October 29, 2017
THE sound of collision filled the stadium as the familiar blue paint scheme slammed the wall. It was so quick that not even she caught what happened until after the race. Rushing to his parked car, she was stopped by an official who was attempting to mediate the escalating argument. She knew he was so close to winning but it wasn't worth this.
"Clyde! Excuse me." She maneuvered amid the official and crowd around the two men and stepped between them. Facing the Georgian, she intertwined their fingers to stop him from prolonging the childish encounter. Denny Hamlin watched in astonishment as the young man quickly relaxed at her touch; the screens displaying the interaction across the speedway.
Vivienne glared at both men as they separated ways and continued to argue via interviews. The walk back to his motorhome was filled with the sound of fans cheering as Chase talked about the incident. Men were so competitive when it came to life that they failed to acknowledge the importance of civil conversation. She was surprised to see a familiar curly-haired boy standing against the bus.
"Blaney? Sorry, he's busy with-" Ryan dismissed her voice with a casual wave of his hand. A smirk covered his lips as he playfully jutted his hip out and mimicked her words to the official. "If we didn't like you before you sure as hell gained quite a few fans tonight." Blushing, she realized her outburst had been nationally broadcasted and heard.
His loud laughter was cut short when Chase cleared his throat. "But seriously, we all need a relationship like that in our lives." Smiling, Ryan hugged his friend before leaving the two to stand in the quiet parking lot of Martinsville. As the door unlocked she wobbled up the stairs to lay on the couch; her hand absentmindedly smoothing over her shirt.
"Are you okay?" Sitting in front of her legs, Chase was genuinely concerned for her exhausted condition. His hand grasped hers as it rested atop of her stomach. He knew what he did was foolish, but he couldn't let those actions go unnoticed. "I shouldn't have to wrangle you from fights." The unimpressed tone caused his face to flush.
As the baby kicked she sighed as the words of Ryan lingered in her mind. Nobody deserved a rollercoaster relationship like this in their lives- it was unhealthy. Vivienne knew that he meant well by her daring support for Chase, but she had only acted out in fear of it turning physical. Quietly, she mumbled "Please be careful."
He nodded understandingly as he fumbled with the edge of her shirt. Gently his hand slipped underneath to tenderly skim over her belly. She knew that in the final weeks of the season that the animosity would be dangerously high. Having a child with a driver was already demanding due to busy schedules, but with increased safety risks it became overwhelming.
She had noticed his unusual discreet behavior had increased; the distant gaze often following silence. Nudging his shoulder at the troubled emotions in his eyes she asked, "What's wrong?" They may have never dated but she cared deeply for the southern man. Nervously biting his lip, he scooted closer. "Promise me you won't get upset?"
Squeezing his hand in comfort, she listened as her heart instantly fell. "Uh, I have a girlfriend. We've been together for two months." Chase watched as her eyes closed and she sighed in attempt to calm herself. Excessive stress wasn't good for pregnancy, but with him around it just kept rolling in like tidal waves. Covering her mouth, a feeling of nausea washed over her body.
He had kissed her and gifted a ring while lying to someone else. Vivienne's eyes angrily filled with tears as he avoided looking at her. Removing his hands, she slowly stood and haphazardly placed her belongings into a backpack. As she passed his tensed figure she asked one last question. "Is it the same girl you cheated with- Taylor?" His silence confirmed the inevitable truth; she wasn't even surprised.
Retrieving her keys, she stepped outside as he rushed to stop the door from closing. Hastily reaching for her arm he begged, "Viv, please-" The wounded expression she displayed as she retracted from his touch was like a punch to the gut. Looking back at his frantic appearance she murmured, "I hope she makes you happy."
