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  Driving Layne

  (Unspoken Truth series) Book One

  Copyright 2014 @ Renea Porter

  All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transferred in any form without the prior written consent of the author, except for brief quotes for review purposes.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, dates, incidents, and places, or any resemblances to persons living or deceased, is purely coincidental and a product of the author’s imagination. Cover design by Kari Ayasha of Cover to Cover Designs

  Cover photo – Copyright MHPhotography

  Cover Models – Sadie and Josh

  Back cover photo – Copyright Deposit Photos,Bridge in the Park @cowardlion

  Dedications

  Where do I even start with my dedications? There is so many of you that have helped me, by encouraging me to keep going, those that picked me up when I was down and out. I’d like to thank my husband, if it hadn’t been for his love for drag racing, this book wouldn’t be written. And to the readers, thank you for your endless support. It means a lot to me.

  Table of Contents

  Driving Layne(Unspoken Truth series) Book One

  PROLOGUE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  It’s the end of summer and I’m packing for college. It’s a daunting task, and checking everything twice is even more annoying. Leaving the state and being away from my parents is frightening. The only upside is that, no one will know me and I won’t get those pitiful looks that I get on a daily basis here. My dad takes my bags from me and places them by the door.

  “I really wish you would stay home, I don’t want you to go away, even if I’m being selfish,” my mom says with sorrow in her eyes.

  “I’ve wanted to go to OSU ever since I can remember, and I actually got in. Please understand this is something I need to do, even if it won’t last the year,” I tell her turning to hug her.

  “You know we support your decision. We just worry about you,” my dad intercepts.

  I watch as they both show concern, not only for my future, but for me. This is something I have to do. I just want to be me and experience college like all my friends get to do. I don’t want all my hard work to go to waste, I just want to be free, free from prying eyes. Going to college and being away from home is where I need to be.

  “Just make sure you call home often and let me know how you’re doing,” Mom says.

  “Trust me I will; I promise. Do you think she will be okay?” I ask, nodding toward my older sister.

  “She’ll be fine. Don’t worry about her, you will only make yourself sick,” my mom says, about my sister, hugging me again.

  Turning to my dad, I look up at him and blink back the tears. He has been the rock of the family and I have always been his little girl. I look up at him and feel just as small as I did when I was a kid. He gives me a smile and wraps his huge arms around me. “Make sure you hire someone to help you around here. You can’t handle this ranch all by yourself,” I say. He recently suffered a minor heart attack and I worry about him. I helped as much as I could through the summer, even though he didn’t want me to.

  “I will, Baby Girl,” he says, kissing the top my head.

  I hear my older sister groan in the background, and I just roll my eyes at her. We haven’t been the best of friends in a long time, ever since she went to the dark side. I will be glad to get out of this town and away from my sister who will suck the life right out of you. I look around my bedroom to make sure I have everything I absolutely need. I say bye to my sister even though she could care less about me leaving.

  I give my mom one last hug and walk down the driveway to my car, as my dad loads it with my bags. I bid him another farewell and watch my mom and dad both wave as I pull out of the driveway and watch as they get smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.

  College, here I come. Watch out, Amber is coming to town. I roll my window down and crank up the music and let the air whip my hair around. It will keep my mind from missing them already.

  I’m going to make college my bitch this year.

  Chapter One

  (Fall)

  I’ve just arrived on the Oklahoma State University campus and I’m already feeling overwhelmed. As I glance around, I see couples sitting against trees and others lying in the grass, reading or studying. Making my way to the dorm is a daunting task, because the campus is huge and I have no flipping idea where the hell I'm going. The map the adviser provided is completely useless. This is a far cry from where I'm from. I'm from a small town in Texas and I'm used to knowing my way around. This is unfamiliar territory. Frustrated, I finally see another young lady making her way around and I approach her.

  "Excuse me? Can I ask where you're headed? Because I'm having trouble locating this dorm,” I say, pointing to the map.

  She glances at the dorm that I point to. After she looks back up, she says, "You can follow me; I'm headed there."

  "I'm Amber by the way," I say, offering my hand.

  "Sierra," she offers. We walk along the grassy lawn as I continue to lug most of my belongings. Finally we approach a building, and I glance at the number on the map, and follow Sierra down the hall. Suddenly she turns.

  "That is you," she points to the dorm room, "and I'm straight across from you," she motions.

  “Thanks so much. You saved me," I say, with sigh of relief.

  "Sure thing. If you need anything just knock on my door." She flashes her toothpaste commercial smile before entering her dorm as I stand in front of my door.

  I turn the knob and walk inside, throwing my things on one of the beds. It's your typical dorm room; two single beds, two desks with chairs, a decent closet, and a small bathroom. Obviously, I've arrived earlier than my roommate; I just hope she is cool. I sit down on the bed to take a breather from all that walking I did. I guess I should have parked closer than I did, I just wasn't expecting to walk such a long distance, it was overwhelming. I will retrieve my car later, as I have no plans this weekend but to get settled in before school actually starts on Monday.

