Page 63 of Spark

His hands wrapped around her waist as he pulled her against him. She sobbed as she felt the steady beat of his heart in his tight, reassuring embrace.

“Mia.” His voice was like a beacon in a storm, rooting her to him. “You're okay, I'm right here.” His hand began to draw circles on her back as the other kept her close.

“Aurelio,” she breathed, her heartbeat matching his, as her lungs exhaled slowly.

“Are you okay?” he asked. The deep rumble of his chest as he spoke awoke Mia in ways she hated to admit. Aurelio had an effect on her she had never experienced before or thought was real.

She nodded against him, nuzzling closer and breathing in his scent.

“What happened?” His voice was the gentlest she had ever heard as he led them back to the bench. She settled down with Aurelio, his thigh resting against hers. “Mia, I just need to know you are all right. Tell me you are okay.”

“I'm okay.” Her voice was just above a whisper. “But I don't know what happened when you got here. I felt so out of control.” Her eyes widened, realizing she felt like she had just run a marathon.

“You had a panic attack.” Aurelio’s lips brushed her cheek.

“A panic attack? No, that's not… I've never had one before.” She knew what panic attacks were and had studied them in school. But to live through one… to feel it… she was shocked she hadn't realized that's what it was from the start.

Aurelio sighed deeply, nodding solemnly. “My mom had them when I was a kid before she split.” His light brown eyes held sorrow. “She would curl up like a baby and cry and scream in a full-scale breakdown. I wouldn't know what to do. Then one day, she started breathing heavily, like she always did before one started, and I just wrapped my arms around her legs and held her tight.” He was lost in the memory, holding Mia's gaze but not seeing her. “She calmed down and ruffled my hair. I was six, and she told me I was her hero and gave me a cookie.” He laughed quietly, and Mia just stared.

“What happened to your mom?” she asked.

The question was not unexpected, but it still caught him off guard. Aurelio tilted his head back and forth a little, his face uncertain. “Honestly, I don't know. She was flaky to start with, running off for days before crawling home. My dad had all the patience in the world with her. He loved her more than anything. Told me every day that she gave me to him, and he would be forever in her debt.”

“Your dad was a great man.”

“Yeah, he was.”

“He raised a great man, too,” Mia added, kissing Aurelio softly, letting her lips linger on his. She pulled back after a moment and smiled at him, feeling better.

“Thanks, beautiful.” Aurelio took his free hand and pushed some hair from her face. “My dad explained to me that my mom was sick. She had anxiety, depression, and a whole slew of other diagnoses from her many stints at the hospital. But I learned how to stop panic attacks, and for a while, it worked really well. I would run in and hug her tight, letting her hands play with my hair while she calmed down. But one day, it didn't.”

This was a new layer of Aurelio. He didn't talk about his mom at length, ever. Mia told him that she never wanted to meet her mother, and when Aurelio said he understood the feeling of not wanting that drama, she assumed he didn't remember his mom.

“She broke down. I was seven and had been helping her through panic attacks for a year. But that day, she shoved me down, told me to leave her alone, and not to touch her ever again. I started crying, and she started screaming. My dad came running in, and she took off. We never saw her again.” Aurelio inhaled, his chest rising slowly, and let it out, blowing out through his mouth like he was blowing the bad memories away.

“Oh, Aurelio.” Mia brought her free hand up to his face, resting it along his jaw and gently caressing his cheek.

“It’s over; none of it matters now. Except that I knew what to do when I saw you.”

“And I will be forever grateful that you did.” Mia brought her lips to his, kissing him passionately.

Aurelio leaned into her, letting her hand hold him close. The moment was ruined as a mom with a wailing toddler passed by; the toddler threw his popcorn all over them. Mia looked atthe mom, who kept walking, a phone in hand, and oblivious to her child. Aurelio cracked a smile as a little laugh escaped his lips. Mia laughed, too, and Aurelio laughed even harder. They continued like that for a few seconds before they were laughing so hard they had trouble breathing. It eased the tension, breaking up the air that had grown heavy with memories.

Aurelio stood up, holding his hands out for Mia to grab. “Come with me.” His trademark grin was back. “I have somewhere we can go, and no one will know.”

Mia found the idea of a place where no one could get to them profoundly wonderful. She wanted nothing more than to escape with him, to have a moment to figure out who that man was and why he knew so much about her.

“Yes, please.”

The walk out of the park wasn't long. Aurelio led Mia along, fingers interlocked, as the sun shone above them. They went to a little alley, where Baby was parked just inside. After opening Mia's door and gently closing it behind her, he headed to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. Baby roared to life and shot out into the street.

Mia got lost in the adrenaline of Aurelio's driving, speeding them along the highway before exiting a few miles later and pulling into a small parking lot of a simple two-story, derelict building with boards covering some of the windows. The sign outside was dirty, falling slightly from years of obvious neglect.

Speedster Raceway.

The car pulled past the lot, following a path behind the building. When they came to a small gate with a simple lock and chain, Aurelio exited the car and unlocked it. The metal groaned as he pulled the gate open, revealing an old track. Jogging backto the car, he drove through, jumped back out, and closed up behind them.

“What is this place?” Mia asked as they drove onto the worn roadway; the paint was in desperate need of attention.

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