Remind Me « Chase Elliott »

Chapter Two // Make A Wish

June 2013

"I can't believe how many there are tonight!" I snuggled closer to Chase, wrapped up in a blanket in the back of his truck. It was a relative cold summer night, but it was perfect. It was just us two nestled down by the river beside an open field watching a meteor shower. I had no idea what time it was, but with Chase? Time didn't matter.

I pointed towards the sky, right when a star fell. "Make a wish," I whispered and closed my eyes tightly.

"What did you wish for?" Chase asked tentatively.

"That this night would never end." We held no secrets between us, and it was the truth. "You?"

I felt him shift beside me, his hand reaching mine in the darkness, curling our fingers together, "this." He placed his free hand on my chin and turned my head towards him.

My breath caught in my throat at the intense way he held my gaze, the stars shining above completely lost to his beauty. He leaned in; and ever so slowly pressed his lips against mine. My heart flew out of my chest, his lips so soft against mine.

**

"Sadie? Earth to Sadie!" I blinked my eyes up at Kasey who was waving his hand in front of my face. "Where did you just go?" To a place I never want to revisit.

"Sorry, just having a bad day." Kasey's eyes softened when he heard the sadness in my voice.

"You know I'm like big brother to you, right? So you can tell me if something's bothering you." After that blissful summer with Chase, and how it ended badly, I started spending more time here at the shop. You'd think that I would have gotten away from racing then, but strangely enough, I got closer. That was also the year Kasey joined the 5 team and since then, he's been my older brother in the sense that he'd do anything to make sure I was okay. He doesn't know about my history with Chase, and it's going to stay like that.

"I know," I sighed, "I just need a getaway, that's all."

"Because your getaway to Nashville wasn't enough?" I shot him an evil glare and he held his hands up in surrender.

"Too soon I see," he paused, looking down at the design of his website from the corner of his desk and then back up at me. "Did you design all of this yourself?" I nodded yes, "even the pictures?"

"Yeah, why, are they bad?" Please don't tell me I spent hours upon hours in photoshop for nothing.

"No, they're great, in fact..." He quickly went to his phone and pressed a button, before I knew it, the familiar voice of Jenna rang through his office. "Jenna! I need a media pass for Sadie, and accommodations for her this weekend at Darlington."

"What are you--?!" Kasey held his hand up cutting me off.

"Also make sure she's gets everything. The whole ordeal. She's officially on the 5 team with full privileges." Full privileges? As in I could go anywhere I want within the race track, pit road, the hauler, garage, and media center? Kasey hung up the phone without a word from Jenna and I knew she was going to be pissed that I was joining the team. She's been wanting what I just got for a long time now, but for all of the wrong reasons. Which brings me back to me.

"What was that about?"

"I want you to document the whole race weekend from my viewpoint, and place it on the website. I think it would be great to give the fans what they can't normally see. So I want you to shadow me. From the moment I take off for the track, from the time I come back home.

"But what about your PR person? Isn't that her job?" I rolled my eyes when I said her, I can't stand Stacy, she's snobby and thinks everyone is beneath her. Kasey smiled, but not in the eyes crinkling way, but how he was up to no good. He reached for his phone again and before I could stop him, he had Stacy on the line.

"Stacy, I talked to Chase earlier this morning and he said he's good to go."
"Really?" I heard an excitement in her voice that I didn't like.

"It's only for this weekend."
"Okay! I think I can handle both of ya'll."
"Actually, about that... Mr. Hendrick thinks it's wise for his daughter to dip her toes in the public relations department."
"Oh, does he now?"

He ignored that little jab and continued on. "Please give Sadie everything she'll need to cover all of my stuff for this upcoming weekend."

"Does Princess need anything else?" I really, really hate her.
"I don't know," Kasey cocked his head towards me, "need anything else princess?"

"No, I'm good!" The sound of a phone hanging up filled the air and both of us laughed. "I don't know how you can stand her, she's such a bitch."

"If you can keep up this weekend, this will give me the initiative to fire her. It's long overdue."

I spent the rest of the morning locked up in Kasey's office going over everything that will happen this weekend and what to expect. We decided to take social media to the next step; more tweets, more videos, even on the spot Q&A's for long time fans. I was really looking forward to getting away, and for once, my future looked promising.

After meeting with Stacy, her not even giving me a glance as she gave me all of Kasey's things (more stuff than I realized!) I made my way over to the gift shop. If I were to act the part this weekend, I had to show it. You'd think growing up with my dad being who he is, I'd have every shirt for every driver, but I don't. The last racing shirt I owned belongs to someone I don't even want to name.

Someone, who was standing right at the entrance taking a photo with a fan. I dropped my arms to my side feeling suddenly sick. I turned on my heel, but I knew it was too late. I could hear Chase calling my name.

"Sadie, wait up!" I only walked faster, but his too long legs made it easy for him to walk into step with me.

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to him. "Is it always going to be like this?" I wondered out loud.

"Like what?" The confused look on his face shouldn't be so cute.

"Doesn't matter, is there something I can help you with?" He ran his hand through his hair and bit his lip. He always does this when he wants to say something but won't. The fact that I still remembered this frustrated me. "Nevermind." I briskly walked away from him, but he was quicker than I, grabbing my arm and spinning me around.

My hands shot up to stop me from falling, but I landed safe and secure in his arms. A safe haven, home away from home. I pushed myself away from him, hurt and anger bubbling within. "Don't be like this, Chase," I pleaded.

"I miss -"

"Don't even say it," I cut him off, "you have no right to say you miss me." He doesn't. He was the one that walked out of my life, not the other way around.

"Sadie, I'm--" At that moment, Jenna came running out of the nearby building yelling Chase's name and asking if he's ready to go.

"You don't want to be late for your date," I spat, "maybe if you ask nicely, she'll put out." The knot in my stomach got tighter, and the stunned look on his face only made me want to throw up.

I turned my back on him, my name falling softly from his lips but I kept walking way and praying desperately no one saw the tears streaming down my face.