|47.|

                                    

                                          


Next week is Daytona speed week. I'm about to be as honest as I can be. 
                          
I am actually dreading next week. I know I need to get over not being a part of Team Penske anymore, but it's hard. I feel like I am cheating Penske. But I know I'm not. 
                          
I am helping Jimmie and Hendrick out. I can do it, I know I can. I just feel bad. 
                          
I look over to see Brad sound asleep, so I try to get out of bed without waking him. 
                          
He grabs my arm and pulls me back into bed and then he wraps his arms around me. 
                          
Well, I tried to get out of bed. 
                          
"No." Brad groans into the pillow half asleep. "But I wanna get up." I whine. "But I want you to stay here." Brad says, still holding my arm. 
                          
"But Brad." I whine. "But Jo." He whines back. "I gotta get up.." I say and gently remove his hand. He immediately sits up. 
                          
"What is so damn important?" He asks. "I need to pee. Unless you want me to pee in the bed, I gotta go use the bathroom." I say and get out of bed and go to the bathroom. 
                          
I yawn and check my phone. I see I have some messages from Chase. 
                          
From: Chase 😎 
I was talking with Katie last night, and she is going to be with me the whole weekend of Daytona! I don't know if you want to meet her at the track, and then you two can go do something? Or..? What's the plan? 
                          
To: Chase 😎 
Why is it always me who is the plan maker? 😂I mean, yeah, we could meet at the track, and then go do something so we can hang out! I don't think we need two boys hanging over our shoulder when we go raise hell on the streets of Daytona 😂 
                          
From: Chase 😎 
Don't raise too much hell, I want her back in one piece! 
                          
To: Chase 😎 
Have I ever taken anyone out to raise hell before and not came back in one piece? 
                          
From: Chase 😎 
Well, we could go into detail 
                          
To: Chase 😎 
It was one time, not my fault she decided to break her arm. I didn't do anything, she just was bein stupid. 
                          
From: Chase 😎 
Okay, I trust you with my girlfriends life. 
                          
To: Chase 😎 
Thanks, bubby. 😘 
                          
From: Chase 😎 
I feel like I just made a mistake.. 
                          
To: Chase 😎 
Oh, shut up. 😂 
                          
I get ready for the day and head out into the living room. 
                          
I turn the corner off of the staircase, and see Brad, asleep on the couch. 
                          
Why is he so freaking tired? 
                          
I go over to him and shake him awake. "What?" He asks, squinting his eyes at me. 
                          
"Why are you so tired?" I ask him, as I sit down next to him. "I don't know. I just can't seem to feel recharged." He yawns. "You've literally slept for 10 hours straight." I say and look at his face. 
                          
"Brad, your face is really red." I say, as I hear him cough. "Ugh." He says and lays back down. 
                          
I feel his forehead, and it feels like he has a temperature. "Brad, I think you're sick." I sigh. "I'll be fine. It's probably just one of those twenty-four hour things." 
                          
I get up and go get a thermometer. I give it to him and he sticks it in his mouth. 
                          
When it beeps, I check it and it says 100.1F. 
                          
"Yeah. You're sick. Your temperature is 100.1, do you want to stay down here, or up in the bed?" I ask. 
                          
"Down here. I don't need you to wait on me hand and foot. I can do it myself." Brad protests. 
                          
"If you want to get better soon, I suggest you let me take care of you. You need your rest." I say. "Paul asked me to come down to the shop earlier." 
                          
"I don't care. You aren't going. You need to get better so you can test in two days." "You sound like my mom." 
                          
"I don't care. I'm just trying to get you better." I say and walk to the kitchen and make him some chicken noodle soup. 
                          
When I'm done, I take it to him, and he is on the phone with Paul, so I wait till he is done. 
                          
He finally hangs up and takes the soup from me. "Thank you." He smiles. "You're welcome. Please focus on getting better." 
                          
"I will." 
                          
The day goes by, and Brad seems to be feeling better. His temperature went back to normal, finally. 
                          
The next day finally comes around, and I wake up and look at Brad. He looks perfectly fine now. 
                          
Must have been a one day cold. Thank God. 
                          
He wakes up, and smiles at me. "Hey baby." He says and kisses me. 
                          
"Hey. You feel better?" "Yeah. A lot better. Must have been because my nurse was so fantastic." "Yeah, keep telling yourself that." I laugh. 
                          
"Ryan wants to come over today. You okay with that?" I ask. "Yeah, I just gotta get up and eat some food before he knows I have any. The guy eats me out of house and home." He laughs. 
                          
"Oh trust me. I know the feeling." 
                          
Once we get ready for the day, I text Ryan and tell him he can come over now. 
                          
In about an hour, in comes Ryan. Who brought a needy Bubba. 
                          
"You guys need to clean your house." Ryan laughs and throws himself onto the couch. "Hello to you too." Brad laughs. 
                          
"Okay, what's so dirty about the house? All that's on the floor is a sweatshirt. Calm down." I laugh. "But it needs to be picked up." He says and puts it on the chair. 
                          
"Why all of a sudden are you a clean freak? Your house has a lot more on the floor than one sweatshirt." Bubba laughs. 
                          
"That's true. But Brad and Jo should be more neat." Ryan says. "Okay, stop judging us." I laugh. 
                          
"Never." Ryan says and Bubba is in the kitchen looking for food. "Hey Brad, got any chips?" Bubba asks opening and closing cabinets. 
                          
"Don't you have food at your house?" Brad laughs. "Yes and no. You have cool food here." 
                          
"So cool. Sour cream and onion chips." I laugh. "Where are they?!" Bubba screams. "I'm my stomach! I ate them before you got here." 
                          
"Fuck you Jo!" Bubba says and drags his feet into the living room and falls on the couch. "Thanks." I laugh. 
                          
"So you don't have anything else I can eat?" Bubba asks Brad. "Frozen pizza in the freezer." Brad says and Bubba runs to the freezer. 
                          
"I'm surprised Ryan isn't the one wanting the food." I laugh. "I ate this time before I came because last time, Brad ripped me a new one." 
                          
"Oh. Why didn't I know about that?" I scoff. "It happened when you had to go talk with Chad last time." Brad laughs. 
                          
"Oh." Bubba comes in after the pizza is done and literally eats the whole thing. "Wow thanks for sharing." Brad smirks. 
                          
"I bought that pizza too." I whine. "I'll buy you another one." Bubba says. 
                          
"Bull." I scoff. 

                          
Hey guys! sorry if this chapter wasn't as good as the rest of them, it is just a filler chapter. 
                          
Thank you guys for the comments and votes!