Jump Start

16. Sixteen

Sixteen

Thomas

I woke up with a jolt and looked beside me. Harper was fast asleep and had stolen all the blankets, something she did most nights. I tried to turn over and go back to sleep but my mind started to go over the night’s events on a continuous loop. I guess I was getting up. I quietly slipped out of bed and shut the door to her room, settling on a cup of tea and turning on my laptop. I wanted to see what had been reported already.

Even though I was mad at Will for both doing drugs and trying to feel up my girlfriend, I couldn’t help but forgive him at the same time. I don’t know why he had chosen to do drugs. Maybe he just wanted to let loose or maybe something else was going on that we didn’t know about. Will and I used to be very good friends. He had been at Echidna for a couple of years before I joined, and we used to hang out all the time before things got complicated.

Will’s performance had slipped. He was dropping from the top five to below ten. His ambition to succeed was dwindling and we could all see it. Chris put all his faith in me because I was young, arrogant, and determined. I guess sometimes that’s how people saw me, especially when I first started racing. Over time, I started to think that was how I should act all the time, keep up the fa?ade. I’d learned recently that perhaps those actions were not the best course I could have taken. Here I was, in a relationship with a strong, smart woman who saw more to me than what I was putting out there.

Maybe that was all I needed, someone to genuinely care about me and not what I did for a living. My friendship with Will suffered because I started winning, and he started losing more. But that wasn’t my fault. I had worked hard for it, and I knew I deserved it.

None of this could excuse what he had done last night, and his future with the team would be on thin ice now. I felt bad for him, but I would never let myself be caught off guard like that again either. I wanted to protect Harper. I never wanted to see her in pain or upset. I wanted to love her to the best of my ability.

After my tea, I watched a bit of shitty television and decided to sleep on the couch for a bit. I didn’t want to wake her up if I went back to bed. She needed rest too.

***

Harper

The next morning, I woke to find myself stretched across my bed entirely. I slowly sat up and heard the noise of my television drifting in from the living room. I trudged down the short hallway to find Thomas sitting on the edge of my coffee table, completely lost in whatever was on his phone screen.

“You know, if you stay that way, your eyes will go square?” I commented as I rested my hand on his shoulder.

He smirked but couldn’t manage a proper smile. “It’s been on the news,” he said, his voice sounding curt and frustrated. I didn’t have to ask. I knew exactly what he meant.

“Who said something, do you think?” I asked as I squeezed in next to him on the coffee table.

He lifted his arm and put it around me. “I have no idea. I thought we were a fairly trustworthy bunch.” I could feel his disappointment over someone from his team leaking the information. “I don’t want Will to be painted as a bad person, but I know that’s what they will do.” His disdain for journalism reared its head again, making me feel uncomfortable in my own skin.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I leant my head on his shoulder.

“None of this is your fault, Harps.”

***

Monday morning made its way around quickly, as it usually did. I found myself dreading going to work, as I knew people were going to ask me about the events over the weekend. I would need to have my wits about me and keep my boundaries in place. Thomas would not appreciate a bunch of journalists talking about something involving his team, especially in an unsavoury way.

Towards the end of the day, I was called into Harry’s office. As I sat down in the chair opposite him, I recognised the solemn look on his face. He was about to deliver bad news, and I would be on the receiving end .

“How are you doing, Harper? I wanted to check on you after the weekend. There is a lot of talk in the media about what happened, and I wondered if you might share your side of the story with me?”

Was he serious? I couldn’t tell if it was genuine concern for me or if he was trying to fish for an inside scoop. I could feel my blood starting to boil with anger and my defensive walls went up almost instantly.

“Harry, thank you for checking on me. I appreciate that. However, the events that occurred over the weekend are private and personal and I will not be giving you any insight into what happened.” As soon as I finished talking, I could feel the awkwardness hanging in the air. Regardless, I needed to stick to my guns on this one.

Harry straightened in his chair, clearly bothered by my response. “Well, I think it’s in your best interest if you do, job-wise.” His voice was getting louder as he spoke.

I narrowed my eyes and took a sharp breath in before speaking. “I don’t see how this has anything to do with my job, sir. Careful there, that almost sounded like a threat.”

“It’s not a threat. I only think it would be best if you tell me directly, rather than have some other paper pick it up.”

“This is my personal life, and I will not be a part of this. It’s not why I got into journalism.”

“Harper, if you date a celebrity, you have to expect things like this to happen.”

I could feel my face go red with fury. “So, I date an athlete and all of a sudden I have to forget my brain?”

“Harper, please calm down. I am just trying to settle this situation before the truth becomes public. ”

“It’s already out, Harry, and I will not sell out my friends.”

I stood up from my chair and started to walk out of his office. “This conversation is over,” I said as I stormed out of his office. I closed his door without slamming it and instantly regretted my choice not to use a bit more force.

I was mad, and not the sort of mad that Thomas usually made me feel. This was raw, unfiltered, penetrating. My life had been scrutinised from the outside for the very first time and I did not like it. I walked out of the building and was hit with humid summer air—not very refreshing. I called my dad as I always did when I needed to talk through something, but my mum answered.

“Honey, I was about to call you.”

