“It’s like getting to see a completely different side of a person,” she’d said. “He’s the best freestyle rider out there, so you’ll definitely get a good show today.”

“I’m excited,” I told her. “And nervous.” I genuinely was. I’d thought about my conversations with my sister over the past couple of days and she was right about me avoiding the obvious. I loved him. I wanted to make this work. I just hoped that he hadn’t decided I wasn’t worth the effort.

I’d planned my apology and picked out a cute, little, floral sundress to wear that day. I had no idea what people typically wore to an event like this, but I wanted to look good for him. I wanted him to see that despite the fact that I’d fallen apart emotionally, I wasn’t a complete disaster. I fixed my hair and make-up and slipped on a pair of leather ankle books before heading out the door.

I’d driven Nora’s car and followed the directions she’d given me to the track. The traffic slowed as I approached. I waited in line for ten minutes before pulling on to the property, giving myself enough time for one final pep talk before I saw him again. The pass that Nora had given me got me access to the pits, which was where I found my sister and her camera.

“Hey there, baby sister,” she said, greeting me with a smile. “You look extra adorable today.”

“You think?” I asked. “I don’t really have any motocross apparel.” I laughed. I should have just pulled one of her shirts from the closet. The simple black Throttled Energy t-shirt she was wearing with jeans made her look like she was meant to be there. I, on the other hand, was definitely out of my element.

“He’ll love it.” She winked. “Come on Travers,” she screamed at the track. I saw Reid falling behind the other rider he was competing against. “He’s taking the freaking corners too high,” she said tossing her hands up. “Like he’s never raced a damn dirt bike before,” she said under her breath. Her passion for the sport was evident, as well as her passion for number two-thirty-seven. “Come on, babe.”

“I thought this was just an exhibition? Does it matter who wins?”

“It always matters,” she said, the competitive gleam in her eye had me putting my hands up in surrender.

“Okay then.”

We watched the rest of the race and when Reid finished second, I saw my sister shaking her head.

“Well...”

“I shouldn’t worry about it,” she said. “I just know he’s going to beat himself up over that one.” She shrugged and shook her head. “I guess Chayse earned it.”

I looked out on the track and saw the winner pulling off her helmet. The infamous Chayse McCade pulled her dark ponytail over her shoulder and gave Reid a thumbs up as she smiled. Reid sat on his bike, smiled at her and shook his head before clapping. I had to admit, that chick was kind of badass. I was a little prouder to be a girl right then.

The crowd was eating it up. All of them on their feet for the winner as she waved and rode her bike off the track.

“Brett’s up next,” Nora said. “I need to get in a better position for photos,” she told me. “But, if you watch from here you should be able to see everything.”

“Okay,” I said, feeling the nervous energy roll over me. The second she walked away I heard the announcer call out Brett’s name. He was at the center of the track, driving his bike around the jump I assumed he was going to use.

My skin rippled with goosebumps as I watched him take his mark. I wished I’d talked to him before he went out. I wished I’d told him good luck and that I loved him. Instead, I joined in with the audience clapping and chanting his name and letting myself get totally engrossed in the thrill of it all that afternoon. The smell of exhaust and dirt was growing on me with each passing second.

As his bike roared toward the jump, I held my breath and watched as he soared through the air. His hands let go of the bike and I felt my heart stop dead in my chest. The second his wheels were on the ground and he pumped his fist in the air I came back to life. It was a feeling a lot like I got the first time he kissed me. I had to trust him then and I had to trust him now.

Each time he hit the ramp, I became more and more mesmerized. The control and precision of his movements were perfection. There was no denying that he knew exactly what he was doing and the crowd agreed. I was quickly coming to understand exactly why he loved this sport. It was electrifying. When I saw him ride off the track, I was actually disappointed that it was over. I wanted to keep watching. I wanted to see what more he could do. I’d officially started to become a fan.

I watched the direction he went and took it upon myself to go and find him. I had to tell him that I got it. I had to tell him how amazing I thought he did. My sister was standing across the track as I walked toward the row of sheds where the riders were keeping their bikes. I gave Nora a smile as I passed her—silently asking her to wish me luck.

“Big day,” Nick said. I was giving my bike a thorough once over in the garage. Making sure everything was the way it was supposed to be. I’d perfected my runs over the past few days. Channeling my focus into riding had been easy during the day when I could actually ride. It was the nights that brought on the self-pity and wallowing.

The liquor helped there. I might have drank more than I cared to admit since Georgia dumped me. The sad part was I couldn’t even get drunk and have fun anymore. I pretty much just drowned my sorrows and sat around watching the others in the bar—dancing and having the time of their lives. I’d become that sad sack of a man for a hot minute, and then I decided to suck it up. I had a lot of work to do and not just on my bike. As soon as this exhibition was over, I was going to get her back. I wasn’t letting her go as easily as she thought.

Reid and Hoyt had been doing their part trying to keep my mind off of things. They stopped asking me if I was okay and just started treating me like I was. That helped. Not talking about her was a good thing, even if it’s all I wanted to do. It took everything I had in me to not have Reid ask Nora what her sister was doing. How her sister was doing? If she’d talked to her? If she’d pass a note in class? Do you still love me?

“Sure is,” I told Nick. “I think they’re going to be impressed,” I added referring to the sponsors. “If Travers can’t wow them with his time trials, surely they will hand over the cash when they see me fly through the air,” I chuckled.

“I’m banking on it,” he said patting me on the back. “I wanted to say thanks for giving this your all. I know that last few months have been rough with the injury,” he said.

“What else was I going to do?” I shrugged. “This is all I’ve got.” It was true. This dirt bike was the only thing I had in my life. Sure, it might crash to the ground and break my body into a million pieces. Couldn’t hurt any worse than having your heart ripped out.

“Don’t think the higher ups haven’t noticed your dedication,” he added. “You’ve got a contract with Throttled as long as you want it.”

“Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.” At least with things in my personal life such a mess, I had one good thing to focus on. I’d wanted this career for as long as I could remember. “I won’t let you down today.”

He smiled as he shot me a thumbs up. “I better go check in on Chayse. I’m sure she’s nervous about today.” It was her first day of riding for some of the big wigs at Throttled. I knew one person that was way more nervous than the company’s newest rider.

“You might want to check in on Hoyt too,” I suggested.

“Will do,” he agreed with a low chuckle.

After he left, I pulled on all my riding gear and enjoyed the moment alone. There were already hundreds of people filling the property. The hum of dirt bike motors was already littering the air. I’d be out there soon, but right now I needed to clear my head. I needed to visualize my approaches. I needed to visualize each trick and how I was going to execute it. Nothing could go wrong today. I had to be perfect.