It had been exactly a month since the accident and we were trying to get back to normalcy, which was too much to expect anyway. 

Nothing was the way it was before - everything had changed since that moment of adrenaline rush where my Dad had thought that keeping everything at stake for the sake of a race was alright.

My mind always boggled and I blamed Dad for making life hell for a simple high school going girl. It was not fair and he didn't have the right to alter my life like this. It was too much. And the fact that he didn't run this idiotic idea through me always took me to the edge, making me curse my Dad loudly in the hallways at times.

But then again, when had he talked to me about the races or the bets or the tracks? Heck, he barely had the time to check on me when he was addicted on those shiny tarred roads.

What was it that made those tracks so beautiful that he forgot about his only daughter who was his only family now? With no family, other than each other, I didn't know why he always kept me at home while he raced his ass off in the tracks.

The earnings were great and I wasn't complaining. But the only thing that was missing from my life was that I didn't have emotional stability at home even when I had a better life than most kids at the tracks.

I still remember the day I had went down to the hospital in spite of Dan telling me to stay put. After all, he was my only family. Tears running down my face, I had rushed together when Dad was put in a stretcher, leading him to the ICU. Questions spiraled in my head and I wanted answers before I lost my sane mind.

I wanted some assurance and looking at Dan or Calvin, the manager, I wasn't so sure. I had rushed to the doctors and nurses to see if they could give me some certainty about Dad's condition. When they only shooed me away, I had turned mad, shouting at the hospital, doctors and every other person I laid my eyes on.

When I had finally settled down, the doctor came towards us. Dan and I, both stood up, acknowledging him. He told us to follow him to his cabin for a detailed discussion and we walked behind him like spell bound rats, hoping that everything was okay, as my tears ran down my cheeks.

"I have good and bad news." The doctor had said, pushing his glasses further up his nose, as we sat in his chamber in nervous anticipation. "The good news is that your Dad is perfectly fine, Scarlet."

I let the breath out I didn't know I held. "Oh my God! Thank you so much!" I beamed, wiping my tears away.

That meant, every thing was back to normal and there was nothing to worry about. A few bandages and a few weeks of rest, Dad was good to go, right? That was the usual routine Dad had when he crashed. This time was no different. Or was it?

"But the bad news...?" Dan left the sentence in mid-air and my stomach knotted once more.

"We have done everything possible Daniel." The doctor said, looking at Dan. "I'm not saying that he won't recover at all, but what I'm saying is it needs some time. He would have to come for regular check-ups and—"

"What the hell has happened to him?" I shouted, standing up and pushing the chair away. This doctor was testing my patience. I wanted to hear him say that it was nothing and needed only a few days of rest. "Why don't you cut the chase and spit it out already?"

"Scarlet!" Dan placed a hand on my shoulders, gesturing me to calm down.

"He has damaged his bone in his right leg." The doctor said. "He won't be able to walk or do anything with his right leg for a while."

My whole world had stopped at that, but Dan was very considerate. He came to our house everyday to make sure that I was adjusting along with Dad with the new settings. And this For a while seemed long enough.

Even after passing a month with my Dad's injured leg, there was no much improvement. He was still in his wheel chair, revolving around the house.

Dad went for the treatments twice every week in the hope that the bone would recover faster. In the meantime, I could tell that he missed racing. He usually went to the tracks almost every day and now, he only sat by the window reminiscing his days of bliss.

My high school professors understood my plight and had granted me a week's leave when they got to know the condition at home. But I was lagging behind and if I didn't catch up soon, I was sure that I would have to stay for another year.

But my best guy friend, Nick Everest slid in for my rescue. And with him by my side, few of my worries seemed to ease.

He had those amazing green eyes, dirty blond hair, perfect jaws and a muscular body one could always drool at. For the situation I had at home, he seemed like a welcomed distraction.

With my wheel chaired Dad at home, Nick was very compassionate towards me. He even offered me to drive me back and forth from school, which I had shamelessly accepted.

Now, as the doorbell rang , at exact eight thirty in the morning, I knew instantly that it was him. "Dad!" I called out loud. "My ride is here. I'll be back soon."

"Sure, honey." My Dad called back from his room.

I grabbed my bag from the kitchen counter and headed towards the door with a happy grin on my face. As soon as I pulled the door open, my grin disappeared. It was Dan and Calvin, the ones who managed my Dad in the tracks.

"Hey Dan!" I said, pulling him for a hug. "Calvin! Please come in."

I let them into the hall which held the kitchen at a corner. "Hey Scar, how are you? How are things holding up for you?"

I gave them a small smile. It had been very tough for me in the initial days since Dad was discharged. I had to know all the medicines, his bathing techniques and the timely foods. "I'm getting the hang of it now." I said. "So, what makes you here?"

