A RACE TO MY HEART (FAN FICTION) (CHAPTER 14)

Im Sorry - Taeyang

CHAPTER 14      

          

"What's wrong Max?" Jaejoong asked as he gently sat down beside him. He has been observing for the passed two hours and he could easily tell that something was bothering him.              

Max just stared at his friend. He was trying to decide whether to tell him the truth or not. Somehow he felt embarrassed about what he had done. And he knew once his friends learned about what happened, they would surely make a big issue out of it, especially Jaejoong.              

"Hyung," he uttered.              

"What is it? What's wrong Max? You can tell me. Did you and Fate have a fight or something?" Jaejoong asked with concern.              

Max gently shook his head. "No, we didn't fight."              

"I can easily tell that something is bothering you. What is it?" Jaejoong asked again.              

"Hyung, I have a problem," Max tried to utter.              

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Micky asked as he suddenly sat down beside Jaejoong.              

Max then looked at a different direction. "Ah, nothing. I need to get a drink," Max said as he quickly stood up and left.              

"What's wrong with him?" Micky curiously asked Jaejoong.              

Jaejoong just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. He was about to say something, but then you came along and ruined the mood," he said as he shook his head.              

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," Micky said apologetically.              

"I think we need to talk to him once we get home," Jaejoong uttered to Micky.              
"Yes, U-Know and Xiah have also talked to me about him. We have also noticed his strange behavior ever since this morning," Micky said with a sigh.              
"Well, there's nothing we can do but wait. Come on, our manager is already calling us," Jaejoong said as he quickly stood up.              

An hour after. . . . in the race track. . .              

"Fate, Fate, what's wrong with you? I've been calling you for more than five times now?" Michael asked with worry after lightly tapping Fate's shoulder to get her attention.              

Surprised, Fate immediately stared at Michael with a blank expression on her face. She had been thinking about Max and what had happened between them ever since she arrived at the race track.              

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Michael asked again.              

Fate shook her head and tried to smile. "I'm okay," she replied. She then stood up and went straight to her car.              

Michael just stared at Fate as she slowly got into her car.              

Within minutes, Michael immediately followed and got into his own race car as well.              

Fate felt like her head was spinning. Somehow she couldn't think straight. All she could think of was what had happened between her and Max. And she was also concerned about the outcome of that incident.              

She let out a long sigh. Somehow she wanted to just forget about what was constantly playing in her mind and pretend that it never happened.  
          
"Fate, are you sure that you can drive?" Michael asked again through the built in communication system in her car.              

"I'm all right. I'm good to go," she replied as she slowly started her car.               "Okay. We will be having a twelve lap race," Michael uttered.              

Minutes passed . . . and the practice for the race started.              

"Will he call me? What have I done? I'm so stupid. Why did I say those things to him. He might be thinking that what happened between us means nothing to me. I am so so stupid. Should I call him? What if he doesn't answer my call? Will he start avoiding me now? What will I do if he suddenly decides to break it off with me? Should I tell my problem to Michael? Will Michael understand? I know he will get mad when he finds about that I already gave myself to Max. Oh god! What should I do now?" the words just kept on repeating in Fate's mind.              
"Fate! Fate! Fate! You're going the wrong way! You're going to hit the wall . . . FATE!" Michael shouted at the top of his lungs.              

Fate instantly realized what was going on. Her instincts immediately took over. She was able to control her car and stop it before she hit the wall.               Fate's heart was pounding fast and very hard. It was like she couldn't breathe. She was still trying to catch her breath when Michael and her other team members came rushing to her car.              

"Fate, are you all right?" Michael asked with fear in his eyes. His face was very pale. He actually thought that he was going to lose her forever.              

"I . . . I'm fine. Don't worry," she tried to utter even though her entire body was still shaking from fear.              

Some of Fate's team members assisted her in getting out of her car.               And as soon as she was out, Michael immediately grabbed her arm and started to drag her out of the race track.              

"Michael, you're hurting me. Let me go please. Where are you taking me?" Fate cried out.              

All the people in the race track just watched as Michael dragged Fate. They had never seen him get angry before. All of them knew that both Fate and Michael had a special relationship, so they didn't want to interfere. And besides, they all thought that Fate really needed a good lecturing from Michael. She could have been hurt badly. Good thing that she was really such a good driver that she was able to avoid the accident.              

