Race to His Heart

by Sara Noble

  Connor’s heart pounded ferociously. He wanted nothing more than to pulverize the guy, show him that he had power over him. He clenched his fists into tight balls. He felt his palms sweating and the blood flow hot through his veins.

  “Go ahead, say one more thing! Give me a good reason to knock you on your ass!”

  “Connor!” Maddie’s shrill scream rose easily over the commotion, but her efforts were thwarted. Her arms swung like wild tentacles while Gonzo struggled to hold her back. Mark came hurdling through the sea of bodies just in time to stop Connor from making a big mistake.

  Jackson was egging it on, but Mark had more sense. “It’s not worth it, man,” he hollered into Connor’s face. He used both of his hands to force him to back up.

  Connor snorted and his nostrils flared. He shook loose from Mark’s hold and lunged towards the others again. Maddie got loose, as well, and wiggled her way up to him. Connor cocked back his fist, ready at any moment to release it into the sleaze bag’s face. Maddie tugged on his arm, but he was too strong for her attempt. Through all of the madness, he noticed the pumping club music had toned down considerably. The noise, the colorful streams of light, the madness; it all mashed into one giant blur. Time slowed down when his gaze locked onto Maddie’s horrified expression. He only wanted to protect her, to keep her out of the invasive world of the media. He couldn’t let them get to her as they had gotten to Makaela. He couldn’t let them take away her innocence.

  “Stop, please!” Maddie cried. A flood of tears slid down her cheeks, her black eye makeup smeared under her eyes. “Connor, stop,” she said again while her bottom lip quivered out of sheer fright.

  “Yes, please stop. Now. All of you.” A stern and grumbled voice spoke over all of them. A large, dark-skinned man stepped in between the two groups. He had on black jeans and a black t-shirt, too small for his bulging biceps and enormous pecks. His tone boomed over the crowd as everyone froze like statues.

  The giant man turned to Connor. “What’s the problem? You all being harassed?”

  The silk shirt crew instantly changed their tune. “Nah,” said one of them. “We just wanted a picture with the driver. That’s all.”

  “Bull shit!” Connor bellowed. The bouncer extended his arm out to prevent him from getting any closer.

  “All right, Mr. Gray. Let’s go back to your table. Your drinks are waiting for you.” The large man motioned for another bouncer, much shorter and less scarier, to gather the silk shirts and escort them out of the main entrance.

  Connor threw his shoulders back. His breath was erratic and his eyes felt as if they could pop out at any moment. It had been a long time since he had gotten so mad. Adrenalin had taken the place of the booze and suddenly he felt invincible.

  “I could have put those guys on their backs,” Connor insisted as they retreated back to the table. He turned to look at Maddie and the blackness had lifted. She was still shaking like a leaf. One feeble look was all it took; a fist tightened around his heart.

  “Oh God, Maddie. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to get caught up in that.” Connor took her in his arms, but she felt limp in the embrace. He sat her down in the velour booth and handed her a bottle of water.

  “Connor, I…” Maddie started but instead covered her face in her hands and turned away.

  “I should have just ignored those jerks,” Connor said, coming to his senses. He felt horrible for upsetting her so much. He ran his hand over her head and down the trail of her long hair.

  “It’s not that,” Maddie whimpered in between her fingers that were still hiding her face. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Connor could barely hear her again as the DJ increased the volume of his track.

  “What’s wrong then?” he said loudly into her ear. Maddie relaxed but sat silent beside him. She stared at the ground, deep in thought with an uneasy expression.

  Connor took out his cell phone. “I’m having the car pulled around. Let’s go.” He hoisted Maddie up by her elbow and gently held onto her as they took the private elevator downstairs and back out to the car.

  The group sat silent in the back of the limo. Everyone was looking to Connor to explain how he was going to fix the evening, but he kept quiet, as well. He twiddled his thumbs and avoided eye contact with his friends, whose stares were practically burning holes into his flesh.

