“Hey, Emmit. I was just—”
Emmit took a hold of my arm and led me away. My skin was on fire from his touch as I fought to drag in air. Emmit rounded a corner away from everyone and stopped as he pinned me with his eyes.
“Just because you don’t give a fuck about this life, doesn’t mean other people hate it as well. Try thinking next time before you open up your mouth, Adaline. Robby’s already feeling worried that Lou isn’t happy, and you didn’t help the situation any.”
My mouth dropped open as I tried to form words to speak. I was both shocked and angry that Emmit would treat me this way. But I was more bothered by the fact that he called me Adaline. He’d always called me Addie. Even when I introduced myself to him back in elementary school, he decided he would call me Addie.
“I—I didn’t mean to upset him. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
Taking a step away from me, Emmit whispered something under his breath.
He turned and walked off as my senses came back to me. Following him, I called out his name.
“Emmit, please wait.”
With a motion toward the blonde to follow him, she glanced over her shoulder at me, and gave me a weak smile before turning and walking off. They stopped two buses down and Emmit held the door open for her as she stepped up into the bus.
Oh God. I’m so stupid. This was a mistake coming here. All I did was bring up old feelings and clearly I was the last person Emmit wanted to see.
I need to get out of here.
Quickly taking out my phone, I pulled up Uber. I’d just head back to the hotel and stay out of the way for the rest of the weekend.
“Adaline!”
Closing my eyes, I cursed under my breath when I heard my daddy’s voice. Sucking in a deep breath, I pushed it out and spun around to face him as I put on a smile and acted like everything was fine.
“There’s my beautiful girl.” Walking into my father’s arms, I fought to hold back the sudden onslaught of tears.
“Daddy,” I whispered as a single tear somehow managed to escape my eye and trek down my cheek. Quickly lifting my hand, I wiped it away.
My father pulled back and looked me over. “Beautiful as always. Are you hungry?”
That moment my stomach decided to growl. Giggling, I nodded my head. “I guess so.”
Holding his arm out for me, my father motioned for me to walk with him. “Come on, let’s get you back to the hotel and get cleaned up. We have a dinner tonight at the club.”
My eyes glanced over to the nine-story tall speedway club. “Daddy, I think I’ll just grab something quick to eat at the hotel. I’m not really in the mood for a fancy dinner.”
My father guided me past all the buses, including the one Emmit and the blonde went into, and back over to his truck. My mother was already waiting for us. Giving me a smile, she asked, “Sweetheart, are you okay? I saw Emmit pull you to the side and say something to you.”
The lump in my throat caused me to go speechless. Clearing my throat, I plastered on a fake smile. “I’m fine, Mama. Let’s just say, Emmit wasn’t too pleased to see me.”
With a look of sadness, my mother glanced over to my father. “Don’t pay no mind to Emmit. He get’s like that before a race. Especially here in Texas.”
Daddy opened the back door and held out his hand as he helped me up into the truck.
“Let’s get Adaline back to her hotel. She needs to freshen up for dinner.” Shutting my door, Daddy climbed into the truck and looked over at my mother as she glanced back to me with a silly smile on her face.
“Oh, Mr. Elliot will be so thrilled to see you, Adaline.”
“Wait. What?” I asked as my eyes widened.
“We’re having dinner with Mr. Elliot tonight? Who else?”
My heart pounded so hard in my chest it caused me to feel sick. What if Emmit is going to be there?
Waving me off with her hand . . . again . . . my mother said, “Oh, his niece is throwing a small dinner at the Speedway Club. It will be in and out since the drivers will be there and the race is tomorrow.”
I slammed my body back into the seat of the truck as I let out a frustrated moan. “I’m not going to the damn dinner. I just got in a few hours ago. Daddy, the least you could have done is given Emmit a heads up that I was coming to the race. If he wasn’t thrilled to see me standing in front of your bus, he sure as hell isn’t gonna want to see me at a dinner.”
“Nonsense. Like I said, he’s always this way before a race. Wait until he sees’ you in the beautiful gown your mother had brought up to your room. It means the world to me to have you here, Adaline.”
I tried to push away the guilty feelings that swept across my body. My parents had begged me to come to races over the years, with Daddy being Emmit’s crew chief, I just couldn’t do it.
I need a Diet Coke.
I’d given up Diet Coke over a year ago. Why in the hell I needed one now was beyond me.