Page 23 of Truck You

“You better drink fast,” Ash says before he cups his hands around his mouth and yells. “It’s racing time!”

Chapter6

God made dirt, and dirt don’t hurt.

Sophia

Before I can wrap my head around what Ash said, everyone runs to a truck and the sound of engines revving echoes through the open field.

Mac and Chase jump off the tailgate, shut it quickly, and run around the sides. Mac hops into the driver’s seat while Chase opens the passenger door.

Garret hops into the driver’s seat of a neighboring truck with an extended cab. Clara slides into the back seat while Liam sits in the front. Ash jumps into the bed of Garret’s truck while Christian jumps into the bed of Mac’s truck. They both grab onto a bar affixed to the roof of the trucks like they’re preparing to go water skiing.

“Come on!” Chase waves me over to where he’s still waiting by the open door.

I take off in a sprint toward him, sensing the urgency in his voice. I hop in and slide over next to Mac before I even think to ask why.

Shaking my head, I turn back to Chase, who’s now sitting next to me buckling his seat belt. “What’s going on?”

“Buckle up, sweetheart.” Chase gives me a huge grin and I hear a grunt come from Mac. “It’s mud racing time.”

“What?” I glance between them, not entirely sure what’s going on. It was dark by the time I got here. Maybe I missed the track when I arrived.

My eyes settle on Mac’s smiling face. It’s the first time he’s smiled since I got here. He hands me my seat belt and winks. “You better put this on. It’s about to get rough. This is nothing like the tracks.”

“What’s not?” I ask, but neither of them answers me.

Glancing around, I see several other trucks lined up next to us, all with someone standing in the bed hanging on, just like Ash and Christian.

Then a sound fires and all the trucks take off.

I press my hand against the dashboard and gasp as we head straight for the treeline. “What are you doing?”

Chase laughs and Mac presses harder on the pedal, speeding toward the trees so fast there’s no way he’ll be able to stop before we hit them.

“Don’t worry, Red. I know what I’m doing.” Without warning, he jerks the wheel to the right, cutting off the truck next to us, and darts into an opening between two trees. We’re instantly enclosed under the canopy, racing along a rough and muddy trail.

The truck jerks and bobs up and down as Mac maneuvers us down the path. Mud flings in every direction, including through the open windows on either side of me. A large clump of mud hits me right on the cheek, causing me to yelp.

“Oh my God.” I wipe it off my cheek and laugh. This is insane but thrilling.

I look at Mac, and he peers at me through the side of his eyes. He’s got a serious expression on his face. He’s concentrating on the trail while also trying to gauge my response.

I wipe the mud on my hand down the side of his face, smearing as I do. “I think this is meant for you.”

He chuckles and wipes some mud off his arm and onto mine. Before I can retaliate, he jerks the wheel to the left and we plummet down a steep hill. The truck slides through the mud, but Mac maintains control like an expert.

Loud whoops and hollers have me spinning my head around, suddenly remembering Christian is in the truck’s bed. He’s gripping the bar with one hand in the air and a huge smile on his face. This might be the first time I’ve seen him smile.

With every drop and dip and bob of the truck, Christian’s body sways. A few times, his feet bounce off the bed, sending his body into the air. But he never loses his hold on the truck.

“Is he okay back there?” I yell above the rumble of the engine and the music blaring through the speakers.

“He’s fine,” Chase answers me. “We’ve done this countless times.”

Right after he says that the truck tilts to the right, lifting us up on two wheels. On instinct, I grab a hold of Mac’s arm to keep me from falling into Chase. I squeeze my eyes closed and send out a prayer to the universe that I will not die today. Flipping over and rolling down a forested hill is not the way I want to go.

Mac jerks the wheel, and we fall back onto all fours. Christian’s cheers grow louder, as if he’s having the time of his life. Meanwhile, my heart feels like it’s struggling to keep beating. This is wild and intense.

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