  “Connor, we need to talk,” Casey said, breaking the silence during the ride back to the hotel.

  “Tomorrow.”

  Connor held Maddie’s hand as she stared out the window. He had no idea what else he could do for her. At least the tears have stopped. She must be in shock, he thought as he caressed her smooth skin. He wanted her to speak, to say something that would confirm she was going to be okay. But he wasn’t sure, so he let her watch the city lights through the dark tint of the glass.

  It was after midnight when the group parted. Connor walked Maddie to her room while curious faces watched behind the closing elevator doors. He caught a glimpse of Casey rolling his eyes. It was no surprise that he wasn’t happy with the situation and he was sure they’d have a fight about it the next day.

  “Can I come in?” Connor asked softly as she slid the key card over the sensor.

  Maddie looked up at him, her wavy dark hair partially covered her face to hide the remorse.

  “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

  Connor frowned. “Will you tell me what’s bothering you? You said at the club it wasn’t the fight that freaked you out. What was it?”

  Maddie looked around nervously. “Well, okay. Come in, for a minute.”

  She flipped on the light next to the bed and sat down. Connor took his place beside her and gazed into her eyes. He still thought she was beautiful, even with the smeared makeup and bloodshot eyes.

  “I’m really sorry you got mixed up in that,” he started.

  “It would never have happened if I wasn’t there.”

  Connor was speechless. Maddie was right; the only reason those guys approached them was because he was dancing with her, a girl that was not his fiancée.

  “Babe, it was bound to happen. Someone noticed us, it’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not,” she snapped, gray tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. “I’m ruining your life. Everyone is pissed that we’ve come out about our relationship. Your mom, your boss, they’re all right. I’m no good for you right now.”

  Connor reached for a tissue on the nightstand and pressed it lightly to Maddie’s face. Her eyes found his, informing him of how pitiful she felt. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach.

  “I don’t care what they think. I told you that. And you’re not ruining my life. You make me happy, Maddie.” Connor took her face in his hands and brought it to his. He kissed her swollen lips and wiped her tears. “I love you,” he reminded her.

  Maddie smiled halfheartedly. “I know and I love you, but look what’s happening here. Do you really want everyone mad at you? Your fans will think you betrayed them.”

  “They’ll get over it. They’ll see how much better you are for me. Everyone will fall in love with you just as I have.”

  “What about the distance we’ll always have? You’re going to be traveling a lot and you live in North Carolina. I have to finish school in Florida. How will we survive that? When we will we get to spend anytime with each other?”

  “That’s easy. We’ll see each other every weekend. I’ll fly out there or you can come with me during your breaks.” He took both of her hands into his and sighed. “Look, it’s you that I want sitting up in my pit box, cheering for me and supporting me. I can’t wait to show you off and brag about what a wonderful person you are. We’ll have plenty of time during the off-season to travel or stay at home in bed. I don’t want you to worry about that, okay?”

  Maddie watched Connor while he spoke and pledged his commitment to her. She hung on his every word, yet she continued to look skeptical. Her eyes were exhausted and dark. Her body cried out for rest as it s
lumped against the headboard of the bed. “I want to believe you, Connor. After what happened tonight it’s just hard to picture everything working out.”

  “Can you give me a chance to prove otherwise? The last thing I want to do is hurt you.” Connor tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She sniffed.

  “Please?” he asked again.

  Maddie’s breathing slowed to a regular pace and her tears dried. “I will give us another chance.”

  “That’s my girl,” Connor purred into her ear as he hugged her tightly. She reciprocated and held on for a long moment. Connor felt her heart beat regulate against his own chest. He exhaled a heavy sigh of relief as he stroked her hair.

  “I need some sleep,” Maddie said as she pulled away from the long embrace.

  “Yeah, me too. It’s been a long day.” Connor pulled the covers back from under the pillows. “Here, let me help you get in.”