  "Knock, knock," a cheery voice says opening the door.

  "Hi." I respond. She throws her things on the other available bed and takes a deep breath.

  "I'm Renee," she extends her hand.

  Shaking it, I introduce myself, "Amber."

  "Is this your first year?" She asks as she sits back on the other bed.

  "Yep. You?"

  "Same. Well since we are early, what do you say to blowing this joint and having a little fun tonight?” she eagerly asks. “Unless you have other plans.”

  "I really should get settled in so I can be ready for classes on Monday."

  "You can do that tomorrow or Sunday. Come on, it’s Friday; we should have a little fun. I promise it will be fun," she says, tilting he
r head to the side.

  "Fine, what kind of attire are we talking about?" I ask, not really wanting to get all dolled up tonight.

  "Just casual; nothing fancy."

  "Fine, let me shower real quick and I can be ready in a flash." Grabbing my bath essentials, I find my way to the showers. How awkward that you have to share with a stranger. After showering, I pull on a pair of my tightest jeans and a loose off the shoulder top then make my way back to the room to pull my shoulder length brown hair into a sleek ponytail, adding some light makeup on my face. I put just enough shadow on to make my amber colored eyes pop.

  "Damn girl, you fix up well," Renee says as I look myself over in my full length mirror.

  "You look damn fine, too, Renee." She quickly pulls her auburn reddish hair into a messy bun and has on an emerald green top with capri jeans. The emerald color looks gorgeous on her with her hair color.

  “Ready? I’ll drive,” Renee says twirling her keys on her finger.

  Grabbing my bag, I follow behind her to her car. It’s only a short walk from the dorm. I slide into the passenger seat of her Camry and notice that it looks new, with black interior and leather seats.

  “We are going to see drag racing,” she turns my way looking for my reaction. “You ever been?”

  “You mean on a track?” I ask.

  “No, this is illegal drag racing. Don’t worry; they usually have someone on the lookout for cops,” she says nonchalantly.

  “Okay.” I follow her lead and just go with the flow. I am a little worried about the illegal part and the cops part, but I will see how it goes. I highly doubt my parents would be thrilled to find out I’d been arrested and they need to bail me out.

  About twenty minutes later, we arrive on a deserted road, Renee parks next to some other patrons; we walk over where the race is taking place. The crowd is large and they are mostly huddled together, waiting on the race to start.

  “How do you know about all this?” I ask.

  “Well, I grew up around this stuff. So I’m familiar with most of these drivers. Plus, I just recently started dating one,” she says, with a sparkle in her eye.

  And as if right on que, a tall lanky guy with light eyes and short light brown hair and light brown skin approaches Renee giving her a kiss on the lips.

  “Amber, this is my boyfriend Dylan. Dylan, this is Amber.”

  I shake his gloved hand; he is carrying his helmet in his other hand. His smile is to die for.

  “Damn Renee, he is fine,” I tell her once he walks away.

  “Thanks, I think so too. These are the top ten drivers. The main guy, Alex, is the go to guy. He secures the locations and if a driver calls out another driver to move up in rank then you go to him first. Dylan is number six, so he is trying to win the number five spot against Jamison.”

  “Okay makes sense. But what I want to know is who the hell is that?” I point to a tall broad shouldered guy with super short dark hair; he walks with swag and the guy is damn fine.

  “That is Layne. Trust me, you don’t want to get involved with him. I know he is cute and all but he doesn’t keep company for very long. I’ll introduce you, if you want. But trust me when I say, he is a player.”

  I continue to ogle the guy while she gives me the full deets on him.

  “Ok, how ‘bout you introduce us, and I’ll take it from there,” I say, flashing her a wink and giving her my biggest smile. What she doesn’t know is that I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m in college and I want the full experience. Even if it’s just one night with him, I’m fine with that. Matter of fact, all I want is one night.

  “Damn girl, you’re treading on thin ice on this one. Come on,” she motions without arguing with me.

  I walk next to her as we head in his direction. As we approach, I see a sea of girls around him as they are all trying to grab his attention. But as soon as he spots Renee and me, his eyes never leave mine.

  “Hey, Layne,” Renee says as we stand in front of him and I spot his colorful sleeve tattoos on both arms. “I just wanted to introduce you to my friend, Amber.”

  His caramel eyes scan me from head to toe and a mischievous smile plays across his face. He lifts his hand to shake mine. “Layne. Nice to meet you.” He looks so hot in his black wife beater and his short hair. Oh, and those dimples.

  “Nice to meet you,” is all I can form my lips to say. We stand there in an awkward silence before Renee breaks the ice.

  “Layne here is number three in the rankings. And he is racing tonight against Logan to get the two spot,” she informs me.

