Alex's Destiny (Racing To Love)

by Amy Gregory

  “It’ll all work out, man.” Jack said quietly before patting the roof of the car twice. “Let’s go.”

  Feeling like a caged animal, Dallas paced the length of the car several times, breathing hard, but trying to calm down. He gave up and threw his bag in the trunk, shutting it harder than necessary, then stomped his way to the passenger side, slamming that door as well. This was a new feeling for him. Sure, he’d been pissed off, frustrated, ready to call it quits when things went wrong in the past. But he’d always had his best friend to turn to. She’d pick him up, dust him off, and make the world spin again. Within seconds of her turning and walking away from him, he felt himself start to flail. Falling hopelessly with nothing to grab onto, she’d been his lifeline. Now it was severed.

  The white fence was miles behind them before Jack dared to speak. “You know this all could have been prevented, right?”

  Dallas didn’t bother to pull his attention from the car window. It was almost a subconscious form of torture and punishment, watching his place of peace fall behind him, mile by mile. Jack turned the radio down, and Dallas knew he couldn’t continue to pretend to ignore him.

  “You should have trusted us.”

  He’d been prepared for a list of accusations, a berating that would last the entire car ride. That simple statement, in Jack’s calm and honest manner, left him clueless.

  Dallas narrowed his eyes at him, although Jack’s never left the road. “Trusted who? With what?”

  “You should have just been honest with us, and yourself, about your feelings for Alex. What were you afraid of?”

  Her brother wanted honest. Fine. He’d fucking lay it all out there. His jaw clenched again, the constant clamping caused a spiking migraine. “That I’d tear the family apart. That I shouldn’t feel this way. That it’s wrong, and no one would understand.” Pausing for a breath after all the truths had been gushed out in one long stream. “I just didn’t want to hurt the family.”

  A long minute of silence stretched on for five miles. Jack’s patient, straight-forward sureness knocked Dallas on his ass. The truth cut him open and left him to bleed, “Yet…your actions had the same effect, all because you didn’t trust us.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Alex pulled her knees into her chest and rested her chin on them. She stared out her bedroom window as she sat in her comfy upholstered chair. Watching two squirrels chase each other over the branches of the trees beneath her window, a pain struck her. Tucking herself into a tighter ball, she continued to listen to the lyrics floating through her headphones. The same haunting truths cut her deeper. The hurt pulsing through her was long past being a figment of her imagination. The pain was physically unbearable every time she saw Dallas.

  Maybe he was right to go. Maybe.

  It gnawed at her already fragile heart to know he was so close, but knowing he was gone for good now, way worse. The realization he was going back to her was a weight slowly crushing the very air out of Alex’s lungs.

  The clock in the hallway chimed. Has it really only been fifteen minutes? It already felt like Dallas had been gone months. Glancing at the clock on her dresser she knew exactly where they would be on the highway, knew what properties they would be passing, knew how much closer Jack and Dallas were to the airport. Stupid damn airplanes, one taking her brother to New York, another taking Dallas to California. In just a matter of hours, those damn pilots would have taken her two best friends away from her. She wasn’t sure she’d see the one headed west ever again.

  Swiping at the one tear she’d failed to keep from falling, Alex let out a sigh of relief when the last line of the song faded into silence. She could have tapped the screen on the iPod in her hand, moving on to the next song, but she never did. This song, these lyrics, these notes told her story. She never managed to move past it. Instead, it was a crutch, the lyrics a twisted sort of self-torment, yet they gave her comfort in an unexplained way. The exact way they described her life was a comfort. She hung on to it like a lifeline, hoping that like the last line of the song, her destiny would in fact be what she’d known all along.

  If there had been a knock, Alex hadn’t heard it with her headphones on. It wasn’t until Tasia reached out to touch her Alex even noticed she was in her room, and she about came out of her skin from shock. Blinking rapidly, it took a long second for Alex to pull the ear buds out. “Tasia?”

