Saying Goodbye

Harley

I barely slept a wink the night before the final race. Even having Rick in my bed beside me didn’t help. His warmth was a comfort, sure, but it was also a reminder that if things went badly on Saturday night, I might lose everything.

I had never felt such fear in my life.

When morning rolled around, Rick got out of bed and showered, leaving me hiding under the blankets, wishing the day was already over. I hadn’t told him how worried I was because I didn’t want him wasting his energy comforting me rather than focusing on the upcoming race.

He needed to be in the zone. Worrying about me and my feelings could be dangerous when a man like Torq was out on the track gunning for him.

But as the day went on, it became harder and harder to keep my nerves under control.

“You don’t seem like yourself,” Rick said as we sat at my kitchen table with a box of just-delivered pizza between us.

“I’m fine. Really.”

To prove just how fine I was, I flipped open the pizza box, pulled a slice free, a