Chapter 64: Racing hearts

When we got into the car, I had no idea where Sean was taking me. He simply smirked the whole ride, stealing glances at me like he was trying to hold back a secret. I rested my head on the window, watching the trees blur past, but curiosity kept burning inside me. “Are you ever going to tell me where we’re going?” I finally asked. “No,” he said quickly.

I gasped dramatically. “Wow, you're the love of my life but also my number one enemy.”

He chuckled under his breath. “You will thank me.”

The road opened up and suddenly I saw it — long stretches of asphalt, tall fences, bright flags, and roaring engines, it's a race track.

“What!?” I burst out. “Sean! A race track?”

He shrugged proudly. “You’ve been stressed. I wanted to show you something that makes me feel alive.”

My heart swelled because he thought of me.

When he parked, a group of men instantly walked toward us, waving and shouting in excitement.

“Sean! You’re finally here!”

Another guy nudged him, pointing at me. “Ayyyy! Is this your wife?” Sean squeezed my hand and lowered his head shyly, smiling the cutest smile I have ever seen on a grown man. “Yes,” he said simply.

The men all reacted the same: “OHHHHH!”

“She’s so beautiful!” “Sean, my brother, you are too lucky!”

Sean just looked down, biting his lip like he didn’t know how to take compliments. I loved him even more in that moment.

A lady wearing tight black racing gear approached me. “Come with me, sweetheart. You can’t go on the track dressed like this. Let’s get you something proper.”

Sean nodded. “I will be right here.”

The lady led me into a private changing room filled with racks of suits and helmets. I felt like I stepped into a movie.“Pick any,” she said. “Sean wants you to be comfortable.” “He told you that?” I asked.

She smirked. “Honey, he talks about you like you hung the moon.”

My cheeks warmed, I grabbed a sleek black and red suit that matched Sean’s colors and changed quickly. When I stepped out, she gasped.

“Oh! He’s going to faint.”

We walked back to the track, and the moment Sean saw me, his eyes widened just slightly but enough for me to see everything.

I guess it's Pride, Awe or Love mixed together.

He grabbed my hand immediately and pulled me toward a dark, polished sports car already revving at the starting line. Another driver was inside the car next to ours, revving louder like he wanted to intimidate us.

“Someone’s feeling competitive,” I teased.

Sean raised an eyebrow at the other driver. “He’s only loud because he knows he’s losing today.”

The rival driver laughed. “Sean, please. Don’t embarrass your wife.”

“She’ll be proud,” Sean said, leaning closer to him. “Today I’m teaching you humility.”

I burst out laughing. “Both of you are big children.”

Sean opened the passenger door for me with a playful bow. “Your throne, my queen.”

I got inside, strapped myself in, and my heart began thumping with excitement. Sean slipped into the driver’s seat, adjusted the wheel, and glanced at me.

“You ready?”

“Always.”

The flag girl stepped in front of us, holding her start flag high. Engines roared, vibrating through my chest. The air smelled like gasoline, adrenaline, and dust.

“Three… two… one…”

The flag dropped.

“GO!”

I was pushed back into my seat as Sean slammed the accelerator. The world blurred. The wind rattled against the windows. My heart felt like it was racing alongside us.

The rival car shot ahead first.

“Oh hell no,” I muttered under my breath.

Sean laughed. “Relax. This track is mine.”

We hit a long curve snaking around the mountain road. I gripped the handle beside me, but I wasn’t scared. I trusted him more than I trusted gravity.

When we entered the sharp bend, the rival car slowed down. Sean didn’t.

He smirked. “Watch this.”

In one swift move, he turned the wheel, drifted beautifully around the curve, and passed the rival car with a smooth speed that made my stomach flip.

I screamed in excitement. “YES! SEAN!”

The adrenaline came rushing in, everything felt unreal.

We zoomed down the final stretch, and the moment we crossed the finishing line first, I let out a joyful scream. Sean stopped the car, jumped out, and before I could even unbuckle, he lifted me out of the seat by my waist.

I wrapped my arms around him and jumped in excitement. “YOU DID IT!”

“We did it,” he said softly.

And then he kissed me, a long, hot, breath stealing kiss that made the cheering in the background disappear completely.

When we broke apart, he touched my cheek. “Seeing you smile like that… it is worth everything.”

We changed our clothes afterward and drove home, feeling light, playful, glowing from the excitement.

But when we reached the house, Connor was standing in the doorway waiting for us. His arms were crossed, face serious.

“Why are you two so late?” he demanded. “I was worried.”

Sean sighed. “I took her out to unwind. She needed a break.”

Connor softened a little when he looked at me. “How’s Mom?” I asked immediately.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s okay. But… I heard about a Chinese doctor who can detect issues by feeling the pulse on your wrists. And he said… he doesn’t think it’s cancer.”

My heart stopped. “Then what?”

“Maybe breast pain caused by menopause,” Connor said. “But we still need proper tests.”

We went straight to the hospital, and after a long wait, the tests were done.

Now we just had to wait a few days.

When we arrived home again, delicious food already filled the house. Mother-in-law was sitting at the table, smiling warmly when we walked in.

“There you are,” she said gently. “Come, sit. I cooked.”

We all sat around the table, and for a moment, the house felt alive, full of chatter and warmth. After so much heaviness, it felt refreshing.

I took the dishes to the kitchen after we finished. Sean followed me, picking up plates beside me.

“You don’t have to help,” I said.

“Yes I do,” he said. “You’re my wife. Anything you do, I do.”

Connor walked Mom to her room while Sean and I washed the dishes slowly, talking quietly about the race, the scenery, the upcoming test results, everything.

After cleaning up, we walked to our bedroom. I sat on a stool in front of the mirror, letting myself breathe for a moment. Sean stood behind me, taking a comb and separating my hair gently.

“I will braid it for you,” he murmured.

I smiled at his reflection. “Since when do you know how to braid?”

He smirked. “I watched a video.”

“A VIDEO?”

“Don’t laugh,” he said with a fake frown. “I wanted to surprise you.”

His fingers moved slowly through my hair. I watched him through the mirror, the concentration in his eyes, the softness in his touch, the way his lips curved slightly when he tucked a strand away.

“You’re perfect,” I whispered.

He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “I’m only perfect because I have you.”

And in that quiet moment, with his hands in my hair and our reflection glowing softly in the mirror.