Breakaway Chapter 20 Teaser

A few tense seconds later, the green flag was waved and the cars shot forward. Carlisle felt tense as he watched closely as Edward and Bella fell into line with one another, moving smoothly as if they were one entity. There was actually surprisingly little speaking needed for them to find their natural flow. He observed with interest, staying as quiet as possible, as the spotters spoke to the drivers, warning them of things to watch out for and wrecks they would soon encounter.

The race ran smoothly for the first half until the first major pileup of cars had Carlisle standing at attention, watching with baited breath as his kids approached the collision. His hand fisted at his side until they were safely past the smoking collection of cars at the top of the second turn. He hadn’t even realized his fists were clenched until he felt the soft skin of his wife’s hand slide over it and slowly peel it open. He turned to look at her as she looked up with softness into his eyes.

“They do this for a living, sweetheart, and they are very good at what they do. Have a little faith in them, Carlisle.”

Carlisle sighed, running his hand over the back of his neck. “I’m just worried,” he whispered. “I don’t want them hurt.”

Esme nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Neither do I, Carlisle. They are well protected in those cars and they know how to handle themselves. Trust me, I’ve seen Edward pull himself out of some scary situations, and I’ve watched Bella do it a time or two on TV as well. There is a reason why they have made it this far. They truly are among the best of the best in their field.”

Carlisle’s eyes drifted to the blacktop in awe as Edward and Bella’s cars drifted almost gracefully over the top. He felt a sense of pride as he started making connections in his mind. Edward’s job was sort of the equivalent of becoming head of surgery at John’s Hopkins. He was one of the best in his field. Yes, his field might not be the most academic or respected in his circle of friends, but looking at the stands and seeing the copious amounts of money and effort that goes into a race, it became obvious that it was so much more than he had ever imagined.