"Where's Edward?" Calvin spoke for the first time. The tone in his voice said that he was not here for a friendly visit. He was here for business. I wondered what business he still had when he knew that Dad couldn't ride for God knows how long.

"I'm here." Dad said, pushing his wheel chair from his room. "Missing me already guys?"

"Hey, Ed." Dan walked towards him and squatted to his height and smiled at him. "No more pains? You have been taking the meds time to time, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." Dad waved his hand at him, making it seem that it was his usual questions that were thrown at him. "So, how are the tracks?"

"They are good. But not the same without you." Dan said, and it seemed as if he was not trying to hurt Dad's feelings. Dan was more closer to him than anyone else in the track.

"In fact, we came to talk to you about that." Calvin said and then gave me a look. I assumed that it would take a lot of time and quickly sent a text to Nick saying that I would be skipping the first hour and he didn't have to come pick me.

"Calvin, everything's alright?" I asked, grabbing a chair. "You do not seem... okay."

"You remember the race?" Calvin asked, heaving a sigh.

Of course I remembered. It was as if no matter what I did, the images wouldn't go away. They were etched to my memory. "Yeah." I said slowly wondering where this conversation was leading to.

"You know what were at stake at that race?" Dan asked slowly, looking at the ground.

Fuck! I had totally forgotten about the stakes that were held so fucking high in that stupid race. How could I ever let that pass my memory? It was as if a time bomb was stuck to my leg and it was too late to remove it.

"Edward here, had put everything he owned at stake for that one race." Calvin made it clear.

"Cal, not here." I heard my Dad mutter.

"If not now, when Ed?" Dan said, raising his voice a little. "It's late already."

"Let's take this to my room, okay?" Dad said in his calm voice, turning his wheel chair back to his room.

"What the heck is happening?" I said in a low voice that made my Dad halt in his way. "Whatever is happening, I get to hear it too."

I heard Dad sigh. "It doesn't concern you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, not able to control my anger. 

How much hadn't I suffered alone when he was in the hospital? How much hadn't I tried? Didn't he know that? He can't even make it through the stairs without anyone's help and he wanted to do this alone?

"No, Ed. She needs to hear this too." Dan said, much to my relief. "She deserves to know."

Dad turned his wheel back to us and heaved a sigh. "Fine. So what is the matter?"

Calvin gave a laugh at his sentence. "Matter you say, you don't know?"

"So, anyway," Dan said, easing the tension. "Ashley won the race that day and accordingly she owns everything that was at stake."

"That means your house and your garage as per your conditions." Calvin said, "You even signed the papers Ed. I'm sorry."

"That means... she's kicking us out?" I asked not able to believe them. "How can she do that? Where will we go?"

"Scarlet, breathe okay?" Dan said, holding my shoulders. "She, having caused the trouble, didn't bring up this matter until now."

"Now, she's going on a hunt to collect her winnings." Calvin finished.

"Well, explain her the situation." I said, my hands already sweaty thinking about what would happen. "Wasn't this all her fault too? Tell her!"

"It was a race, an illegal one at that, Scarlet." Calvin said, pulling his coat together. "So, you can't blame the accidents on one another. Besides, the contract was signed."

"Look Scar, you don't have any income now." Dan said. "Ed was the only one who brought the money to run the family."

"She thinks that even if she gives time, you won't be able recover, unless Ed's back in track." Calvin said, "We both know that it's not going to happen anytime soon."

"I'll talk with her." Dad said, eyeing Calvin.

I was never angry with Dad before. But now, standing in the position he had put us into, I was more than pissed. How could he do this to me? To us? He hadn't even mentioned the stakes with me.

"Why didn't you talk some sense into him, Dan?" I asked, shaking myself out of his hold. I was more than angry with Dad for not uttering a word till now. "What am I going to do now?"

"I'm sorry." Dad said his voice almost vulnerable.

"We have asked for another six months." Calvin said. "We know you are still a student, but..."

"Ed, Scar, here's the bitter truth." Dan said, sitting down on the couch. "Though the insurance covers most of the medical concerns, there is still a lot of money issues, right?"

He was right on that one. Last week, when I went to buy groceries, the owner shooed me away when I was lacking a dime. There was a reason why there was only half pound bread in the kitchen and why I had stopped having breakfast and dinner in a day.

"Ashley knows it too." Dan said softly. "Let's be practical on this one. How could she expect her wins when she knows all this? What does it matter if she gives time or not?"

"That means... we have to leave?" I asked holding my breath.

"There's a catch for it." Calvin winked. "We have talked that instead of the house, we can pay her the amount of money that house and garage is worth of and she agreed to it."

"But from which hell am I getting money to her?" I cried. Did I have to starve to death? Even then, the money wouldn't be enough.

"You will start racing." Dan said proudly, patting my shoulders.

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A/N: So, the adventure has begun. What do you think? Will that be easy for Scarlet? How foolish do you think Edward is for putting everything at stake?