AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I thought about the jealousy I’d felt after seeing pictures of my ex-boyfriend Dylan with his new girlfriend and how it ate at me. Now those feelings didn’t exist anymore, because all I cared about was Mack. When I met Harley’s gaze again, she knew I understood her point.
When Mack and Drew were pulling their cars up to the starting line, she put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“We’d better get over there. Where are you going to stand, Jonna?” Harley raised an eyebrow. I glanced in both directions, feeling unsure. “Look, for what it’s worth Mack is a good guy, he’s just lost. I had my own problems to deal with, which didn’t make us very good for each other. He made a mistake with me a long time ago, and I never let him forget it. I did things to push him away just because I could, yet he never turned his back on me. I was careless with his heart, and it took me falling in love with someone else to figure that out. I saw the way he looked at you last night and I never thought I’d see that on his face. It’s the way Drew looks at me. There is so much more to him than racing, or all of the trouble that follows him around. Who knows, maybe you’re the girl to help him figure things out.”
“Harley, I?.?.?.”
“No, don’t make it difficult. Go with your heart. I wasted a lot of time being stubborn when I should have done the same thing the moment I knew that Drew was the one for me.”
Jungle Jim had just finished lining up the Viper and Ford GT. Both engines were revving and the smell of melted rubber from the burnouts filled the air. The best racers in the Carolinas were about to have a showdown.
My palms were sweaty, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe with the way my heart was slamming in my chest. I already knew what I wanted. No matter the outcome of the race, I wanted Mack, and I wouldn’t let him walk away from me, but, which would he choose? The title or me?
As soon as the light flashed on, both cars roared off in a trail of white smoke, and Harley grabbed my hand. The Ford Mustang GT was first over the starting line with the Viper right on its tail. Both cars controlled themselves flawlessly down the road, perfectly handling their lane. Eight seconds later, it was over and the race was too close to call. There was no cheering between crews, only bright brake lights and the sound of engines downshifting in the distance.
“Who won?” Harley whispered, and I shrugged.
“I don’t know. I couldn’t tell.” My voice wobbled nervously. Harley clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer.
“Blake!” she shouted. “Who won?” Blake had a walkie-talkie up to his ear as he listened. He turned his head to us as he lowered his arm.
“King by a nose.”
“Aw, fuck.” Harley stomped her foot and crossed her arms as Mack’s crew started cheering. I didn’t know what to feel. On one hand, Mack earned back the right to claim he was the King of the Carolinas, but according to his bet with Drew, he had agreed to walk away from me.
When both cars returned to the starting area, a crowd gathered around Mack’s car to congratulate him. Harley was the first to reach the Viper and had already thrown half of her body through the window of the car, and Drew was pulling her in the rest of the way.
My feet were frozen. I felt like if I saw Mack’s face I would know what to do. Would he be celebrating? Would he be devastated? Would he have regrets? If I only knew how he felt, then maybe I would know how to feel too. Then I saw him as he moved past the crowd with his eyes fixed on me. He wasn’t smiling and celebrating with the rest of the group. My eyes shifted to Drew. His brows were furrowed and his lips were drawn together with disapproval, and when I returned my gaze to Mack, the look he gave me said, Come here, Jonna.
So I went.
No, I ran straight into his arms.
“Why, Mack?” I asked against the side of his neck. “You didn’t choose me.”
“I needed you to choose me.”
“But you bet that?.?.?.”
“I don’t give a fuck about that bet. You took off for four days, Jonna, and I have no idea why. I’ve been down that road already. I needed you to want this.”
“This?”
“Yeah. This.” He pointed a finger from me to him. “Us.”
Then he grabbed the sides of my face.
“Because I do. So much,” he whispered before he placed his lips on mine and kissed me tenderly. Our tongues met with soft strokes, and I let my body melt into his as he pulled me tightly against him.
“So what’s your choice, Firefly?” He pulled back slightly and stared into my eyes. When I looked into those dark depths, I felt he was really seeing me.
“You. I choose you.” My words came out breathy, and he squeezed me tighter as he placed a kiss on my bruised cheek. Movement in my peripheral caught my attention, and I instantly recognized the tan jacket. Detective Rollins was standing in the trees just out of the light from the race, but close enough to see the glare in his glasses. He pointed to his left wrist with his index finger before he backed away.
Time was running out. I had to tell Mack what was happening, even though it meant betraying Woody. Maybe there was something Mack could do about it, and I owed it to myself and him to at least find out.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, closed my eyes and held on tightly. And I would for as long as I had with him.
The race crowd was dispersing when Mack grabbed my hand and pulled me into the direction of his car.
