ice cubes were beneath us now? It’s like they went out of their way to be as pretentious as possible, and somehow, this ice felt exactly like that.

I would still take any drink they would give me, but I was pretty sure my mother told them to cut me off at three because the bartender looked weary handing me the next glass.

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