Page 187 of The Champion
Knowing Axel, he had no intention of ever hurting Lilybut then again I never had any intention of hurting Sway. I’d like to thinkthat Justin understood that, after all we’d become pretty close over the lastsixteen years.
I watched for a little while as fans and the mediacontinued to crowd around Axel. He had just turned sixteen in December whichmeant he was the youngest driver here and that was news.
A group of girls around seventeen, maybe eighteenshuffled past me smiling. I knew what they wanted when they pushed theirprograms in my face.
“Is that your son?” the shorter black haired girl askedwith a small smile.
Without looking up, I nodded. “Yeah,”
“Wow, you look too young to have a son.”
My eyes met hers for a moment before handing the programback to her with my autograph spread across the cover. “I’m damn near forty.I’m old enough.”
The blond one giggled. “You still married?”
Jesus she’s bold.
I laughed. “Yes.”
“What about your son?”
“He’s dating someone.”
This wasn’t the first time someone asked about Axel’sdating status. I actually got that a lot around the time he turned fourteen andwon the Hut Hundred. There was no way around it now, my little spaz son wasfamous and sought after by women. Women Sway and I wanted to keep away fromhim.
Before Axel could get completely swamped by fans, Ipulled him aside to get some food,alone.
We ended up at El Guapo’s Mexican restaurant in downtownTulsa.
Axel was quiet until mid-way through dinner when hisphone kept vibrating.
He finally shut it off and sighed.
“Girl problems?” I hinted taking a drink of my beer.
“You could say that...”he nodded pouring salsa and sour cream on his nachos. Another few minutes ofsilence and he opened up to me. “Lily...wellIthinkshe wants to date other guys, maybe closer to Hillsboro.”
Justin and his family still lived in Hillsboro Indiana.It was easier for them with the majority of the outlaw races taking place inthe Midwest. This was not ideal for Axel and Lily but throughout the lastsixteen years, they’d remained best friends and eventually began dating. Mostof the time they went weeks without seeing each other but there were also agreat deal of the USAC races that took place in the Midwest enabling them toreunite.
Time wasn’t about to get any easier for them and probablynever would with Axel’s desire to race. This coming season he was set to racehis first full season in all three of the USAC divisions. Time would definitelynot be on his side.
“And how does Lily feel about this?”
Axel glared. “She’s with some kid named Brian tonight.She says he’s just a friend.”
“Just a friend?” My eyebrow raised in question.
“So she says.” I could tell Axel did not think Brian wasjust a friend.
“Is that why you shut off your phone?”
“No...yes. I just...” he sighed pushing his half eaten plate ofnachos aside. “I just feel like I’m being pulled all over the place and shedoesn’t understand that. I thought she understood but now, I just don’tknow.”
“I’m sure she does buddy. She’s grown up around it aswell.”
“I know.”
The waiter brought by another beer for me and refilledAxel’s Pepsi. “Did you talk to Casten?”