“Hey, Mum. Where’s Dad?” I asked, waiting for her response as I looked up at the sun and back down to my feet.

“Honey, your father had a heart attack. He is okay, but he’s in the hospital in Newcastle. I was calling to let you know and ask if you could come up?” She was talking louder and faster than she normally would. My heart sank along with my stomach.

“Oh my god, Mum! Okay, yes, of course. What happened?” I was walking back to the office in a panic and reached the foyer, but there were no lifts available. I contemplated running up the fifteen storeys of stairs before an elevator pinged. My phone dropped out just as Mum was about to explain what happened and I swore out loud at my phone to the surprise of the people in the lift with me.

I reached my desk and packed my belongings as quickly as I could before poking my head into Harry’s office. Even though he was the last person I wanted to talk to.

“There’s been a family emergency, and I need to go. I will be taking the rest of the week off.” I spoke fast and sternly, then shut the door once again, not waiting for his response.

As I hailed down a cab, I called Thomas, hoping he would be available. He answered after the first ring.

“Hey, Harps, what’s up?” It was his usual, calm greeting.

“Hey, I have to go to Newcastle. My dad’s had a heart attack.” My voice shook as I said the sentence out loud for the first time.

“Shit, okay. When are you going?” he asked, his tone concerned.

“Well, I’m in a cab going home now and I guess I’ll pack a bag and get going pretty much straight away…so in the next hour or two.” I peered into the rear view mirror, the look on the driver’s face as he navigated through traffic suggested he felt empathy for me.

“Alright, I’ll do the same. I’ll be at yours as soon as I can.” His response took me by surprise.

“You’re coming with me?”

“Harper, it’s not even a question. I’m in my car. I’ll see you soon, sweetheart,” he said before he hung up. I guess now was as good a time as any for my family to meet him.

***

I packed my overnight bag in a frenzy, not able to think straight. I just wanted to get to Dad. I sat on the end of my bed, trying my hardest not to cry. I took a few deep breaths as I tried to calm myself down. I couldn’t think straight. I heard my front door open and a few footsteps later, Thomas was leaning against my bedroom doorframe. Without a word, he walked over, sat next to me and gathered me in his arms. His hand held the side of my face against his chest, and his warm arms enveloped me.

“It’s alright,” he whispered. “I’m here. You’re not alone.” He kept repeating those words, soothing me and reassuring me in the process.

I felt safe and loved, even in a situation like this.

As we gathered our things and went downstairs, Thomas guided me towards his ute. I was grateful that he took the lead, as I was certainly not looking forward to driving up on my own. Placing my bags in the back, he opened the door for me to hop into the car and kissed my cheek before closing the door.

“Alright, since you’re having a rough day, I won’t play my music,” he said with a sly smile.

I nodded. “You are so considerate.”

One thing I knew that I would never want to fade from this relationship was the banter and jokes. We wouldn’t be us without it.

***

The drive up to Nelson Bay was filled with phone calls from Echidna Racing, Mum, and my brothers. I knew my dad was okay, and was relieved about that, but I wanted to get there as soon as I could for Mum.

Navigating our way to my family’s house, Thomas commented on the area.

“You never said it was right on the beach. This is so cool!” he said, and he put his driver’s side window down. We pulled up at the house to see both of my brothers barrelling out the front door.

“Harps!” Andy yelled before Brendan opened my passenger door and pulled me out, sandwiching me in a group hug.

“Guys, wow, okay, thank you!” I said, releasing myself from their grasp. “I didn’t realise you were both here.” I stood back to look at them. Andy spoke first.

“Yeah, soon as Mum called us, we were able to get onto a last-minute Air Force flight to Williamtown.”

Thomas exited the car and walked towards the bonnet to face us all.

I smiled. “Andy, Brendan, this is my boyfriend, Thomas.”

Resting his sunglasses on the top of his head, Thomas grinned and walked over to my brothers to shake their hands.

“Andrew, Brendan, great to finally meet you,” he said pleasantly.

“Mate, great to meet you. We have watched you race for years!”

“Harps, I thought you hated this bloke?” Brendan asked playfully, punching my shoulder. Thomas laughed.

“Don’t worry, she still does.”

Thomas retrieved our bags from the car and followed us inside the house.

“Is Mum at the hospital?” I asked Andy as he guided me to my room.

“She was. She’s just picking up a food shop. There was no food in the house. We offered to go, but she wanted us here to greet you guys.” Typical of my mother, always thinking of everyone else. It was her greatest and worst quality sometimes. I’m sure a food shop would have served as a welcome distraction for her, though .

The boys left to give Thomas and me a minute in my room. I sat down on the bed and looked out the balcony window of my bedroom. Gum trees swayed in the wind, with the sound of crashing waves in the distance. It was a beautiful day and if I had been here under normal circumstances, I would have been changing to go straight to the beach.

“Are you alright?” Thomas asked, standing in front of me. I looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah, I just want to see Dad. Then I will feel better. Thank you for coming with me. I’m glad you’re here.”

Leaning down, he kissed my lips lightly and pulled me up into a hug.

There was no denying it now. He loved me and there was now no doubt in my mind that he always had.