Page 54 of Trading Paint

I think he knew this was lost on me so he continued. “I’ve been in your shoes. I know what you’re feeling...you think I don’t, but I do.” He said. “It’s not easy to feel and it’s not easy to let a woman love you—at least not one that you are afraid to lose.”

Jimi was always cryptic when speaking. Half the time,uskids had no idea what he was talking about. Now wasn’t any different.

“Someday you’ll understand.” He said before leaving my room.

I just nodded at everything he was telling me. He thought I loved Sway, which I did but not the way he thought. I loved her friendship. I couldn’t see myself loving her any other way. Sure it would be easy to but that wasn’t me. I had no intentions of having that type of relationship with anyone. I didn’t want the responsibility of it. From what I’d seen of relationships, I never wanted that again. They were complicated and required attention, attention I didn’t have.

Right now, all that matter was seeing how I compared to those beasts from the East.

9.Scuffs – Jameson

Scuffs – Slang term for tires that have been used at least once and saved for further racing. A lap or two is enough to “scuff” them. Most often, these are used in qualifying.

The morning we left, I took my time loading everything after I got back from seeing Charlie and Sway. Charlie informed me that if anything happened to Sway, he’d kill me.

I loaded the car that morning and everything else we were taking with us.

To save on money, we only took one 360-sprint for now and then the others would be stored at the race shop my dad just had built in Mooresville.

This would make it easier when we needed to pick up different cars.

Spencer and I had the car loaded with spare parts and engines by nine that morning. Sway showed up not long after that with two bags.

What girl could leave home for five months and take only two bags for clothes? Sway could. This just confirmed my theory that she was pretty much the coolest girl I’d ever met.

While my parents made sure we had everything and harassed us about safety and food, Alley showed up. Spencer and Alley were inseparable these days, which meant she would be coming with us.

I was okay with that, only because we needed all the help we could get. Standing around the driveway after everything had been loaded; we went over the schedule with my parents so they knew where we would be and when. You could see the hesitation and anxiety in their eyes. They wouldn’t have told you but to let their two sons travel across the country with no supervision was a significant risk for them, particularly when you are talking about the Riley boys.

Despite our argument yesterday, I never thought I would see Chelsea again but she showed up carrying a bag.

“What are you doing?” I asked glancing down at her bag and then leaned back against my truck. My arms crossed over my chest.

“I’m coming with you.” She told me throwing her bag at my feet. “I’m not letting you go that easily...if Sway is coming, I’m coming.”

“Do you really think after yesterday, I would ever want to see you?”

“I’m your girlfriend.”

“Who fucked around,” I hastened to add.

“So did you.”

Anger surged through me. I shoved my hands in my pockets.

“I never slept with anyone else, Chelsea.”

“But you kissed Sway.” Her eyes had tears in them as she examined my gargoyle expression. I lost my temper in front of everyone. My family was standing not more than twenty feet away and I lost it.

“Why do you always bring up Sway?” I seethed my voice just below a shout. “I’m fucking sick of it! Do you want to know why I’m friends with her?” I didn’t wait for her to answer. “Because unlike you, she’s not a vindictive fucking bitch and insecure,”

“I’m not insecure. I know that I’m attractive.”

Rolling my eyes, I shot back with, “What do you want? Why are you even here?”

I wasn’t upset that she slept with Colby, I was relieved. It was a way out for me. What I was upset about was her accusing me of sleeping with Sway.

“I’m coming with you.” Her eyes found mine.

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