Chapter 29 #3
“Hell yes!” Laney shouts from behind me before she holds up a sign that she told me she’d bring.
The words, “My best friend is a bigger badass than yours!” are painted in glittery red paint.
Ellis made sure to point out that there was a bad word on the sign, but I thought it couldn’t be more fitting.
“Dilynne,” Elliot says as I blink myself out of my trance. “You won, baby!”
I look up at him. “Holy shit.”
He pulls me to him, kissing me roughly before releasing me and leading me over to the left-hand side of the stage where we have to walk past Vinnie so I can climb the stairs.
But I don’t even look in his direction. My smile transforms from small to huge as I climb the steps and accept my award from Tony, leaving my past behind me and walking right toward my future.
“Congratulations, my dear. You earned this one,” he says to me, handing me the plaque and an envelope. I glance down at the envelope and then back up at him, confused.
With a laugh, he explains, “It’s the cash prize!”
I clutch it a little tighter. “I literally have no words right now.”
“She’s speechless, folks!” Tony tells the crowd, which prompts their laughter. “You sure you don’t have anything to say?”
I finally snap out of my shock as words come to me.
“Actually, yeah, I do.” Taking the microphone from him, I stare out at the crowd of thousands of people.
“All I wanted this year was to take home this award. To me, winning was going to serve as confirmation that I belonged here.” I glance over at my friends, my family, and then Elliot off to the left of the stage as he stares up at me, pride etched into every line on his face.
“And I couldn’t have done this without my family and friends.
You know who you are.” I find their sets of eyes in the crowd, lingering longer on Elliot before returning to my speech.
“But the journey to get here turned out to be far more valuable. This just serves as a reminder that hard work pays off, and everyone should go after their passions, even if that means being the underdog. It’s no secret that the automotive industry doesn’t lend a warm welcome to women, but we deserve to be here just as much as the men.
So, this is for all the little girls whose dreams are out of the ordinary.
Don’t give up, and don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do.
” I make sure to look right into Vinnie’s eyes as I say that last sentence and then hand the mic back to Tony.
“Well said, Dilynne,” he says as applause rings out. My feet carry me across the stage and over to the stairs where Elliot is waiting for me with his hand outstretched.
“You’re fucking amazing,” he says, pulling me into him and kissing me again. “My fiancée is a badass.”
“I did it, Elliot.”
“Yes, you fucking did, Dilynne.”
An obnoxious laugh pulls my attention behind Elliot. “And how’s it feel to get a pity win?” Vinnie says, interrupting our moment and reminding me of what a sore loser my ex is.
“Excuse me?”
“You really think they gave that to you because you earned it?” He shakes his head. “Let’s agree on what’s really going on here.”
Elliot releases me from his arms and gets right in Vinnie’s face. “And what is it exactly that you’re alluding to?”
“You and I both know she only won because she’s a woman,” he grates out, inciting my anger.
I rush over to him, but Elliot steps in front of me, putting himself between me and my ex. “Funny, ‘cause when I was with you, you told me I would never amount to anything in this industry because I’m a woman.”
“You know damn well that you wouldn’t be here without me,” Vinnie continues just as Elliot latches onto the front of his shirt, yanking him closer.
“You need to watch your fucking mouth,” Elliot growls. “That’s my future wife you’re talking to.”
“That girl isn’t marriage material,” Vinnie spats. “Every real man in here knows that, and you’ll find that out soon enough as well.”
“You motherfucker!” Elliot shouts before swinging his fist into Vinnie’s face. I stumble back to avoid being hit, but Elliot punches him again, making Vinnie’s nose gush blood as the two of them fall to the floor.
Elodie rushes over to me, pulling me away from the two of them just as Henley, Rhonan, and Fletcher all run toward Elliot and Vinnie, pulling Elliot off of him.
“Elliot, that’s enough!” Rhonan warns, holding Elliot’s arms by his sides as Fletcher stands between him and my ex, and Henley stands in the middle, keeping distance between the two of them.
“Good luck with that fucking bitch!” Vinnie yells as security pulls him toward the exit.
“Hey, you’re out too,” the other guard says to Elliot as he throws his hands in the air.
“Okay. I’m going.” He turns back to look at me over his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I just…”
“It’s okay. I’ll—I’ll meet you outside.”
Laney comes over to me, pulling me into her arms. “Oh my God, Dilynne. Are you okay?”
My entire body is shaking, but when I meet her eyes, I say, “I need to make sure Elliot is okay.” Handing her my plaque and envelope, I ask her, “Can you hold on to this for me, please?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Dilynne!” My brother calls out to me, but I don’t stop. The only thing I care about right now is getting to the man who defended me without a second thought for the consequences.