Here we goooo 😗 - Daytra
P.S. - We reached 200 reads!!
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Harley's POV
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Racing.
It was an outlet for me; a way for me to relieve my stress, anger, and sadness. I'd been doing it for years, almost a decade now, and I loved every part of it. It'd become a coping mechanism for me.
When I raced, I felt young and wild. I felt unstoppable and indestructible. I felt like no one could touch me; like I was on top of the world.
And it was the best feeling ever.
I didn't know it before, but racing was exactly what I needed to take my mind off my brother, father, and mother. It was exactly what I needed to let loose and forget, even if it was only for a little while.
Any sadness that was lingering over me about my family had boiled down to nothing. For now, all I was focused on was the massive, oval track and making it to the finish line before my opponents.
The race started off well and I was in the lead for the first two laps, but that quickly changed. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and glanced up at my rear view mirror; I'd left most of my opponents in the dust.
Except for one:
Roman.
I'd seen him get into his familiar orange McLaren before all the cars moved to the track. I was curious as to why he was here and, for a moment, I was tempted to ask him when I saw him, but we were mere strangers to each other and I didn't know him well enough to ask such invasive questions about his personal life.
Suddenly, I was yanked from my thoughts at the sound of Roman's loud car engine. Moments later, I saw Roman's beautiful car speed ahead of me, rounding the bend with ease.
I was stunned for a few seconds, but quickly snapped out of it and pressed my foot on the gas, pushing my car to its limit. I rounded the curve, then sped down the straight of the track.
I was only a few meters behind Roman when his car jerked forward, casually gliding across the track and nearing dangerously close the finish line.
Fuck.
I'd never lost a race before, not even my first one, and I wasn't ready to lose now. But Roman was very far ahead of me and I wasn't sure if I could close the gap of space before he reached the finish line.
Coming in second place might not be so bad.
Who was I kidding? I hated coming in second place.
I cursed, hitting the steering wheel. The gas pedal was pushed to the floor, my car going at it's maximum speed. Yet, I still couldn't catch up. I watched as Roman's car sped past the finish line and the crowd went wild. I could hear the whoops and cheers, and they practically haunted me.
I sped past the finish line, ending in second place. I slammed on the brakes, drifting across the asphalt. My car veered, coming to a final halt right in front of Roman's.
I watched as his door opened and he stepped out, running his long fingers through blonde locks. The crowd swarmed him, most people congratulating him on the win. For a few minutes, Roman stood near his car and chatted with the people around him. And then, someone said something to him and his eyes drifted to my black 1970 Dodge Charger R/T.
A part of me wondered what they said, but I didn't have time to dwell on it because Roman pushed away from the crowd and began walking over to me, hands in pocket.
I got out of my car, closing the door behind me. I studied him as he casually strolled over to me. Roman extended his hand, giving me a sly and confident smile, "You're a pretty good fucking racer, Harley."
I was shocked when he said my name. I didn't think he'd remember me, even though our run-in at the cemetery wasn't that long ago.
"I'd like to say the same, but then I'd be lying to you. Roman." I put extra emphasis on his name and I noticed his eyebrows perk up.
Roman chuckled, "Pretty ballsy thing to say for someone who just lost to me."
I shrugged, folding my arms across my chest, "I let you win," I lied. "But Lilo's getting old. She's not what she used to be."
I glanced down at my car, patting the hood.
Roman narrowed his eyes at me, "Lilo? Like from Lilo & Stitch?"
I ignored Roman's sly comment and looked past his head, watching as Vixen began trudging over to us. She crossed the track, passed Roman's car, and walked up beside him.
"Hey, guys," She greeted. "You did a great job, Harls. I'm proud of you." Vixen said.
I smiled, leaning in for a hug, "Thanks, Vixen," I said. "This is Roman. I'm sure you remember him from the cemetery."
Vixen nodded and shook Roman's hand, "Of course. How could I forget a car like that?"
Roman threw his head back in laughter, prominent dimples poking out.
"I think the saying goes 'how could I forget a face like that.' Is my car seriously all that you remember me for?"
Vixen shifted on her feet and shoved her hands into her pockets. She moved from beside Roman and stood next to me, leaning against the hood of my car.
I could tell that she was uncomfortable. Roman's comment must've scared her, but I was certain that he was just being genuine and lighthearted. Besides, I remembered him mentioning a girlfriend when we met him at the cemetery and he didn't seem like the unfaithful kind.
Vixen cleared her throat and shook her head, "And that beautiful little girl of yours. Willow, right?"
Roman nodded and if he noticed Vixen's change in demeanor, he didn't show it, "Yup, that's her name. Willow. My little spitfire."
"She was adorable," I chimed in, smiling at him. I decided to take a risk and ask him what'd been nagging me since I first saw him here. "Is she the reason you race?"
The air grew heavy around us. I knew that Vixen and I didn't know Roman very well, and he didn't know us either, but I couldn't stop the words from flying out of my mouth.
"Uh, yeah. Well, she's one of the reasons," He began. "I make some really good money here and I'm able to support my family."
Knowing that Roman raced to support his family was admirable. It wasn't exactly the easiest or most conventional job, kind of like working in the mafia, but it requires hard work and dedication.
"That's really respectable, Roman. And congratulations on your win." I said to him.
"The win that you gave to me?" He mused, the sides of his eyes crinkling as he grinned.
I rolled my eyes at him, waving him off, "Oh, shut up."
I glanced over at Vixen because she'd been awfully quiet. When I looked at her, I noticed that she had a faraway look in her eyes, as if she was thinking about something.
"You okay, Vi?" I asked. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Vixen snapped out of her trance and peered up at me. She nodded, feebly, "I'm great."
I furrowed my eyebrows.
I knew that she was lying to be, but I decided not to press the matter in front of Roman.
Instead, in hopes of making her feel better, I made an offer to Vixen and Roman, "Why don't we all go to a bar for drinks? To celebrate Roman's win? Drinks are on me."
I noticed a gleam in Vixen's honey brown eyes and a small smile spread across her lips, "Drinks? On you? It'd be wrong for me to pass that up."
I just snickered and we looked over at Roman, waiting for his answer. He glanced down at his watch and checked the time, then looked back at us, "I mean, I guess I've got some time to kill," He said. "Let's do it."
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It's not the best, but I tried 😔🖐🏾 - Daytra
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