  Dallas’s sister was holding Alex’s purse in one hand and her running shoes in the other. “Let’s go.”

  Momentarily silenced, Alex’s eyes darted to the nightstand by her bed. Luckily, the notebook was closed and even upside down. The iPod in her hand was still playing and Alex turned it off laying it aside while she waited for Tasia to explain further. It had only been fifteen minutes since he’d left, but Alex’s world had had flipped upside down and nothing was as it should be. She knew Jack had to get back to classes, but she hadn’t been prepared for Dallas to leave yet. To leave—early. She’d spent the time since shocked, her emotions stilled. At some point she knew, probably sooner than later with the temper she’d inherited from her mother, anger would replace hurt, but she hadn’t gotten to that point yet.

  “Where?”

  “I’m not letting you sit here…alone.”

  “I’m not alone, hon. My parents are around here somewhere.” At twenty-three, she hadn’t moved out of her family home, and unlike most young adults her age, she had no desire to. For her, it was as much a practicality as it was anything else. Her days were spent trackside, her nights, in her office at the academy. The school and the track were both located behind her grandparent’s home, all of which was only a few acres away. She may still live at home, but it wasn’t like she mooched off her parents. She was rarely ever there, except for when her head hit the pillow long after ten each night.

  At the moment though, even though she wanted solitude to lick her wounds, her parents were still near, still close enough to hold her if she fell apart.

  “You know what I mean. Let’s grab dinner out somewhere. Maybe go to a movie or something. What do you say? If you want, we could even dress up a little bit?”