  Maddie slid over so the sheets could be fully exposed. Then Connor found her nightshirt in the dresser and brought it to the bed. He slipped down the thin straps on her jumper so they fell over the sides of her tan shoulders. She allowed him to pull off the outfit, exposing her bare skin and breasts. He admired the way she sparkled in the dim light; and how natural she looked naked. He restrained himself from touching her, as he knew she only wanted to rest.

  The cotton nighty was on and Connor lifted her legs fully into the bed. She lay down while he pulled the bedspread up to her chin. He sat on the edge and watched her snuggle against the pillow.

  “Stay here with me tonight?” Maddie asked softly.

  “Okay,” Connor simply replied and clicked off the light. He undressed and climbed into the bed beside her.

  “Night,” she whispered as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

  “Night, Maddie.”

  A few minutes later, Maddie was out cold; her soft breath was steady and relaxed. Connor lay frozen, still thinking about the day’s events. He knew he loved Maddie, but he also knew his relationships with others were beginning to disintegrate. A horrible, overwhelming feeling took over in his gut when he realized the trouble he was causing for everyone. Why I am being so selfish? But I told her she could trust me. I can’t go back on my word.

  Connor worried for over an hour. He occasionally glanced at Maddie, who slept peacefully beside him. She was beautiful on every level, the complete package. He loved the way her lips naturally curled up, always a perpetual smile. The way she touched him when they made love, the way her satin skin glistened afterward; everything about her was irresistible. He couldn’t give her up. He was in too deep and on the verge of drowning.

  How do I make this work? Connor asked the heavens one last time before he too, drifted off to dream about his dilemma.

  Chapter 11: Casey

  The phone seemed to ring endlessly as Casey held the receiver to his head.

  “Come on, answer,” he pleaded into the dead air. He chewed his fingernails out of nervousness.

  Finally, she greeted him. “Hello?”

  Casey’s voice shook. “Hey, Makaela. It’s Casey.”

  Makaela Jennings, Connor’s absent fiancée, sounded surprised. “Oh, hey. What’s going on? Is everything okay? Where’s Connor?”

  Casey glanced around his dark room, double-checking to make sure the door was shut tight. He didn’t want to deal with any eavesdroppers at the moment. He tried to shake off his nerves. “Um, well, have you talked to him lately?”

  “Just after he won the race. Why?”

  “Did he say anything to you about what’s going on out here in Indy?” Casey’s palms were sweating profusely and the phone nearly slipped out of his wet hands.

  A long pause. “No, he didn’t say anything. You’re starting to scare me, Case.”

  “All right, look. I’m probably gonna get in trouble for telling you this, but I really think you should come home, as soon as you can. Connor’s not,” he paused dramatically, then said, “behaving himself.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Casey took a deep breath. “Well, you see, he invited one of his friends from Florida to spend the weekend here with us. And things are getting a little out of control.”

  “Oh, Casey. I don’t care if he goes to those raunchy strip clubs. He can have a little fun. Lord knows I do!” Makaela chuckled as if it were no big deal that her fiancé was acting sinful.

  Casey sighed. “No, that’s not what I’m getting at.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “His friend is a girl. A girl from his past.”

  “You mean like an ex-girlfriend? Someone that he used to date before we met?”

  “Um, no. His childhood friend, I think. She was his old neighbor. Her name is Maddie. Anyway, like I was saying, things are getting out of control.” A pang shot Casey in the stomach and he knew at that moment he would later regret making the phone call. There was nothing he could do about it now; the beans had been spilled enough for her to assume what had been going on between Connor and Maddie.

  “How is it getting out of control?” A long second went by and then it dawned on her. “Oh, God,” Makaela breathed out ominously.

  Casey fumbled with his words. “I’m only telling you cause we’re all friends and I care about what happens to you all’s relationship. And I care about our team.”

  “Is he sleeping with her?” Makaela asked, exasperated from the news.

