NASCAR One Shots

2. You Belong With Me - William Byron

I walked into the #24 garage with two cups of hot coffee, just like I did every Sunday morning. My best friend, William standing there with his phone in one hand pressed to his ear, and the other one placed on his hip. I knew just who he was talking to and judging by his stance, it wasn't good. I walked up to him giving him a small half smile, handing him his coffee, and mouthing "Good Morning". He simply mouthed "Thank you" and rolled his eyes. I sat on the toolbox waiting for him to finish talking to her. After what seemed like forever I felt a pair of arms snake around me. I tilted my head back to look up at him. "Everything okay?" I asked. "No, not really, Sarah." William says to me. I turn to face him and see the look on his face. "Is there anything I can help with?" I ask waiting for his response as I sip my coffee. William looks down at me, with no emotion on his face. "Brooklynn wants a ring, she wants me to propose to her tomorrow night at her parent's dinner." He looks up staring blankly at the racecar sitting just a few feet away. I know he wasn't ready for marriage, he was only 22. "Tell her no." I stated plainly. "Tell her you're not ready." He looked back at me and opened his mouth to say something but didn't. "Let me guess, she won't take no for an answer." He shook his head in response. "William, I don't know why you keep her around, I swear." I say standing up and pulling him with me. We walked for what seemed like forever, in silence, until I came to a stop at a bench by the lake. Daytona International Speedway was huge. We sat on the bench and I looked at him, looking for any kind of emotion. "William doesn't worry about her, she's not here. She doesn't care about you, because if she did, she would be here supporting you. This is one of the biggest nights of your life, The Daytona 500, and not only that but you start on the pole, that's amazing." I said. He looked at me, a confused look crossing his face. "Were did that come from?" He asked, never taking those blue eyes off of me. I looked at him and shook my head before answering. "All I'm saying is this William, she doesn't support you, but I do, she isn't here, but I am. I'm not going to spend all day waiting for you to stop mopping around this place, forget it William, I'm sorry I said anything at all." I got up and started to walk away and felt those strong arms once again, this time lifting me off of the ground and placing me back to my feet. I turned to face him, looking into his eyes. "Sarah, we've been best friends since forever, and you didn't answer my question. Where is all this hate towards Brooklynn coming from?" He asked pulling me back onto the bench. I sighed and shook my head. "You are right, we have been friends forever, and that is why I am upset. She treats you like crap, she has never been to a race in her life, much less one of your races to support you, who is supposed to be her boyfriend. I have never missed a race since you started. I switched all my classes to online classes with your University, so that I can travel with you and still go to school. Do you know how hard it was to get Rick Hendrick to let me be your PR?" I stopped talking as his face dropped. "Sarah what are you saying? Do you not want to travel with me anymore? Because I understand fully if you." I cut him off closing the gap between us, his lips so sweet and soft. I pulled away looking back into his eyes. "Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you, been here all along, so why can't you see, you belong with me." He looked at me smiling for the first time today. "Sarah, I had no idea you felt that way." He pulled me closer to him leaning in to kiss me once more. I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. "I have loved you forever, William. I just didn't say anything because of Brooklynn, I thought you were happy." I say as he moves me to his lap. "I thought so too, but I know who makes me happy." Just then his phone buzzed and he reached into his pocket and handed it to me. "You know what to do." He smiled. I took the phone swiping the green button. "Hello? William? No this is Sarah, William isn't available right now, and he won't be available to you again, Brooklynn. No, what I am saying is that you need to find another boyfriend because William is mine." I hung up the phone and handed it back to him. "It's time to go get ready for your race." I smiled kissing him one more time.

I was standing on his pit box, watching intently as the white flag came down, one to go, William was in the lead coming around the backstretch. Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski were fighting for position when Brad spun Kevin causing a big one, at least 10 cars, to look pretty bad. I looked at the flag stand, still green, I turned back to see William and Denny fighting for first place. "Come on William!" I screamed as if he could hear me. His crew chief Chad Knaus just smiled at me and radioed to Will, "Your girlfriend is screaming for you, and that better be on hell of a burnout." The next thing I knew I was running across the infield to William as he was climbing out of his racecar, all the reporters were gathering around him, but I didn't care. I had to see him. I ran through the crowd and straight into his arms as he lifted and swung me around. "Daytona, baby!" I screamed happily as my feet touched the ground and he leaned in to kiss me. "Couldn't have done it without you. " His smile was so bright as he turned to the cameras. He had me standing in front of him, both arms wrapped around me, I was his trophy. He was showing me off to the world and he didn't care. As the interviewer asked William if he had anything else he wanted to add, William, let me go, moving around to stand in front of me. "There is." William smiled at me as he dropped to one knee, pulling out a little black box from the pocket of his fire suit. "Sarah Renee Rage, I have been in love with you since I was seventeen. I was too scared then, to admit it, but now, Sarah, I want you to be my wife." The rest of the crew had gathered around us, it felt like the world had fallen silent at that moment in time. I was trying to find my voice that had seemingly left my body. All I could do was shake my head yes. He instantly grabbed my left hand, sliding the ring onto my finger as the crowd erupted into cheers and screams. "I love you, William McComas Byron," I whispered into his ear just before getting drenched in Gatorade by his crew. The celebration was on, and twice as special.