  Tasia’s hopeful face was almost enough to garner a smile. Almost.

  ~~~

  After half-heartedly following Tasia in and out of the boutiques, they wandered into the upscale bar and grille in the Wells District of town. New blood and even newer money moved in, renovating the brick buildings that at one time housed old clothing factories and such. Life had been breathed back into the old neighborhood. The once broken windows, graffiti-laden walls and dark streets were all new again. The expensive lofts above the boutiques and restaurants pulled in hefty monthly rentals, and purchasing one of the more sought after spaces had an even larger price tag. The tree lined streets twinkled with bright blue LED lights in the evening. The area was in constant motion as the who’s who of the area came and went.

  Looking around the rapidly filling restaurant Tasia grabbed Alex by the wrist and led her to the polished bar, grabbing two empty seats near the end. The professional offices that filled in the spaces between the shops had closed for the evening, and the suits had come out to play. It was what Dallas and Alex often referred to yuppies’ play time. It wasn’t her scene, it wasn’t Dallas’s either. Both preferred the peacefulness of nature’s nighttime noises—crickets, birds, owls, an occasional plane that flew over. Their favorite social life was gathering around her grandparents’ dinner table every Sunday night.

  Tasia, on the other hand, thrived on the energy of the bigger city and dragged Alex along as often as she could. Even though Tasia couldn’t legally drink, it didn’t stop the men from offering to buy her a one. That was the one and only reason Alex begrudgingly chaperoned.

  “Ice tea for me, please, oh and no lemon. Thank you.” Alex smiled at the waiter and busied herself with the menu. In shorts, a silk tank and wedges, she was starting to feel underdressed as the business men and woman quickly took over the bar and grille, as if it was their
personal Tuesday night hangout.

  After placing an order for her go-to food, a boring house salad and grilled chicken with the dressing on the side, a second habit kicked in. Alex didn’t even realize it until she saw the quirked eyebrow on Tasia’s face. Looking down, Alex saw her cell in her hand and knew she’d been caught. She wasn’t trying to be sneaky and sly, it was, well—habit. Alex didn’t bother to explain or argue, but seeing there weren’t any messages or missed calls sent her already hurt heart plunging.

  Tasia glanced at her wrist, “It’s only three-thirty there. His plane isn’t due to land for at least another forty-five minutes. Don’t worry.” When her friend stalled, Alex looked up from the blank cell she’d been staring at. “Alex, seriously. Don’t worry. He will call.”

  “I don’t know Tay, you weren’t there when he left. It was different this time. It was beyond awkward, it was…it was like, it wasn’t just ‘hey I gotta run, I’ll be back as soon as I can’. It was more—final. Like he…I don’t know.”

  “He just needs to pull his head out of his ass and screw it back on straight. You know him. He’ll hit the track. That’s where he’s always solved his problems. As soon as he’s processed how he’s fucked up so royally, he’ll be back on the next plane home.”

  She wasn’t sure what to say, her heart and her stupidity had been laid out for everyone to see. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to run away and hide from it the way Dallas had. “It’s—”

  “Excuse me.” Tasia’s eyebrow went up, so Alex turned to the deep voice over her right shoulder. “I don’t mean to interrupt you ladies, but aren’t you Alexandra Sterling?”

  Fame found her through not only the racing family she’d been raised in, but because she had the well-known, well-respected honor of being James Noland’s granddaughter. He’d made his fortune and their lives were easy and comfortable beyond measure, but what garnered more attention in the business community was the fact that James Noland was an extraordinary philanthropist. Though the academy took up a great deal of her time, Alex was heavily involved with the charitable organization her grandparents set up, and was becoming more and more recognizable due to the local news coverage over the years. The family was tied to several nonprofit projects, and Alex went out of her way to find lesser-known children’s charities to support.

  She stilled for a moment. The day she’d had left her wanting to ignore him and continue to lick her wounds, but she pulled her professional mantle back into place. “I am. May I help you?” Her voice betrayed her hesitation.

  The cheeky smile that spread across the man’s face could’ve been perceived as flirtatious, but something about the man, still in his suit, sans the jacket, set off a spark of caution in Alex. She was at a height disadvantage due to her bar-stool. He was standing, closing in on her space. She had to keep her chin raised to maintain eye contact. His dark hair was cut crisp and short, very business-like compared to Dallas’s more relaxed length. The stranger’s dark eyes were a little too beady for Alex’s comfort, and as his grin widened, she leaned away. The back of the barstool only gained her limited space, and it wasn’t far enough. The whiskey on his breath caused her lip to curl before she could stop it.

  There was something about the man that was making her uncommonly nervous. His dress slacks and silk tie proved he had money to spend on his wardrobe, and likely had a decent job. Yet with the top button on his starched shirt undone, and the red power tie loosened, it was apparent he was ready to call it a day.

  “Did you need something, our food should—”

  He jerked his head behind him to a booth and both girls looked in the direction he was motioning. There were two other well-dressed men both with smiles matching their leader’s. “Well, my name is Derek Porter, and my friends and I want to know if we could buy you lovely ladies dinner tonight…and possibly a few drinks?”

