Not Alone Any More {Chase Elliott || Sequel to Only the Lonely} ✔️

xxi.

qualifying.

chase would be lying if he said that he wasn't freaking out a little bit. after his run in with the wall, he knew all eyes would be on him. he was the weekend storyline already, hitting the wall just made it worse.

he was used to the pressure, hell, he used to thrive on it. but every time he looked at his car, his chest tightened with panic as his mind flashed back to his wreck.

"are you okay?" alan asked. "because you look like you're going to hurl, man."

chase shrugged, "just nervous, i guess. i hate when everybody is looking at me."

"and yet somehow you're nascar's most popular most popular driver," alan chuckled. "just relax, you'll do great, okay. we're pushing the car out now but you've got fifteen minutes until you need to be strapping in."

chase nodded slowly, watching as his team pushed his car out of the garage, towards pit lane. another wave of panic flashed over him -- he had no idea how he was going to put his helmet on and get in his car like he wasn't fighting the bile that was rising in his throat. he doubled over, hands on his knees as he tried to regain whatever composure he had left.

"chase? are you okay?"

chase stood up to face ryan. "uh yeah," he lied again. "never been better."

"you know i don't believe a word of that," ryan shook his head. "what's going on, dude? you are really pale and you look like you're about to cry."

chase looked away, a part of him hating that ryan knew him this well but another part of him couldn't help but feel grateful that even after everything, ryan was still willing to be there for him. a true example of a loyal best friend, chase knew that deep in his heart. "i'm scared." chase's lip quivered a little at his confession.

"why haven't you told anybody, chase?" ryan placed his hand on his shoulder.

chase turned to face his friend with a shrug of his shoulders. "i don't know. i can do this, i have to do this, ryan."

ryan nodded, "you do know that the chances of something happening like that again are zero to none, right?"

chase nodded, "i know but i smelled smoke in practice and just kind of lost it a little bit."

"it'll take time." ryan reassured his friend. "you're going to be okay. forget that anybody is watching you and just go do what you're best at."

chase gave ryan a watery smile, "thanks, man. i really appreciate it."

"anytime." ryan returned the smile before clearing his throat. "i'm glad we patched things up, man."

"me too." chase agreed. "i'm sorry. i shouldn't have been so hard on you about what happened. you were drunk and --"

"wait, kc didn't tell you?" ryan interjected.

chase furrowed his brow, "tell me what?"

ryan took off his hat, running a hand through his brown locks. "i uh didn't actually sleep with alicia." ryan's words came out so fast that chase wasn't actually sure he had heard him correctly.

"you didn't actually sleep with alicia?" chase repeated. "ryan, why the hell didn't you tell me that? you let me waste so much time being mad at you for no reason at all."

ryan shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a sigh, "i don't know. i thought if it was my word against hers that you would believe her over me. so i just owned up to it."

chase shook his head. "i wish you would've told me, man. things could've turned out so differently."

out of the corner of his eye, chase spotted kathryn claire. he couldn't help but smile at her. somehow she managed to be a vision in her hms polo and khaki shorts. they made eye contact and she smiled at chase, his knees going a little weak and he had to remind himself how to breathe.

chase heard ryan scoff a little bit as the drivers were called to their cars. before they parted, ryan nudged chase with a little smirk, "i think things turned out perfectly."