Last Chance - L. P. Dover Page 0,32
stories. I don’t know what to believe.”
My first thought was to tell her Grayson was a fucking liar, but that wasn’t going to win me anything. I had to show her I was the one she chose in the end. “I tell you what,” I began, “I have to leave tomorrow for a race, but as soon as I get back, I’d love to see you—if you’re ready, that is. We can talk and I’ll answer anything you ask of me.”
“I’d like that. Be safe at your race. Evan told me you’re one of the best.”
I chuckled. “I try to be.” The line went quiet and I didn’t want to let her go, but I’d take this phone call as a small victory. “Sweet dreams, Lara.”
“Goodnight,” she murmured.
We hung up and I laid down on the couch, watching the same movie I knew Lara was. The only thing missing was having her by my side.
I fell asleep on the couch and woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee. Someone was fumbling around in the kitchen and when I sat up, I saw Kate standing in front of the stove, her blonde hair pulled high in a ponytail.
“Doesn’t look like much has changed over the last five years.” She laughed. “You still like to sleep until noon.”
I rubbed a hand over my face and groaned. “How did you know I was awake?”
She stepped into the doorway and tapped her ears. “I’m the mother of a rambunctious toddler. I have eagle ears and eyes in the back of my head, otherwise he’d be all over the house, doing God knows what.” Grabbing two cups of coffee, she carefully walked into the living room and handed me one.
“Thanks,” I said. “So where’s your son now?”
She sat down and took a sip of her coffee. “With my husband, Cooper. I figured you could spend the day with me, and next week you can see him. You used to love babysitting him.” She showed me a picture of him on her phone.
“He’s so cute. He looks just like you.”
She snorted. “But he acts like his father.” We both laughed and I saw why she was my best friend. Her smile was infectious and I could see myself in her. It was almost like we were sisters. “What do you want to do today?” she asked.
“Don’t know. What is there to do around here?”
“Since it’s summertime, we can always lay out by my pool and talk. Usually, we’d run together every morning, but since you’re still recovering, it might not be a good idea.”
My muscles were a little sore and I still had a headache that hadn’t gone away yet. “The pool sounds great. I just need to find a bathing suit.”
“Need help? I’m sure you could use an extra set of eyes.”
I chuckled. “Got that right. I don’t even recognize most of the stuff I have.” I finished my coffee and she followed me up to my room. I had two dressers so she took one and I looked through the other.
“Who all have you seen since being back home?” she inquired.
“Only you, my parents, Evan, and Summer. Why?”
She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Just asking. I was curious if you’ve seen Luke or Grayson.”
Clearing my throat, I turned back to my drawers and kept looking for my bathing suit. “Not yet. I’m a little nervous about seeing them.”
“Why?”
I pushed my pajamas aside and found a stack of magazines hidden underneath. When I pulled them out, my heart raced. “Because I don’t know what I’m going to find.”
“I can tell you I just found you a bathing suit,” she exclaimed happily.
“And I found something else.” Turning around, I dropped the magazines on the bed. She handed me my bathing suit, then sat beside the magazines, flipping through them. There was a common theme . . . they were all sports magazines with Luke on the cover.
“I didn’t know you had all of these,” she said.
“Neither did I. I didn’t realize he was so famous.” His name was plastered on all the magazines, with pictures of him in various poses. Some showed him in his gear, sailing through the air off different jumps. Others had close-ups of his face, his emerald gaze making me shiver.
“Oh yes, he is,” she informed me. “He’s one of the best dirt bike riders in the country.”
I stared at his picture, recollecting the way he sounded on the phone; his voice gentle and concerned. When I’d seen