  Alex prided herself on two counts, one that she was actually able to not physically recoil at the disgustingly overly-used pick up line, and two…she had trained Tasia well. There was no way Derek could have possibly missed her blatant eye-roll.

  “That’s generous, but we’ve already ordered. Thank you for the offer.” Alex said smoothly, then turned hoping her refusal was borderline polite, but cold enough to send him on his way.

  When his hand clasped her shoulder the contact made her shiver before she contained it. Jerking out from under his hold was a knee-jerk reaction and from the small distance she could hear the cackle of his friends. They were enjoying watching Derek’s crash and burn rejection. It was a small victory in her mind.

  “Oh, come on girls.” Pointing back to his crew, “That’s Jason and that’s Gary. We all work around the corner at Praider, Connolly and Milton. We’re harmless.”

  Her gut instinct was on high-alert, which was something she’d been taught never to ignore. The public relations firm Derek name dropped tripped something in her memory. Thankfully at that moment the waiter appeared with their tray in-hand, and Tasia asked him to take it back and wrap it to go. Alex opened her clutch, and pulled out enough cash and a generous tip for the waiter laying the bills on the bar before narrowing her eyes at Derek.

  “It took me a minute, which I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m usually on my game and a lot quicker than that. I’ve had a rough day, so I’ll roll with it. I watch the news, I read the paper.” The confidence drained from his face, the smug grin dropped as his lips thinned to a tight line.

  Alex’s pulse spiked, but she managed to keep her cool and continued on, “See Derek, all it took was the mention of your place of employment for the pieces to fall into place. Add that to the ring mark on your left hand that signifies a missing wedding band and you’ll have to excuse us if we don’t accept your offer for dinner, drinks, or otherwise. You see, my cousin here is underage”—that sent Derek’s eyes wide, but his jaw dropped with Alex’s next blow—“and I’m not going anywhere near someone who’s recently been arrested for assault and battery. Especially when it was your own wife you beat the shit out of. I suggest you take about ten steps back from the both of us before I make a scene. And I promise you won’t weasel your way out of it like you did the last time.”

  Alex’s voice had been loud enough to draw attention, especially from the surrounding males. Derek was smart enough to know he’d been outed, and took enough steps back, even more than the suggested ten, so both she and Tasia were able to stand and leave without having to pass too closely to him. His dark beady eyes bore into her until she turned her back to him but knowing she’d raised enough attention to safely do so, gave her a small measure of satisfaction.

  The evening manager met them at the door with his apologies. “It’s really not a problem, sir, I am just overly-sensitive to men like that. I didn’t mean to cause a scene in your restaurant. It’s me who owes you an apology.”

  “Miss Sterling, I will not accept your apology because it isn’t necessary. My own mother,” the elderly gentleman’s eyes clouded for a brief moment. “Well, you young girls don’t need to hear of my family’s sadness. I just wish you both a wonderful night, and many thanks to you and your family for your charitable work. Here is the money for your meal, it is on the house.”

  “Oh, sir. That’s not necessary at all.” The front doors to the restaurant opened, letting in a rush of hot evening air. “Please.”

  “No, I insist.” His frail hand took Alex’s, and placed the bills back in her palm, then closed her fingers around it.

  “Well then, I appreciate the food, but I will not keep this. I will consider it a donation in your name to our foundation.” The dark eyes of the older Italian man teared as he laid his hand atop his heart. Alex understood he was choked for words and reached out to hug him instead. Letting go, she could see his smile return, and then he patted her cheek and turned back toward the swinging kitchen doors.

  Smiling to herself, she glanced at Tasia and they both stepped outside into the summer heat. Not more than three paces from the restaurant, som
eone called her name.

  Turning she recognized the same eyes, but on a much younger man. In black slacks, a dark blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled-up and a red sauce stain on the pocket, the grin he had was contagious as he hurried to catch up to her and Tasia. “Miss Sterling. I’m sorry to stop you, but I just had to…well, explain. My grandfather, he helps me run this restaurant, or so I let him think.” The younger man grinned. “I’ve never seen him so overcome by emotion like that. I’ve heard the stories from my father, but I want to thank you again. My grandfather had a rough life growing up. I think that was obvious from just the few moments you spent with him. I want to give you my card.”

  Reaching out, Alex read the name and grinned, the pride making her heart heal from some of the earlier events of the day. “Anthony—”

  “I know…Italian—Anthony—how original, right?” He chuckled.

  “No, it’s just been a long day and your grandfather”—she pressed the business card to her chest—“has touched a soft spot.”

  “Well, it’s mutual my dear. I know about your work, your family’s work. I’ve heard your mother speak on behalf of abused children. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room that night.”

  Alex felt Tasia rub a hand down her back, as Alex fought her own tears, just as Anthony’s grandfather had only moments before. “Yes, well. I tried to apologize to your grandfather for raising my voice and making a scene, but it seems you understand how little tolerance I have for that kind of monster.”

  “No, Alexandra—I’m sorry, may I call you Alexandra?”

  Grinning, his old-fashioned manners dried her tears before they had a chance to fall. Hiding the smile that the contradiction that threatened to both, make her giggle and embarrass him, he acted as if he was from the old country, like his grandfather, but looked her age. “It’s Alex, please.”