By the time we landed it is almost 8 pm pacific time and by the time we got our bags and made it to my parent's house, there are a lot of cars  parked around the house to which I remembered that my aunts and uncles are also in town visiting. Once we got our bags out of the car and make our way to the front door, I take out my key and took a deep breath as I unlocked the door and walking over the threshold to step inside. Well, here goes nothing.

We make our way to the living room to where everyone was talking amongst themselves and no one noticed us yet. I whistled to grab everyone's attention and to say that everyone is surprised is an understatement. The first ones to greet me are my parents with the biggest hug from each of them. However, they look very confused as to who else came with me.

Mom: Sweetie, mind introducing us to your friends.
Eliza: <chuckles> Mom, dad I'm surprised you don't recognize my best friends Ryan, Joey, and Chase. <she says while gesturing to each one of them>
Dad: Oh my gosh.
Mom: Wow, you all really changed from a long time ago. It's nice to see all of you again after so long. <she says as she and dad shake their hands>
Ryan: It's great to see you too Mrs. Coverdale.
Dad: It's great to see you all again, come on everyone is waiting and there is also food left if you all are hungry.
Eliza: Sounds good thanks dad, let us just put our stuff in my room and we will be right down.
Dad: Okay.

After putting our bags in my room and also planning out sleeping arrangements to which we settled with Joey taking the futon that is near one of the windows. Chase agreed to sleep on an air mattress on the floor, and Ryan and I sharing my king size bed just like the way we did it last night. We met back up with everyone downstairs and grabbed some pizza that my parents ordered earlier for the race. After grabbing our food and drinks, we settled in the living room as everyone greeted each other, talk, and have some fun for a while. Once everyone knew that it is getting late and of course we just raced one of the longest races of the season, we are starting to get tired; plus it would be a good idea for us to get some sleep as we have a long day of packing ahead of us and also driving back to North Carolina later the next day. As we said goodnight to everyone, we made it to my room where each one of us freshened up and get ready for bed.

The next morning I woke up and once again in Ryan's arms, one securely around me while my head is on his chest where his heart is and my other hand lying flat on his chest and his other hand holding that hand and to be honest not only was it the best sleep in a while, but it is also the best feeling in the world. Thank god the others are still asleep because if they weren't yet the teasing from Joey and Chase would be very interesting. I carefully slip out of Ryan's grasp and carefully slipped on some socks and make my way out of the room and into the kitchen to see that most of my family is already awake and my mom is making breakfast. They greet me with a good morning while I got out a glass and a bottle of cranberry juice and poured some in the glass and wait for breakfast to be ready.

While waiting on breakfast, one of my uncles was telling us about an upcoming tour when all of a sudden I felt arms drape around my shoulders and a very heavy weight on the top of my head and I know exactly who it is because we used to do this all the time and no it is not Ryan...it is Joey. With a wicked smirk starting to form across my lips and my hands still free, I reached around and started to tickle his sides as we started to laugh and eventually moved out of my grasp to catch his breath. After a couple of more minutes later, Ryan and Chase finally wake up right as my mom just finished cooking breakfast and everyone serves their food and eat at the table.

After breakfast Ryan, Joey, Chase, and I went back to my room to change out and get ready for a day of packing up my belongings and make the drive back to the place I am now going to call home. However, I never expected for this day to get any better than what I would think it would go. About an hour into packing up my belongings, my mom called us downstairs to take a couple of pictures together, we agreed and I told my mom to send me the pictures and also to not post them on social media so that way people will not get the wrong idea or think any different of me to which my mom agreed not to do that.

After we made sure our appearance looked well enough, we went out to the backyard where everyone else is waiting and I start to take pictures with my parents, my aunts and uncles, and of course my best friends, which is going to be an interesting mini shoot. The first set of photos I did with the guys together and boy it was a blast. The first picture we took together as a group were of us standing together with our arms around each other with me in the middle, Ryan to my right, and Joey and Chase to my left as we posed and smiled to get ready for my mom to take the picture that was until Ryan said something extremely funny and we ended up laughing our asses off and that was actually how my mom ended up taking the picture. The second picture we did was our signature pose that we did in victory lane yesterday. The last picture we took together was the first pose we ever did as a group, which is all of us standing around in a circle and one hand balled into a fist as we fist bumped in the middle as my mom found a way to take the picture from a higher view.

