Supercharged Love(31)
“Her loss, little brother.” She bends over and kisses the top of my head. Oh my god, what is happening?
Causey follows her; stopping at my chair, he leans down. “You need to get laid.” I look up and catching the knowing look in his eyes.
Too fucking right I do.
***
By the following weekend, I’ve convinced myself I’m over Leigh Storm. That whatever mystical hold she had over me was just a figment of my imagination. I’ve stayed away from the garage. Surely, not seeing her every day will help whatever I feel fade away. I hardly know her, so how can I have thought I felt something for her. It’s not possible, right? My mind is made up. After the race, I’m going to find the prettiest chick and take her with me. I’m not going to drop her off at her house but take her home with me. That will get Leigh out of my system once and for all.
All the way to the quarter mile, Ryder rambles on, talking a load of shit, but it helps drown out my depressing thoughts. Then he starts on the biggest shocker. Causey isn’t racing tonight. What was more shocking—well, maybe not to me—is he’s taking Meghan out on a date. It wasn’t until Causey turned up with the keys to his Subaru and asked to take my GTO that I realized something was up. Then Meghan appeared in the living room; her eyes lit up right away when she saw Causey, and when I raised my eyebrows at her, she blushed. I never said anything to her about finding Causey in our kitchen half naked the other night. Only because I wanted to avoid any questions about where I’d been, so I kept quiet. But now they’re going public and it will only be a matter of time before everyone knows. I left them to it and picked up Ryder, breaking the news to him once he climbed into the passenger seat.
“Causey’s not coming tonight?” he asks. He’s suddenly realized that Causey’s not with us.
“Not tonight. He’s got a date.”
“A date?” Ryder’s voice rises and jerks his head to the side to look at me.
“Yeah.”
“Who with?” And I can’t believe he’s not worked it out yet. Surely, he’s noticed that Causey’s not been coming to the quarter mile as much. He’s always hanging around the diner when she’s working, not to mention the fact he’s at our house too much for it to be a coincidence. He doesn’t even pretend he’s there to see me anymore.
“Seriously, you need to ask? It’s Meghan.”
“What the fuck? I can’t believe it. Causey and your sister.” He shakes his head, unable to hide the awe in his voice; he’s really not helping.
“Tell me about it,” I mutter, and my grip on the steering wheel tightens.
“I knew he liked her but …” He carries on, oblivious to my reluctance to discuss it.
“I know,” I say through gritted teeth.
“No, this is serious.” He turns to look at me. “For him to miss a race. I don’t think it’s happened ever.” He stops to think. “Maybe when … nah, not even then,” he mutters to himself, and eventually, I tune him out until he ask. “So what happened with you and Leigh?”
My jaw tightens and I clip out. “Nothing. And it never will.”
“How come?” He shifts in his seat, giving me his full attention.
I offer a shrug and concentrate extra hard on the drive up to the quarter mile. “She’s made it perfectly clear she’s not interested.”
Ryder nods and turns back around to the front. “Her loss.”
“Yup,” I agree with him. But it’s not really, it’s my loss because I couldn’t convince her I was worth it and I now need to get over her.
There’s a big crowd tonight, and I scan the cars. I can’t help it. I’ve not seen her since last week at the garage and if it were anyone else I’d think she was missing me but I know better, this is Leigh we’re talking about. She doesn’t come to all the races but she’s here tonight. I spot her black Charger as soon as I pull up. It’s parked next to Aaron’s Mustang; she and Beth are deep in conversation, and when she looks up, she catches me staring. It sends a jolt through me, shocking me back to the present. Time stands still, and somehow, I manage a smile. But it isn’t the sincere one I was going for. By the way she rolls her eyes at me, I’m guessing it was my usual cocky smirk. I hate the deflated feeling that takes hold. Why am I surprised? She’s made it perfectly clear she’s not interested.
“Max.” At Ryder’s impatient tone, I turn away from Leigh. “Come on, man, it’s starting.”
I go through the motions, line it up, check the accelerator, gas, hand brake, the usual shit. I have no clue who I’m racing, and I don’t need to know—I just need to win. The adrenaline courses through my veins. This is what I’m talking about. This is what I’ve missed; it’s what I’m good at. Screw anyone who tells me otherwise, and screw anyone who makes me ashamed of it.