Page 146 of The Champion
“Really? There is?”
“Yes, there is.”
“Could have fooled me because that’s the first thingDarrin said to me.”
“What?”
“That Sway was pretty.”
Tate hung his head and then slowly shook it. “You have tostop comparing every man to Darrin. Yeah, he was crazy but Sway is pretty.You’re not going to get away from men thinking she’s attractive.”
“That’s not the fucking point.” I slammed my beer down onthe table and walked out. Bobby was coming back inside as I was leaving and Iblew past him with just a head nod.
Instead of catching a flight home, I decided to drivethat night. Once you were on I-85 it was only a six-hour drive and after therace and then the bar, I needed the time alone. Throughout the season, it washard to find any sort of alone time. Like it or not, everyone needs it. I don’tcare how in love you are with your significant other or family, you need alonetime.
Once I was driving home, I was able to calm down enoughthat I called Sway to let her know I’d be there sometime in the early morning.
“What do you mean you’re driving?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
She sighed. “Why didn’t you just have Wes pick you up?” Icould hear at least two of the kids screaming in the background.
“I just...”Letting out my own sigh, I ran my hand through my hair. The freight truckspassing by hummed beside me. “I needed some alone time.”
“Oh, okay. Well drive carefully.”
“I will.” I told her. “I love you.”
Sway told me she loved me too and then hung up afterthat. She called back an hour later and had me sing Arie to sleep. Lately sheinsisted I sing her to sleep every night so how could I deny my princess that?
When I finally arrived home, I felt better but I was sotired I hardly had any sense to think. Just not hearing everyone tell me what Ishould be doing, or should be feeling was enough for me. It was a constantstream of advice these days from sponsors, drivers, my team, everyone but myfamily had an opinion of me and wanted to cast their thoughts upon me. I couldgive a shit what everyone else thought but it was them that stressed me out themost. While I didn’t care what they thought, it still weighed on me, almost asif it was a burden.
Being at home always made me restless when I had racingon my mind but all that seemed to be the least of my worries the next day whenI was watching the kids so Sway could go to the store.
Sway’s cell phone kept ringing so eventually it annoyedme to the point I answered it.
“Hello?”
I waited but no one answered, just breathing.
“Hello?” I repeated, riled from last night and then withthe kids this morning.
Axel and Arie spent the morning arguing over what cartoonthey wanted to watch while Casten decided it was a good idea to pee on ourliving room floor—all this while Sway went to the grocery store. I wasn’t surehow in the hell she handled all three of the little spaz monsters withoutdrugging them. Don’t think it didn’t cross my mind but I quickly ruled that outas child abuse and something most would frown upon.
No one answered and eventually I got sick of the silentline and hung up. Two minutes later, the same goddamn thing happened. So whenSway finally walked through the door, grocery bags in hand, I wasnothappy.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked setting the bags onthe center island of the counter and then swinging the door to the garage shutso Casten couldn’t sneak out. Any time the kid saw an open door it was like abunch of prisoners trying to escape Alcatraz.
“How long has this been going on?” I held up her phone.
“A while I guess.” The fact that she knew what I wasreferring to made me that much more irritated with the entire situation at thebar last night and now these fucking phone calls.
“How long, Sway?”
“A month maybe,”
“Goddamn it, you should have told me.” I snapped as sheflinched at my harsh tone. Casten looked up at me, glared and kicked my shin.
