Confide In Me| Paused

Chapter 1~Red

♡Isabella

A woman with blonde hair stands at the starting line of the street racing match.

She's wearing skinny black shorts and appears intently focused on the race.

As she, along with the other racers and I, prepare for the race, she raises her arm, signaling the countdown with her fingers-3,2,1- and then signals "go" with a swift motion of her arm.

I grip the steering wheel tightly as I rev the engine, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

The smell of burning rubber fills the air as I launch forward at breakneck speed.

The wind whips through my hair, and my heart races as I maneuver through every turn, carefully balancing speed and control.

For a moment, everything fades away.

I’m completely consumed by the thrill. The car beneath me, fueling my determination to cross the finish line first.

I hate to admit it, but I can’t afford to lose. Not without staining my bed sheets and getting ‘scolded’ for something that I’m incapable of controlling.

The sound creates a deafening roar that echoes through the quiet streets, drowning out everything else.

Why can’t she understand that I have no control over those aspects, it natural, it’s human but to her its dreadful, to have to pay for her daughter’s hygiene products or anything regarding me at all.

I am seen as inhuman to my mother. It makes me feel so small and helpless; most of all scared, so scared of what she might do to me this time.

The amount of physical pain that is inflicted upon me is nothing compared to the emotional pain I feel every day from my own flesh and blood.

I’ve never admitted it out loud, although deep down, I know the feeling of neglect like the back of my hand.

I’m so lost in my train of thought that I don’t realize someone is catching up to me at an increasing speed. The car is sleek and immediately catches my attention.

The body is a vibrant shade of red. I hear a deafening roar emanating from the cars modified engine, a Nissan Skyline GT-R, I presume.

The car speeds past, leaving a trail of dust. I try to put more pressure on the accelerator.

Anxiously gripping the steering wheel with both hands and feel my heart racing in my chest.

The finish line is in sight. Coming side by side with the car from earlier. As we approach the final stretch, my muscles tense and sweat beads on my forehead as I propel forward.

Suddenly, red is surging forward like a beast unleashed.

I watch in disbelief as he expertly navigates the last few turns before crossing the finish line with lightning speed.

My heart sinks as I realize that he has taken the win. The prize money. The car is a blur as it speeds away into the distance, leaving me trailing behind in defeat.

“Damnit” I let out a frustrated sigh. I make my way back to the post and unbuckle my seatbelt, not ready to face the reality of the loss just yet.

Trying to control my emotions, I step out of the car onto the pavement and head to the post to congratulate red.

As I approach his car, he steps out, back facing me.

Well you’d be damned!

My attention is immediately drawn to his defined muscles, rippling under his skin as he breathes heavily after the race.

His broad shoulders are tanned,and I can see the faint outline of a tattoo peeking over the collar of his shirt.

I walk up to him, my heart racing in anticipation. Until I am right behind him.

He turns around and flashes me a smile. He’s even more handsome from the front.

I can not help but be captivated by his striking features, fluffy black hair, thick and luscious framing his face in a way that draws attention to his sharp jawline and piercing brown eyes.

"Congratulations, you did amazing out there.” I say beaming with pride.

He looks at me with a hint of surprise, and then his smile widens, “Thanks” he replies , his eyes twinkling with joy.

“Couldn’t have done it without you cheering me on.”

As I glance around the area, I notice an old man approaching us .He reaches out to shake red’s hand and says,

“Well done son, you’ve got some real talent there, take it from an-old timer like me, you should be proud of yourself.”

He smiles and thanks the old man for his words.

I watch as the man pats him on the back and walks away.

I stand by the crowd as I watch the winner collect his prize money. Which he accepts with a smile on his face.

He looks so proud of his accomplishment. I try to focus on the positive aspects of the event and shake off the unwanted emotions.

I look back at where he stands he winks at me as if sensing my uneasiness.

I give him a small smile in return and turn on my heels, heading back to the car.

I’m instantly greeted by a crisp breeze that swirls around my face, inhaling deeply.

I smell the freshness of the grass and the damp earth.

The air is clean, the stars twinkle above illuminating everything in their serene light.

I wrap my arms around myself creating some heat.

As I continue my journey. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around, curious as to who it might be.

I find myself face to face with red. He looks at me as if trying to read me,

“What’s your surname sweetheart?” he asks.

Sweetheart well that’s unexpected.

“Cooper” I reply. “Cooper” he repeats as if memorizing it.

My phone screen lights up in my hoodie pocket, the timer I had set for 2:30am displayed on the screen.

“Uhm, I need to get going, it was nice meeting you.” I say quickly.

“See you around Cooper.”He says,
as I walk the rest of the way back to the car.

It’s almost 3am and I need to be in bed by 4 .

I unlock the car and get in, sliding the key into the ignition, as I start the engine, I realize I didn’t ask red what his name was.

A/N

Trust the process ml.

Chapter 1 complete omw!

I hope you enjoyed it lmk what you think so far.

I'm currently working on the next few chapters although, I'm writing June exams in a few weeks so I'm trying to prioritize those atm.

Thank you for reading :)

~Lavaniya Naidoo