"Poor Fate, I think she's really going to get it now," a staff member said to another man.              

"Well, she should have been careful. Imagine trying to drive, when she's not herself. Now that is bad," the other man uttered.              

Some of the men just shook their heads in disapproval of what Fate had done. They never imagined that she could be so careless.              

Michael's heart was beating very fast. Somehow he didn't know what to do and how to react. He was still shaking in fear because he had actually thought that Fate was going to get hurt.              

As soon as they reached Michael's car in the parking lot, he then slowly released her.              

Fate looked at him, with fear in her eyes. She had never seen him become so violent with her. So she knew that he was really upset.              

"Michael, I. . .I'm sorry," she tried to utter.              

And after hearing those words, Michael immediately embraced her. His embrace was so tight that somehow she couldn't breathe.              

Fate was surprised. She couldn't understand the sudden change in Michael's attitude towards her.              

"I'm sorry. I know I was careless," she tried to say.              

"Ssshhh, you don't have to say anything. I am just thankful that you're not hurt. Do you know how scared I was when I saw your car running towards the wall?" Michael said with a quivering voice.              

"I'm sorry. . .I was sort of distracted I guess," she tried to explain.
              
Michael looked at Fate. It was only then that she realized that he was crying.              
"Michael, why are you crying?" she asked with concern in her eyes.                        
He gently cupped her face. "Do you know. . . as I watched your car run towards the wall . . . I was thinking if I could only trade places with you. I would do it without any hesitation. I was so scared that . . . I was going to lose you forever," he said with so much emotions visible in his eyes.              

Fate stared deeply into his eyes. "Michael," she uttered. She didn't understand the emotions that she was seeing in his eyes. She knew what it was, but she just didn't want to believe it.              

Michael tightly held Fate once again. This time his embrace was giving her such an unfamiliar feeling. It was a feeling that she didn't want to recognize. She could feel his tears as it slowly fell down on her shoulder.              

"Michael, I'm all right. Please . . . ," she tried to say.              

"I thought I had lost you Fate. . . . I don't know what I would have done if something bad happened to you," he said softly while trying to control himself from crying.              

Fate's heart was deeply touched with his words and his actions. She slowly returned his embrace. "Thank you, Michael. At least, I know . . . someone . . . actually cares for me," she said after remembering Max again.              

Michael quickly faced Fate again. "Fate, I think it is about time . . . that I tell you something. . . something very important," he said bravely.              

Fate stared at her friend. "Michael, what is it?"              

"I . . . I love you Fate," he had finally told the truth.              

"Michael?" was all she could utter.              

"I had been in love with you for years now. All this time, I was hoping that you would actually see me as a man. A man who can love you and take care of you, and not only as a friend. I had been waiting for the right time to tell you all the things hidden in my heart. But I never found the right time. And today, after that accident. . . it was then that I realized that I shouldn't have waited so long. I don't want to lose the chance to say that I love you . . . so I am saying it now. . . I love you Fate. . . with all my heart," he finally confessed.              

Fate tried to act calm. But deep inside, her heart and mind were already going in different directions. She was totally confused. She was already involved with Max. But she didn't want to lose Michael either. Somehow she felt guilty that she was being greedy. But she was confused with her own emotions.              

"I. . . I'm really confused. I don't know what to say," she uttered.              

"Then don't say anything. I don't care if you're in another man's arms, as long as I know you're happy . . . and safe," he said with sadness in his voice. He then gently kissed her on her forehead. "I love you. . . with no conditions." And without any hesitations, he slowly lowered his head and gave Fate the kiss that he had been wanting to give her for a very long time now.              

Fate was stunned. Her whole body had suddenly become frozen. She just stood like a statue as Michael kissed her. Both her mind and her heart were already numb. She knew she loved Max, but she didn't want to hurt Michael. So she just allowed him to kiss her.              

As Michael held Fate in his arms, a pair of eyes were already blurring with tears. Max slowly turned away from the sight that was hurting him deeply. He had decided to come to the race track to have a talk with Fate. But he never expected what he would find there.              

"And I actually believed that you loved me," were the words that kept on repeating in his head as he quickly left. Somehow all the words that he had tried to find and had been wanting to say suddenly vanished, as a growing feeling of hate and anger appeared.