Surge: Bad Boy Racing Romance (Fastlane Series Book 1) by Sloan Storm
Authors: Sloan Storm
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nodded, swallowing in relief. “Thank you.”
I reached for my best friend and we hugged for several seconds.
“Ava, I don’t understand why you won’t just talk to Dyson about it. He’s a decent guy.”
I stood from the mattress and rested my hands on my lower back, just above my waist. I turned and looked down at her. “I know he is. But, this isn’t his problem.”
“Okay, well, if you don’t tell him, then what are you going to do?”
I shook my head. “At this point, I don’t know. I just need a little time to think.”
Jillian nodded and stood from the bed once again. “I hope you change your mind about Dyson. But like I said, you won’t have to worry about Simon while you’re in Los Angeles. I promise.”
I smiled.
“Do you need anything else?” Jillian asked.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “I’m going to say goodnight to Simon. Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
Jillian smiled at me. “Of course. Don’t mention it.”
A few minutes later I cracked open the door to Simon’s bedroom. Streaks of faint light from the living room spread across his face. To my surprise, he was awake. I swallowed, wondering if he’d heard any of my conversation with Gene.
“Hey, sweetie… Whatcha doin’?” I began, walking across his room towards him. “Aunt Jillian told me you were sleeping.”
Simon looked up at me, his brown eyes reflecting an ambient glow. “I woke up.”
I reached down and glided my fingers across the top of his head. “Is everything all right?”
He looked away from me and shrugged.
“Scoot over,” I said.
After he moved to the other side of the bed, I slipped under his sheets with him.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
With my head on the pillow, I rolled it towards him. He was looking straight up, towards the ceiling.
“Simon?”
I noticed a lump pass down his throat.
“Are you upset about something?”
He nodded, but continued to stare at the ceiling. I spent the next minute or so trying to pry the answer out of him. We went through a short checklist of things. I asked him about school, homework and his friends. None of those things were on his mind. A sense of dread came over me. With each shake of his head, I grew more certain he’d heard my conversation.
“Well, you know I’m leaving tomorrow, so if you want to talk about it, you need to do it now.”
He turned and looked at me. I noticed the beginnings of tears in his eyes. And then, it dawned on me.
“Oh, honey… Are you upset because I’m going away again?”
He nodded vigorously. Tears streaked down his small cheeks. I reached for Simon, pulling him close.
“Shhh,” I said, leaning in towards him and kissing the top of his head. “I won’t be gone for long.”
He choked down sobs over the next minute or so. I did my best to try and calm him down.
“Do you want me to stay in here with you tonight?”
He squeezed me and nodded his head.
“Okay, but only if you promise to go to sleep,” I said. “Will you do that for me?”
“Yes,” he muttered.
I leaned over and kissed him on top of the head one more time. Holding him close to me, I continue to stroke his hair. Within five minutes, he’d fallen asleep.
As I lay there, I stared up towards the ceiling. I had no idea what the next few days would bring. But no matter what, I’d never give Simon up, not for anything.
Just then, Jillian tapped lightly against the bedroom door. Rolling my head on the pillow, I glanced up in her direction.
“Should I close this?” she whispered, pointing at the door.
I nodded and seconds later the room went dark.
AVA
I arrived in Los Angeles and joined the team. Maybe it was my preoccupation with Gene, or maybe it was the fact I’d gotten to go home for a while, but for some reason, things were better. I didn’t have any of the homesick feelings I experienced in Miami.
Small victories.
Still, I couldn’t deny being distracted. Each night, I’d call home, never one hundred
I reached for my best friend and we hugged for several seconds.
“Ava, I don’t understand why you won’t just talk to Dyson about it. He’s a decent guy.”
I stood from the mattress and rested my hands on my lower back, just above my waist. I turned and looked down at her. “I know he is. But, this isn’t his problem.”
“Okay, well, if you don’t tell him, then what are you going to do?”
I shook my head. “At this point, I don’t know. I just need a little time to think.”
Jillian nodded and stood from the bed once again. “I hope you change your mind about Dyson. But like I said, you won’t have to worry about Simon while you’re in Los Angeles. I promise.”
I smiled.
“Do you need anything else?” Jillian asked.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “I’m going to say goodnight to Simon. Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
Jillian smiled at me. “Of course. Don’t mention it.”
A few minutes later I cracked open the door to Simon’s bedroom. Streaks of faint light from the living room spread across his face. To my surprise, he was awake. I swallowed, wondering if he’d heard any of my conversation with Gene.
“Hey, sweetie… Whatcha doin’?” I began, walking across his room towards him. “Aunt Jillian told me you were sleeping.”
Simon looked up at me, his brown eyes reflecting an ambient glow. “I woke up.”
I reached down and glided my fingers across the top of his head. “Is everything all right?”
He looked away from me and shrugged.
“Scoot over,” I said.
After he moved to the other side of the bed, I slipped under his sheets with him.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
With my head on the pillow, I rolled it towards him. He was looking straight up, towards the ceiling.
“Simon?”
I noticed a lump pass down his throat.
“Are you upset about something?”
He nodded, but continued to stare at the ceiling. I spent the next minute or so trying to pry the answer out of him. We went through a short checklist of things. I asked him about school, homework and his friends. None of those things were on his mind. A sense of dread came over me. With each shake of his head, I grew more certain he’d heard my conversation.
“Well, you know I’m leaving tomorrow, so if you want to talk about it, you need to do it now.”
He turned and looked at me. I noticed the beginnings of tears in his eyes. And then, it dawned on me.
“Oh, honey… Are you upset because I’m going away again?”
He nodded vigorously. Tears streaked down his small cheeks. I reached for Simon, pulling him close.
“Shhh,” I said, leaning in towards him and kissing the top of his head. “I won’t be gone for long.”
He choked down sobs over the next minute or so. I did my best to try and calm him down.
“Do you want me to stay in here with you tonight?”
He squeezed me and nodded his head.
“Okay, but only if you promise to go to sleep,” I said. “Will you do that for me?”
“Yes,” he muttered.
I leaned over and kissed him on top of the head one more time. Holding him close to me, I continue to stroke his hair. Within five minutes, he’d fallen asleep.
As I lay there, I stared up towards the ceiling. I had no idea what the next few days would bring. But no matter what, I’d never give Simon up, not for anything.
Just then, Jillian tapped lightly against the bedroom door. Rolling my head on the pillow, I glanced up in her direction.
“Should I close this?” she whispered, pointing at the door.
I nodded and seconds later the room went dark.
AVA
I arrived in Los Angeles and joined the team. Maybe it was my preoccupation with Gene, or maybe it was the fact I’d gotten to go home for a while, but for some reason, things were better. I didn’t have any of the homesick feelings I experienced in Miami.
Small victories.
Still, I couldn’t deny being distracted. Each night, I’d call home, never one hundred
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