The next set of pictures we are taking are me with each one of the guys and little did I expect one hell of a surprise from Ryan. The first individual picture I am taking is with Joey were a lot of fun to do as he gave me a piggy back ride sporting the biggest smiles on our faces. The next individual picture I am taking is with Chase as we decided to pose shoulder to shoulder and slightly slanted to face the camera with our arms crossed and our game faces on. However, I didn't realize that this next individual picture that I am going to take with Ryan is going to be one of my first experiences to come and also a dream that'll be a life changer.

Ryan's POV
Well, it has definitely been a whirlwind of the last couple of days and in the best way possible. I was starting to believe that I was never going to see Eliza again, but when the announcement came out that she is returning to racing and signing with Penske to race in the Xfinity series, all of those doubts went out the window the minute we video chatted her the day of the announcement and she still looks as beautiful as ever, like she never changed. Even though we only reconnected our friendship just a few days ago, I have never been so sure of anything in my life, which could also be a possible reason why I never had a real relationship. From the time we reconnected, I started thinking of the perfect plan to officially make this girl mine. I know that her family and Joey and Chase are here, but what better time to make my move. I just hope that she feels the same way.

Eliza's POV
When my mom gestured for Ryan to take his place next to me, we are trying to decide which pose to do, but I guess he has a different idea than I do. The next thing I knew, he gently grabbed my upper arms to turn me around in order to be face to face with him. However, the next thing he asks and does will definitely take me by surprise and total confusion. Also, unknown to either one of us that Joey, Chase, and my dad are videotaping our moment.

Ryan: Eliza, do you trust me?
Eliza: <looks at him with a 'really' look and then smiles> Of course I trust you.

Just as I say those words, I can see that he takes a deep breath. The next thing I know I am being lifted up from my upper legs causing me to yelp, bend one of my legs, and my hands instinctively cup his face and look down at his as our foreheads touch and both of us sporting the biggest smiles on our faces. After my mom snapped several pictures, he slowly put me down as I can feel his hands glide through the side of my legs and stopping at my hips at a part where my skin is exposed from my shirt being bunched up and also feeling the pad of his thumbs rub soothing circles while my hands rest flat on his chest. We look at each other and I notice that his eyes are drifting between my own eyes and my lips as I can also tell that my eyes are doing the same while I am looking at him. As if it was only the two of us in the world, we slowly started to lean in as Ryan stops just mere inches from my lips as he rests his forehead on mine and ask one of the many questions I have always wanted to hear escape from his lips.

Ryan: Is this okay? <he asks seductively yet barely above a whisper>
Eliza: More than <she says almost breathless and barely above a whisper>

I just barely finished that sentence and finally our lips meet for the first time and might I say, he is a damn good kisser and I am very thankful that he is the one to give me my first kiss that'll leave me breathless. I definitely did not hesitate to kiss back as I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck as he wraps his arms around my waist to pull my flush towards his body as we can hear Joey and Chase wolf whistle and cheer for us and leaving my family in complete surprise, except for my dad who knew it was bound to happen. We pulled away and still kept our hands in place and our foreheads pressed together sporting the biggest smile on our faces and my face red as a tomato from a mix of blushing, breathless, and processing what just happened within the last couple of minutes while he swayed us side to side. After a couple of minutes of silence between us he clears his throat, grabs both of my hands, and asked another question that I have always wanted a man to ask me.

Ryan: Eliza?
Eliza: Yes Ryan? <she asks>
Ryan: Will you be my girlfriend?
Eliza: Absolutely <she answers with a smile>

Right after I give him my answer, he cups my face in his hands and kisses me to make our relationship official. While we continued to kiss and our lips move in sync I can feel him move his hands from my face, to where my arms were resting at his hips, and reposition my arms to around his neck as his hands moved to pick me up like before for our picture and without breaking our kiss. We pulled away with me still in the air and in his arms as we look at each other and never wanting to let go. However, I then realize that we still need to finish packing up my room. I asked my mom to send me the pictures as the rest of us went back inside and back to my room to continue packing since we are planning on getting on the road later today.

