Page 14 of Hook Up

“Mr. Gray, do you ever get scared?” The little boy’s eyes widen as I return the signed piece of paper.

Ruffling his hair, I shake my head. “Not when I’m racing.”

It’s the truth. It’s an exhilarating idea that anything can happen when I slide behind the wheel. One wrong move, and it’s all over. I know that, and yet I continue to slide behind the wheel, laughing in the face of danger.

Fear never gets a seat.

Not in my car.

Fear is a four-letter word in the world of racing.

“No fear. No consequences. All flow.” It’s my motto, one I’ve repeated countless times. But it’s more than that. It’s a mantra, reminding me the track is home and the only thing to which I owe any explanations.

After a few more minutes of conversing with fans, Colton and I stroll to the parking lot. I don’t mind chatting with them, and I’m lucky Charlotte is a cosmopolitan enough city that I blend into the fray most days. Usually, I go about my business without interruption. But it’s almost racing season, and Charlotte is a racing city.

Despite a storied history of racing, Charlotte lacked an F1 team, but Colton changed all that, bringing an entirely new level of speed to the birthplace of NASCAR.

“Does Mandi know you got home early?” Colton tries to maintain a straight face, but I see the grimace crawl across his features. He’s not a fan of my girlfriend, and I’m sure his wife, Rylee, has much to do with that opinion.

Rylee is my unofficial big sister, and she desperately wants me to fall in love and settle down. She knows that won’t happen with Mandi.

She’s 100% correct there.

Not happening.

Definitely not with Mandi.

I shake my head, pursing my lips. “If I had, she would be up my ass wanting to go to dinner and a club. I’m so not up for that.”

“Sounds like you’re not up for her, anymore.”

I nod, chewing the inside of my lip. He’s right. She’s hot and a decent lay, but I’ve been over this relationship for months now. Apparently, so has Mandi. Why else would she have cheated on me earlier this year?

At this point, the relationship is built more on logistics than love. Not that it was ever built on love. Lust? Sure. Love? Not even close.

“You’re right, Colton, but it’s tricky since we live together.”

Colton claps me around the shoulder, a knowing smile on his mouth. “No, it isn’t. It’s your house. If you don’t want her there, tell her to leave. See? Problem solved.”

“If only it were that easy.” I wave him off before sliding behind the wheel of my ride, a noisy exhalation flowing from my mouth.

Time to go home.

I note the strange sedan parked in my driveway as I pull into my garage. Who the hell drives a beat-up Honda? Knowing Mandi, it’s some member of her beauty squad, called in to primp her to perfection.

I get it. Mandi bases her reputation on beauty and glamour. I just wish there was something beyond the stunning facade. Something deeper that would last once the beauty fades.

To be honest, it’s all a sham. Mandi still lives in my house, but it’s partly for show and partly because I lack the motivation to kick her out. Evicting her will no doubt result in a long and drawn-out argument, complete with tears and whining. I should have forced her to leave when those photos of her with another man surfaced in the tabloids, especially after she admitted to the tryst.

Her excuse for knocking boots with someone else? I’m emotionally distant and won’t discuss a future together.

If she thinks fucking another guy is going to force me into a long-term commitment, she’s dumber than I thought.

If only I had an irrefutable excuse to get her out of my life, before I lose the last vestiges of my sanity.

What was I thinking, letting this woman I barely knew move into my home? Her reasoning made sense at the time—how do we build a relationship when she’s in California and I’m in North Carolina?

The truth was I thought we were having fun together. Casual fun that didn’t involve any commitment. But she was insistent, and I figured, what the hell, let’s give it a shot.

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