Page 15 of Fueled Hate

“I doubt that’s what he had in mind when he invited me out to the race tonight.”

“Never know, but I’m glad you found a way in. Are you going to challenge?”

“Not tonight. It’s only practice runs. Tomorrow night is the one that counts. Just want to get a feel of the drivers … and the place.”

“Are you sure this is what you want? Once you go there, there won’t be any undoing it.” Bryce’s serious tone is more alarming than the fact that I have no hesitation.

“It’s already done,” I say flatly, stepping away from the window.

Bryce nods, staring out over the view of the town. “Let’s go show them Haine boys how it’s done.” His hand slaps my shoulder, and we walk to the door, exiting the penthouse to step onto the elevator.

As we’re walking through the lobby, Bryce glances over at the concierge desk, returning a quick wave to the clerk as he mutters, “I should’ve stuffed some ones in your pants for the walk of shame.”

“Just meet me there and try to stay out of trouble,” I say, walking towards my Subaru.

“No promises,” Bryce’s voice echoes in the parking garage as he slides into his Nissan. The GT-R roars to life and he speeds out of the garage as I’m barely making it to my car. Asking Bryce to stay out of trouble is pointless, but hopefully he picks the right kind of trouble to get into—just as I plan to do tonight.

10

Sadie

Stepping onto the uneven dirt field, my eyes study the years of wear and tear on the abandoned dome-shaped hangar as music blares from the speakers of a car parked near the starting line. Once a private airport that didn’t see much traffic in the small college town, it now serves as a temple for the local drag racers. Word is a former student purchased the land for the sole purpose of racing, but no one knows who owns it. Everyone pretty much treats it like the illegal scene that it is, keeping fairly quiet about it in hopes that no one gets caught, just in case. People in town seem to know all about the races, though, including the police, so it’s safe to say they don’t plan on breaking up the festivities. If zero happened after the accident, there’s nothing that will bring them out here. I’d been certain the Dome would get shut down, but from the looks of the crowd, which appears to have more than doubled since my last visit, it’s going strong. Hopefully, it stays that way and everyone has a good time and stays safe.

“Sadie,” Willow calls out, waving me over to where she’s standing next to Parker’s car. He hasn’t raced since the accident, and I wouldn’t blame him one bit if he never races again.

“Hey, you’ve finally returned,” Parker says, draping his arm over my shoulder as he leans forward to whisper in my ear, “Glad you’re back.”

“Me too.” I give him a pitiful excuse for a smile, but there is part of me that’s glad to be back here, hanging out like a normal person instead of hiding away in my room. Although, the other part of me wouldn’t mind going home. Why do I feel like two different people? How do I decide which is the real me and not just the show? I want to be here. Letting out a deep breath, I make a choice to have a good time. I’m here, so why not. Just enjoy the night. That’s the one and only goal. It’s not about Kyle, or Willow, it’s about finding some normalcy and deciding what I want my new normal to be.

The smile quickly fades when I spot a familiar STI pull up next to the gathering vehicles. It shouldn’t surprise me; he shows up everywhere when I’m not ready for him. But what does shock me is I want to know where’s he been all day. This is the first time I’ve seen him in person today … I’ve seen him in the corners of my mind all day, but that’s not the same. Shit.

“What’s he doing here?” I ask, watching as he steps out of his car. His fingers run through his dark brown hair, and my fingers itch to replace them.

“Hm. No clue.” Willow’s humorous tone isn’t lost on me.

“You knew he was going to be here, didn’t you?” I give her an accusatory look that her smirk answers.

“Parker might have mentioned that he invited Dylan tonight.”

“This is not helping anything.”

“Oh, I beg to differ,” Willow jokes, pointing over to Kyle who has his sights set on Dylan but is walking my way.

Wrapping his arm around my waist, Kyle pulls me to him, pressing his lips to mine. It’s odd for him to even notice I’m here, with his fan club present and all, so this takes me by surprise, and it’s a moment before I’m able to respond by pushing him away. “What are you doing?”

“Just getting a pre-victory taste,” he whispers in my ear, but I know for a fact his decision to kiss me was all about marking his territory. “We’re still on for tonight, right? We can celebrate all night.”

The thought makes my stomach turn. Thankfully, Kyle removes his hand from me as Andrew pulls him aside. The pair speak quietly for a moment before walking away. Between my stomach turning at the thought of him touching me and the relief that blooms as he moves away, I know the right decision where he is concerned. I just need to tell him. It feels like it’s been over for a while, like we’re both clinging to something that hasn’t existed since my mom died. I now know why I was clinging to him, and I can’t help but wonder why he doesn’t see it too. We have both changed.

Willow leans over, interrupting my thoughts. “Dylan’s watching you.”

Instinctively, I glance over, locking eyes with him. I don’t make a move to look away. It would be pointless because I’d still see him in my head, even though I shouldn’t. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Um. I think it does. He’s a much more appealing choice than the current.”

“I haven’t even broken free from the current so another one is out of the question. There’s enough going on without adding more BS to the pile.” I give Dylan one last glare before looking to Willow. She’s not buying what I’m selling.

“For now, but there’s always tomorrow.”