  Casey deliberated on that one. Then he decided just to let it all out. The harm was already done and it was in the team’s best interest to look out for Connor and prevent anything dubious from happening. “I think so. I’m pretty sure he’s been spending the night in her hotel room since she got here.” He winced after the words spilled from his lips.

  “How long ago was that?” Makaela was furious.

  “I think it was Thursday. Yeah, that sounds about right. Listen, you gonna meet up with us in Pennsylvania? We gotta squash this thing now.”

  “Is that where the next race is?”

  Casey’s heart was pounding as loud as the bass from the dance club that him and the guys were at earlier in the evening. He had hoped that if Makaela came back right away that she could handle things and perhaps draw some of the attention away from himself. He didn’t need Connor solely focusing on him and his sudden urge to rat him out. Eventually, Connor would forget about Casey’s disloyal gesture and then maybe they could rebuild their friendship. He figured Connor would thank him later on for helping out before things got too heavy.

  “Yes, please come meet us in Pocono,” Casey replied. “You gotta talk some sense into this guy. He’s gonna screw everything up!”

  Makaela began to cry softly. She was obviously shocked at first, but the news seemed to have hit home. “I can’t believe this is happening. We’re supposed to be getting married next year.” She hiccupped loudly into the receiver.

  “I know. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you.” Casey really did feel horrible, but he was scared for his team. If Connor screwed up and lost his sponsorship, then they would all be out of a job. It would go much deeper than just Makaela losing her super star fiancé.

  Then the conversation took on a different tone. “Why are you telling me? You’re one of his best friends. There’s gotta be another reason why you’re calling me early in the morning like this,” Makaela announced irately. She sniffed, half crying and half panting out of exasperation.

  “Lucas is pissed off; Patty is mad, too. He’s going to upset his fans that are looking forward to the big wedding between you and him. Plus,” Casey took a deep breath, “You’re my friend, too. And I don’t like seeing a woman treated this way.”

  Makaela could read between the lines. “You think Lucas will cut him lose if he suddenly becomes unpopular with the fans? It makes sense that the whole world would be pissed once they found out he cheated on me. I see how this could affect everyone. Even you.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s the gist of it,” Casey agreed.

  �
��I want to know what happened. Have they been flaunting their affair all weekend? What started this all?” she demanded.

  Casey began to explain the entire tale. “Well, you see it was like this: We went out tonight to celebrate. Lucas gave him a talking-to at dinner and it really pissed off Connor. I guess Patty told Lucas that she suspected something fishy going on between him and Maddie. Anyway, Connor got drunk and really put the moves on the girl, right in front of us. Later, we went to this club ‘cause she wanted to dance and these idiots started snapping pictures of the two of them on the dance floor. You were bound to find out and I didn’t want you getting angry at us for not telling you.”

  Makaela’s silence was terrifying. He could only imagine what was running through her head.

  “You okay, Makaela?”

  “No,” she grumbled. “I don’t know what to do. This must have started before this weekend. Do you know if they’ve been talking on the down low?”

  Casey remembered back to the night they had all drove out to Maddie’s house for the Fourth of July barbecue. He thought about the way Connor’s eyes smoldered into Maddie when she approached them after working on her father’s old truck. The smudged grease marks and dirty stains on her tank top were still fresh in his mind. He shook the images out of his head and tried to concentrate on Makaela’s question.

  “Um, I’m not sure. If they have, it hasn’t been for long. We just met up with them all on the fourth, when we were in Daytona.”

  “Who was ‘them all’?” Makaela wondered. She wanted every detail and Casey didn’t blame her.

  “Well, it was Maddie and her parents. They live in Julington Creek, where Connor grew up. They invited us over for the holiday and Patty made us go. We had a pretty nice time; we had some good food and a few beers. Jackson almost set his hair on fire while lighting a firecracker.”

  “I don’t care about the stupid barbecue or that idiot Jackson!” Makaela screeched. “I just want to know if Connor and this girl were messing around that night, or even before that.”