As I get closer to the track, my tears flow down my cheeks. Not wanting to have anyone see me like this, I turn to my right and head toward the parking lot. Once I get into my car, I swipe the tears from my face and pull down the driver side visor. I open the flap for the mirror and take in my reflection. My eyes are rimmed red from crying and tracks of black run slightly down my face.
“You look like shit, Lucy.” I reach into my purse sitting beside me on the seat and find a small packet of tissues and begin wiping my face. It doesn’t take long before my face is makeup free. There is nothing I can do about my red-rimmed eyes, but at least I don’t look like Marilyn Manson any longer.
“Shit, Colt.” I chastise myself for forgetting about my son as I rummage inside my purse for my cell and send Rylee a text.
Me: Can you drop Colt off at the childcare center or if you want to keep him for the day, that’s fine me with.
Rylee: Is everything alright? I have nothing major planned for the day. I can reschedule some things or see if he can hang out with Colton and the guys today.
I panic, not wanting to have Colt anywhere near Tyler. The last thing I need is Tyler asking questions about him.
Me: Please just keep him at the house with you or take him to the childcare center. Please.
Rylee: Alight, I understand. Call me when you get off work and I’ll bring him home. We can drink a nice bottle of wine and you can tell me what happened.
I sigh, thankful that my friend understands what I need even when I can’t explain it.
Me: Thank you for everything.
Rylee: Anything for you two. Anything.
I throw my phone onto the seat beside me before backing out of the spot and heading toward the Corporate Cares office downtown. Maybe throwing myself into work will help me forget the mess my life has become.
Chapter Five
Tyler
Watching Lucy walk away from me damn near broke my heart, but trying to talk to her when she has dug her heels in won’t help either of us.
I sigh as I head back into the garage. May as well find something useful to do. I head over to Colton’s backup engine. Being a gear head through and through, I know my boy has the best there is, even for his back up.
Dangling from a cherry picker in the corner of the shop is a 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 engine from Honda. I know this isn’t the normal engine Colton uses, but I was able to talk him into grabbing this one for a steal. I walk around the engine taking in the sleek design and polished chrome. When I get this baby up and running it can go roughly 12,000 rpm.
“You are seriously going to fix this piece of junk.” I spin around, catching a glimpse of Colton standing in the doorway. He has a bright smile on his face that means his practice laps went well.
“Did you beat your time?” I ask before I guide the engine on to the engine block.
“My good luck charm was watching, so you know I couldn’t go anything but fast.” I shake my head at Colton. Anyone who knows him wouldn’t expect any less. People don’t call him Mr. Arrogant for nothing.
I unbolt the intake manifold and oil pan before Colton speaks again. “You going to tell me what happened with you and Lucy? Rylee is beating herself up for shoving you two together like that.”
“Nope.” I respond as I clench my teeth tightly together. Colton has been nothing but good to me and I need to keep my temper in check.
“I doubt that. Come on, man, we’ve been to hell and back together. Talk to me.” I hear him place his helmet on a nearby workstation.
“The person who has been to hell is me. You were here, living the dream while I lost everything I ever wanted in life.” I throw the socket wrench I was using to the floor with a clang. It slides across the floor stopping just short of hitting Colton’s foot.
“You have everything right here in front of you. You just need to stop being an ass long enough to grab ahold of it.”
“That’s bullshit and we both know it!” I yell, no longer able to control the anger bubbling inside me. “You knew! You knew all this fucking time and never once said anything to me.”
“Things aren't always how they appear, Tyler,” Colton responds calmly.
“She has a kid, Colton. That’s not something you can make a mistake in seeing. That little boy can’t be any more than three years old and looks exactly like her.” I turn, placing both hands on the workbench in an attempt to calm the storm raging in my heart. “She must have been waiting for me to disappear so she could jump into bed with someone else.” I grip the edge of the bench tightly, the edges cutting into my skin mimicking the pain I feel in my heart.
“We all know how much Lucy loves you. You just need to pull your head out of your ass long enough to remember that.”
“Don’t you mean loved?” I turn and ask him, hoping he can give me something to go on. Something to help me understand why him and Rylee would do this to me. “There is no way that woman who left here still loves me.”
“It doesn’t help that you called her a whore to her face. I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with you after that either.”
“How do you know what I said to her? Do you have the garage bugged now or something?” I smirk
