Chapter seventeen Cole #3
“Yeah. We will. This is great.” He hugged me.
“I have something else for you, too. Wait here.” He kissed the side of my head and tucked the book under his arm as he made his way to the back of the house.
He returned without the book and two packages.
One was small, the other larger. “Here.” He handed me the small one. “Open this first.”
I pulled the paper off, dropping it on the floor and opened the small box. It was a silver key chain that said Drive safe handsome, I love you. I held it up. “That’s perfect.”
“I do. You know?”
“Do? What? Love me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good.”
Nix’s face scrunched up in a scowl, and I laughed.
“Because I love you, too, Nix. You know that.” I leaned over and kissed him. “I’ve never felt like this before. You mean the world to me.”
“You mean so much to me, too. Now here. This one.”
I tucked the keychain in my pocket and took the other present from him.
It turned out to be a framed collage of stills from Nix’s documentary.
There was a picture of us together that Jason actually took, and some others of me on my bike.
There was a good one of me, staring into the camera, and one of just Nix.
There were six all together, and the center was a letter board that could be changed up. Currently, it said Merry Christmas.
“We really did have similar ideas, huh?” I asked, running my finger over the black letters stuck in the board.
“We’re on the same page. I like that.” He wrapped an arm around me. “I think we’re both thinking about a future together.”
“I’ve been thinking about that a lot, Nix.”
“Yeah? You mentioned that at your folks’ house. So, what are you thinking? Specifically?”
“I’m thinking maybe I don’t buy a house in Atlanta.”
Nix let go of my shoulder and sat down on the couch. He patted the seat beside him. “You want one in North Carolina?”
“Yes.” I sat down. “Maybe we build it?”
“We?”
“You and me. We can live here and there. Can’t we?” I couldn’t think of anything that was stopping us.
“I don’t have a pool.”
“If you say yes, you’ll get one.” I would have it put in before the end of the next Supercross season.
“Are you asking to move in with me?” I wasn’t sure if Nix was surprised, or only clarifying the question.
“I’m asking to move in together. Us. In a committed relationship. Isn’t that what this is?”
“And I thought you just couldn’t find the right house here.”
I pounced on him. “I’d already found the perfect house. This one. The one you live in is where I want to be.”
The next week, we flew out together to Zeke’s training camp in North Carolina to get in one last week of practice before the Supercross season started. Nix took some film of me but spent a lot of time looking for land we could buy.
I was ready. I didn’t feel I needed too much practice. Brian was there, constantly in my ear, buzzing around, giving me little tips. Some were helpful. I got his point though. We all had fast bikes. What would make me a winner was my attitude.
The first few days were fine, but it started snowing on the third. Not heavy snow, but it stuck on the ground. Just enough to be irritating. It made the track a cold, rutty, mess full of slick mud.
Ryker joined me on the track, excited to ride in the snow on our 450s.
Zeke stopped us before we took off. “Look. This is super muddy, and the snow will make the track slicker than shit. Don’t be choppy with the throttle.
Adjust where you’re sitting on the bike for more traction.
Manage your rear wheel. Don’t let it slide too much, use the slide when it does happen. ”
I’d ridden conditions like this before, but it didn’t hurt to hear it again, and Ryker might have needed to hear it. I kept my mouth shut and gave Zeke a thumbs up when he finished.
“Okay. Go.” He shooed us with a double-handed gesture as if we were a couple of kids.
Ryker hooted loud enough to be heard over his revving bike. I had no choice but take off after him. It was going to be a super fun day on the track. I didn’t try and out ride Ryker or beat any times. I purely had fun. Muddy, cold, wet fun.
I had a blast, but I was more than ready to sit by the fire in the main room with Nix after I got cleaned up. I freshened up with a quick wash and brushed my teeth, then met him in the living room.
Nix was sitting on the sofa scrolling through his tablet. “Hey. Check this out.”
“What?” I sat beside him and looked over his shoulder at an article on Bryce Nickel.
“Says Bryce is predicted to win the 250 West Championship this season and move up to 450s next year.”
“I’m not surprised. He’s damn good, the little fucker. You know he’s been riding 450s with Tate out at Davey’s place.”
“He’s going to be hot competition for you when that happens.” Nix pointed to a line in the article.
“I don’t care. I’m going to win this year, whether I’m the underdog or not, and that will give me a leg up for next year.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.” I shoved the tablet out of the way and crawled on Nix’s lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “This is my year.” I gave him a quick peck on his soft lips. “And I want it all.”
“Is that right?” Nix circled me in his arms and kissed me back.
That was when Brian walked in. “Ugh! Get a room.”