Page 105 of Love Collided

“Was that enough?” Chase asked. “Shouldn’t you check her over more than that? Doesn’t she need a brain scan or something?”

The EMT’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me. “You passed all the concussion checks, but is any part of your head or neck hurting? Did you hit it on anything?”

“No,” I growled, looking at Chase. “I was perfectly strapped in and was barely jolted. I am fine.”

“If you are feeling any headaches, nausea, dizziness, anything that could indicate a concussion, you need to go in immediately and get checked further, but unless that happens, everything looks good.”

I hopped up, grabbing Chase’s good arm and dragging him away before he ordered any more tests.

“I’m fine, Chase. I wouldn’t lie about that.”

“But what if you aren’t?”

“Then I will go to the hospital.”

He started behind one of the race trailers, dragging me along with him.

“Scout, you have to be sure.”

“I’m sure. Areyouokay?”

“No, I just watched you smash into a fucking wall. Why would I be okay?” His chest rose and fell faster now, his hand plunging into his hair. I knew he was worried, but I didn’t know how else to tell him I was okay. It was the best outcome for a wreck, and I had smashed up plenty of cars in my life when learning how to race, or drift, or even more recently, how to race on dirt tracks. There were endless ways to wreck and the only thing I could do was try to correct the car as much as I could to make the wreck less damaging. At some point, though, there was nothing I could do to help.

“Because I didn’t get hurt.”

“But you could have. I remember Ash’s crash. I remember how badly she was hurt. That could happen to you.”

“Maybe, but Ash is here, and she’s okay now.”

He only shook his head, and the angry flex to his jaw made me step back.

“Chase, I don’t know what else to say. I’m okay. This is just a part of racing sometimes.”

His jaw didn’t loosen, and if it was possible, I think he tightened it even more. “Yeah,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “I guess it is, but I don’t think I was ready for that.”

“No one ever is, but it’s okay, Chase.”

“I don’t think it is,” he said quietly. Tears threatened me, knowing that whatever he meant by that wasn’t going to be good.

I looked past him to the crew, who were pushing the car up to its parking spot next to the trailer. “Come on,” I said, pulling him with me. “I need to see if the car has any chance at another race today if I want to stay in the running for the races next week.”

Suddenly, I was sick to my stomach for another reason, not liking the look on Chase’s face, and to add to it, the look on Fox’s wasn’t comforting either.

I might just lose my chance to race next week,andthis arrangement with Chase all in one day.

TWENTY-NINE

SCOUT

I had waitedfor two days to hear from Holt, and on Sunday, he finally called. I held my breath the entire call, waiting to hear if I would continue on in the races.

When I ended the call and turned around, the entire crew was waiting.

Finally, the smile broke on my face. “I’m going to Vegas,” I said, almost too stunned to believe it. “Someone else wrecked after me and I had a few more points, so they let me move on.”

Yelling and cheers broke out as they crowded around me, ready to celebrate.

“There was one condition,” I yelled as they nearly piled on top of me. A round of groans broke out as everyone stepped back.

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