  “Nice,” I say, glancing at him.

  “We’re having a party tonight at our place afterward; you should come by,” he offers, flashing me his dimples again.

  “Sure. Good luck out there,” I say. I keep my words short and sweet, so I don’t seem like a high schooler with a crush on her teacher.

  He walks toward his car on the stretch of road they are racing on, and I notice that he has a swagger. But Dylan is currently up to gain his spot in the rankings.

  “Oh look, Dylan’s up next.” Renee points to his car. Just as we spot him, he revs up his engine. His opponent follows suit. “That is Alex in the middle with the flag.”

  As soon as the flag is swayed, the racers gun their engines and you can smell the asphalt from their screeching tires. I watch in amazement and Renee is jumping up and down as soon as the cars take off. The race is so quick that if you blink you’d miss it. Dylan manages to secure his number five spot. Once that race is over, Dylan shakes the other driver’s hand and walks over to us as he is taking his helmet off. He gives Renee a big kiss, and I feel a little awkward to be watching their private moment.

  “Congrats Babe,” she says, kissing him back. “Look, Layne is up next.” She wraps her arm around Dylan’s waist, nestling in the crook of his arm, that’s around her shoulder.

  We watch as Layne and Logan rev up their engines before taking off. Alex sways the flag again, and the guys are off in a flash. I watch as Layne gains momentum, but his opponent manages to finish the race as the victor. Layne loses but remains number three. As quick as the race starts it’s over. I watch as they load up the cars into the trailers and take them to their home destination.

  “I’ll meet you at the house,” Dylan’s says to Renee, breaking from their embrace.

  As we approach Renee’s car I ask. “Are Layne and Dylan in college? How do they afford these suped up cars? I’m sure it cost a pretty penny to keep them running.”

  I watch in the distance as Dylan and Layne talk, and they both shake one another’s hand.

  “They’re both in college. Dylan drives for another guy named Gary. He is too old to drive now and he basically fronts the money to keep the car in tip-top shape. Gary benefits when Dylan wins. Each car has a small team that works on the cars to keep the repairs at bay.”

  In Renee’s car, I watch as everyone else scatters quickly. “That makes sense,” I say. “Are we going to that party Layne said Dylan was having?”

  “Yep; that is if you want,” Renee asks.

  “Sure. Sounds like fun. It will be my first official college party.” I say with enthusiasm.

  “Dylan shares a house with several other guys. I’m sure there are a lot of parties in our future,” she winks.

  “Thanks for inviting me along. I had fun and learned lots already,” I say.

  The drive to Dylan’s is fairly quick, and I believe it is close to the college. Once we arrive, Renee parks along the road in front of a large white house. We walk into the house to see it is plumb full of party-goers. We make our way through the crowd, and I see people making out already, playing beer pong and drinking from the keg upside down. Just your typical college party, I think as we delve farther inside the home. It is everything I’d expect it to be. Renee catches up with Dylan and I split from the couple finding my way to the restroom to freshen up from the race. I’m thankful I make it to the restroom before it becomes occupied on a pe
rmanent basis. I pull out my powdered foundation and quickly touch up my face and put on another layer of mascara and a touch of lipstick. Once I’m satisfied with that, I make my way to the kitchen in search of a bottle of beer. Yes I’m underage, but I want the full experience of a college party.

  The kitchen is not quite as full as the rest of the house. I open the refrigerator to hopefully find a cold brew. I see an assortment of beers, and I decide to go with a Stella Artois. At least they have good taste in beer.

  Chapter Two

  “Here; allow me,” Layne says, approaching me. He takes the bottle and pops the cap off with the assistance of the edge of the counter. His eyes never leave mine as he does it. I am completely mesmerized by this godly figure before me. I can see why all the girls surround him vying for his attention. He makes you feel like the two of you are the only two in existence. He hands the bottle back to me and clinks his bottle with mine. Without saying a word we each take a sip of our beers.

  Finally, a giggling couple enters the kitchen and breaks the trance between Layne and me. “Would you like to go somewhere quiet?” Layne asks.

  “Sure.”

  He grabs my hand, interlocking it with his fingers and leads me through the crowd in the main living area as we make our way to the door. I have to say his hand fits perfectly with mine and I feel a sense of protection with him. Out the front door he lets go of my hand as we make our way around back. He pulls a chair for me to sit as he sits on the porch floor with his legs crossed.

  “Sorry you lost the race.”

  “Nah, it’s okay. It happens. I’ll get him next time,” he says, bringing the bottle to his lips. I follow suit. “So, are you new around here?”

  “Yes. I’m from a small town in Texas that you probably never heard of,” I answer. “What about you, you from here?”

  “Yep, born and raised.”

  “How long have you been racing?” I ask.

  “Ever since I could sit behind the wheel; it was something my dad and I did. He used to race when I was younger,” he says. I notice a somber look across his face.