About an hour and half later, we finally finish packing up the rest of my belongings in duffle bags and 1-2 boxes filled with clothes, makeup, accessories, shoes, and a few pictures and loaded everything up in my mustang. After lunch we did our last minute check to make sure there is nothing left behind, we said goodbye to my family and piled into the car as I am the one driving, Ryan is sitting in the passenger seat, and we put Joey and Chase in the back. Before backing out of the driveway, I set up my apple CarPlay and started playing my travel playlist that consists of 80s hard rock and metal, some of my favorite songs from some musicals, and also country music as well. Once I backed out of the driveway, we waved goodbye to my family one last time before grabbing the highway and making our way back home.

Throughout the drive we reminisced on a lot of key moments in our friendship, endured a lot of teasing from Joey and Chase on mine and Ryan's newly formed relationship, talked a lot of gossip within the sport, how the season has been, made several pitstops for food, gas, and other business as usual. We also would take turns driving after each pit stop for gas when one of us gets tired. We also did our team meetings on the road to discuss the upcoming race and any changes that would need to made for the car and future races.

After the long ass drive, we finally arrived in North Carolina around mid-morning where we dropped Joey off at his house leaving Chase, Ryan, and I to head back to my new home, with my man. We finally arrive at our house to be greeted by Sturgill as we give him a few belly rubs and also let him sniff me out to get to know me, we unpack my car and put everything in Ryan's room since we have been best friends for a long time and also since we are officially together, which still feels all surreal that we are finally together have all this time. Chase is going to stay with us overnight and then head back to his apartment tomorrow.

After unpacking the car and spending the rest of the day unpacking all of my belongings and eating lunch and dinner, we went up to our respective rooms to settle in and get ready to call it a day. Since Ryan already took a shower while I was cooking dinner, I decided to also take one and freshen up while Ryan was putting away the dishes and let out Sturgill. I just finished with my shower and changed into my pajamas, but one I opened the door to the bathroom, I am met with one of the best views I have ever seen in a while. when I open the door, I see Ryan only wearing pajama pants with no shirt on laying upright on the bed while watching tv as I leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom looking at the amazing sign in front of me causing me to smile and think 'this man is finally my man after almost believing that I would never see him again, until now' and also subconsciously pinch myself to make sure that I am not dreaming, to which I am not.

After a couple of minutes of just standing there with my dirty clothes still in hand while I am admiring my man, I let out a giggle to which he hears me and turns to face me and starts to form a smile across his lips. I see him extend his right hand towards me and makes a gesture for me to 'come here'. I put my clothes in the hamper and shyly walk over to him starting to feel nervous, to which I shouldn't be nervous but what he does next will be our next step from a friendship to a real relationship in a whole new level. Once I am close enough he grabs my hand to help me get up on the bed and positions me to straddle him. Lord I must be red as a tomato by now. I encircle my arms around his neck as his arms snake around my waist and a comfortable silence fills the room with the noise from the tv just playing in the background as we look at each other feeling as though we have discovered a new love with smiles forming across our lips (and I mean a real smile). He then proceeds to press his forehead against mine for about a minute until I feel him place his hands where my jaw and neck meet as he closes the gap between us and we share a sweet and passionate kiss.

After pulling away for air, he leans forward a little bit as his hands reposition my legs to wrap around his torso and hold each other close and cuddling as I can feel him lift my pajama shirt up a bit and begin to rub my back. After what felt like forever just being in this position, we decide to call it an early night after a long couple of days of driving and also preparing for another race weekend. I got off of him as we fix the bed for the night, get in, turn off the tv, and slowly begin to drift off to sleep as he pulls me close to him, shared our first goodnight kiss, and finally drifted to sleep.