The hum of engines echoed in the distance as Caidan Suarez wiped the sweat from her brow, her racing suit clinging to her skin, a reminder of the battle she’d just fought against the track and herself. The victory felt hollow, almost insignificant in the grand scheme of things. She had been at the racetrack for so many years, every victory and loss blending into one long blur, each race a brief moment in time that passed too quickly. But today was different. Today, something was off.
Caidan stood at the edge of the pit stop area, her helmet tucked under her arm, taking in the view of the empty track. The sunset painted the sky in fiery streaks of orange and pink, yet her mind was elsewhere—on the woman who had once owned every part of her heart. Madeline.
She hadn’t expected to see Madeline again, not here, not now. But when the familiar voice had called out her name earlier, her heart had skipped a beat. Madeline was here. After all this time.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she shook her head. The last time they saw each other, things hadn’t ended well. It had been messy. Confusing. The kind of relationship that burned bright and intense but ultimately consumed them both.
"Caidan."
The voice, soft but commanding, broke her out of her thoughts. She didn’t need to look to know who it was. The sound of it was burned into her memory, a melody that used to bring her comfort and now made her feel unmoored.
Caidan took a deep breath and turned. There she was—Madeline. The same woman who had once filled every corner of Caidan's world. Her long dark hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and her eyes, those damn eyes, still held the same depth that Caidan had fallen into all those years ago. The years hadn’t seemed to change her. Or maybe it was Caidan who hadn’t changed.
“Madeline,” Caidan said, her voice barely above a whisper, like she was unsure if saying her name would make everything real again.
Madeline smiled, a slow, knowing smile that sent a shiver down Caidan's spine. It was the same smile that used to melt her, that made her knees weak and her heart race. Caidan had spent so many years trying to forget that smile, trying to forget the way Madeline's laugh could brighten the darkest of days, how the simple touch of her hand could make Caidan feel like the world had stopped spinning, just for them.
“You look good,” Madeline said, her voice low, but there was no mistaking the warmth and the longing behind her words. “Still winning races, I see.”
Caidan crossed her arms, a defensive stance she didn’t even realize she’d adopted. She didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of her. Not again. She had built walls around herself for a reason, and Madeline had been the one who had torn them down, only to leave her broken when she walked away.
“Yeah,” Caidan replied, trying to keep her tone neutral, though she felt the familiar tightness in her chest. “Still racing.”
Madeline's eyes softened, and she stepped closer. “You’re incredible out there, Cai,” she said, her voice almost reverent. “I’ve seen your races before, but today... Today was something else.”
Caidan swallowed hard, feeling the sting of those words. It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t hurt, but it did. Not because she was still racing, but because it was Madeline who was watching. Madeline who was speaking to her like they hadn’t spent years apart.
"Why are you here, Madeline?" Caidan asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them. There was no anger in her voice, just the weight of years of unspoken questions, unacknowledged pain. “You just... show up? After all this time?”
Madeline hesitated, but only for a moment. Her eyes never left Caidan's. “I needed to see you. Needed to be here. I couldn’t stay away.”
The air between them felt thick, charged with unspoken history, regrets, and memories of a love that had burned too hot to sustain itself.
Caidan's heart beat faster, her chest tight. She didn’t know how to respond. The part of her that had never stopped loving Madeline screamed to reach out, to say something—anything—that would bridge the years between them. But the other part, the part that had been hurt, that had spent so many nights crying over the loss of what they had, wanted to walk away.
“See me?” Caidan repeated, her voice almost bitter. “Madeline, you left. You just left. No explanation. No goodbyes. You don’t get to just waltz back in and act like everything’s fine.”
Madeline flinched at the harshness in Caidan's words, but she didn’t pull away. “I know,” she said softly, her voice breaking. “And I’ve regretted it every single day since. I didn’t know how to deal with everything we had. It was too much for me to handle. And I thought... I thought it would be easier to leave than to face the truth.”
“The truth?” Caidan's chest tightened. “The truth is you walked away. Without a word. Without looking back.”
Madeline took a step closer, her eyes never leaving Caidan's. “The truth is I never stopped loving you. I left because I didn’t know how to love you the way you deserved. I didn’t think I could handle it. But now...” Madeline took another step forward, her voice low and almost pleading. “Now, I know I was wrong.”
Caidan's heart thudded painfully in her chest. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to tell Madeline to go away, to not drag her into this again. But the truth was, she had never stopped wanting Madeline. The ache inside her hadn’t dulled; it had only grown stronger in the silence that had stretched between them.
“Why now?” Caidan asked, her voice quieter this time. “Why after all this time? Why show up when I’ve learned how to live without you?”
Madeline reached out, her hand brushing lightly against Caidan's arm. The simple touch sent a jolt of electricity through Caidan's body, a spark she couldn’t ignore. “Because I can’t stay away any longer. I never stopped thinking about you, Cai. I never stopped wanting you. I’m not asking for anything from you, but I need you to know that I’m here. I’m willing to fight for us. If you’ll let me.”
Caidan stared at her, her heart hammering in her chest. The walls she’d built around herself were crumbling, piece by piece. She had told herself so many times that she didn’t need Madeline, that she could live without her. But in the back of her mind, she always knew the truth. Madeline had been the one thing she could never fully let go of.
Without thinking, Caidan reached out, pulling Madeline toward her. The kiss was sudden, urgent, a collision of everything they had kept hidden for so long. It was as if the years apart had never happened, as if nothing had changed. They kissed like they were starving for each other, like they were the only two people left in the world.
When they finally broke apart, both of them breathless, Caidan couldn’t help but smile, despite the overwhelming rush of emotions flooding her. “I don’t know if I can do this again, Madi,” she said softly.
“I don’t expect you to know right now,” Madeline whispered, her forehead resting against Caidan's. “I just need you to know I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Caidan closed her eyes, savoring the closeness, the warmth of Madeline's body next to hers. She had spent so long pretending she didn’t need this, pretending she didn’t need Madeline. But now, standing here, she knew that was a lie.
The silence stretched between them, comfortable now, as they simply existed in each other’s presence. But Caidan knew she couldn’t leave things like this, not without saying what had been building inside her.
"Hey," but then Caidan gave Madeline a piece of paper, something written on it. Madeline opened the piece of paper, she read it and smiled looking at Caidan making her way to her tent.
Hey,
The whiskey’s burning slow, but it’s your spark I’m feeling though.
Can I see you before I go?”
— Cai