Racing Hearts

Chapter 2: Take It Slow

They stood there in silence for a moment, the tension between them thick and suffocating. Serena could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, none of them making sense.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said finally. “But I’m scared.”

Eli’s expression softened, and he dropped his hand from her chin, running it through his hair instead. “I get that. But I need to know if you’re willing to try.”

Serena bit her lip, torn between the safety of staying where she was and the risk of stepping into something unknown. But looking at Eli, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes, she knew she couldn’t stay on the sidelines forever.

“I want to try,” she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. “But I need time.”

Eli nodded, his gaze softening. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

And just like that, the wall between them seemed to crumble, piece by piece.

Serena exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of her words sink in. It was strange how, in that one simple confession, so much had shifted between them. She still wasn’t sure where this was going, or if either of them was truly ready, but at least she had stopped hiding. That was something.

Eli seemed to relax too, though the tension didn’t completely leave his face. He stepped back slightly, giving her a bit of space. Serena’s heart ached at the sight of him, standing there in her living room, the one person who could make her feel like she was soaring one minute and crashing the next.

“Thank you,” Eli said quietly, breaking the silence. “For being honest.”

Serena nodded, her throat tight. “I just didn’t want to make things worse by pretending I wasn’t feeling anything.”

Eli’s lips curved into a faint smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ve never wanted you to pretend with me.”

That was the thing about Eli—beneath his calm exterior, there was always something deeper, a longing for something real, something that went beyond just the surface. It was part of why Serena had fallen for him in the first place, though it was also part of what scared her. How could she be what he needed, when she wasn’t even sure she knew what she needed herself?

Eli cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him. “So… where does that leave us?”

Serena hesitated. Where did that leave them? She wasn’t ready to dive into a full-on relationship, not with so much uncertainty still hanging over them. But she couldn’t go back to pretending there was nothing between them either.

“I think…” she began, choosing her words carefully. “I think we need to take it slow. Figure things out one step at a time.”

Eli nodded, his expression thoughtful. “I can do that.”

Relief washed over Serena. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d been dreading this conversation until it was nearly over. And even though nothing was fully resolved, at least they were both on the same page. For now, that was enough.

Eli glanced toward the door, then back at Serena. “I should probably get going. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

Serena blinked, a pang of disappointment shooting through her. She didn’t want him to leave—not after everything they’d just talked about. But she also knew that space was what she needed right now, and she wasn’t ready to jump into anything more tonight.

“Yeah,” she said softly, nodding in agreement. “I think I need some time to process.”

Eli smiled again, this time a little more genuinely. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”

He turned to leave, but paused at the door, glancing back at her. “Serena?”

“Yeah?”

“If you ever want to talk… or if you just need a break from overthinking, you know where to find me.”

Serena smiled, warmth blooming in her chest at his offer. “Thanks, Eli. I’ll remember that.”

With one last look, Eli opened the door and stepped out into the cool evening air. Serena watched him go, feeling a strange mix of relief and uncertainty swirling inside her. Part of her wanted to run after him, to tell him she was ready to dive in headfirst, no matter the risks. But the other part, the more cautious part, told her that slow was the right way to go.

As the door clicked shut, Serena let out a long breath and sank back onto the couch. Her mind was buzzing with everything that had just happened, but beneath the chaos, there was a sense of peace. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she’d made the right decision—one that wasn’t driven by fear or uncertainty, but by her own need for clarity.

But as she sat there, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to Eli’s past. No matter how much she wanted to believe that they could start fresh, there was still the shadow of Arietta lurking in the background. Eli had never talked about her in detail, but the rumors had always been there, just out of reach. Serena had seen the way people looked at him, the way they whispered behind his back at the races.

It wasn’t that Serena didn’t trust Eli. She knew that whatever had happened with Arietta was in the past. But the way his eyes darkened when her name was mentioned, the way he shut down whenever anyone tried to pry—it was clear that Arietta had left more than just a surface wound.

Serena didn’t want to be compared to someone she barely knew. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel like that was exactly what was happening. No matter how hard she tried to shake it, the insecurity gnawed at her, whispering that maybe Eli would never truly be over his ex. That maybe she was just a placeholder until he figured things out.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Serena stood up and made her way to the kitchen. She poured herself another glass of water, trying to calm the storm of emotions brewing inside her. She couldn’t let herself spiral into doubt—not now. Not after she’d just taken the first step toward something real with Eli.

“Focus, Serena,” she muttered to herself, setting the glass down with a thud. “One step at a time.”

But even as she tried to push her doubts away, she knew they would come back. They always did. For now, though, all she could do was hold on to the fact that Eli was willing to wait, that he wasn’t rushing her into anything she wasn’t ready for.

That night, as she lay in bed, Serena’s thoughts drifted to the future. What would happen between them now? Would they slowly grow closer, or would the weight of Eli’s past keep them apart? Only time would tell.

But one thing was certain—her heart was already too far gone to turn back now. And no matter what happened, she was ready to face whatever came next.

With that thought, Serena closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift off into a restless sleep, where dreams of fast cars, whispered secrets, and a love that seemed just out of reach haunted her throughout the night.

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xoxo