❝Falling for him wasn't falling at all. It was walking into a house and suddenly knowing you're home.❞
In which Hollywood actress Alexandra Heroux returns to the world of F1 after almost a decade, only to fall for Charles Leclerc.
With her turbule...
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a few hours before free practise for the Italian GP, Max and Lexi played catch behind the Red Bull garage. The tension that had settled within her was palpable, though her anger had given way to a quieter, sadder demeanor. Instead of turning to Charles, she had come to Max, seeking solace and answers.
"Max," she said, her voice low and thoughtful as she caught the ball he had thrown. "Do you ever feel left out with Penelope?" Max knew immediately what this was about. He stopped, leaning against the garage wall and looked at Lexi.
"Sometimes," Max admitted, nodding slowly. "Penelope can be difficult, and she's still a child. She doesn't understand the complexities of our situation, so, yeah, it gets to both Kelly and me at times." He paused.
Lexi grumbled, throwing the ball to Max. "I just don't know why James didn't tell me he was bringing Theo and Eleanor this weekend." She muttered. Max stood up a little bit straighter and threw the ball back to her.
"You need to understand James' perspective too, Al. He's trying to repair his friendship with Lewis. Think about it. They were like brothers before everything that happened...if you can heal your relationship with James, why can't Lewis?"
"Because...because Lewis lied." Alexandra snapped. "He was supposed to be there for us, for me. He was going to turn his back on us for his career-,"
"Lex. I'm going to give you a hard truth, because I know nobody else will. You're being a selfish bitch right now. Lewis was going to turn his back on you for his career, but he didn't."
"So?"
"How the fuck is that any different to what you did? You abandoned your alcoholic father and drug addict brother, all so you could put yourself first and get a career in Hollywood."
"That's different." Lexi's face flashed with hurt.
Max's eyes shone with sadness as he glanced to his friend. "Al, how is that any different? You both had the same choice, the difference is, you took it. Lewis didn't. He stayed by your side through everything. He deserves the chance to get his brother back. Be honest with me, are you upset that Lewis considered leaving, or are you more upset that you didn't make that same choice?"
"Fuck you," she laughed bitterly. "C'mon Max. Since when did you get so wise?"
"Since I grew up with Jos for a father." Max replied coolly. "You're not the only one who's been through shit Ally. Everyone else is scared to tell you that you're in the wrong on this, but I'm not. I think you need to hear it. You've acted like a dick to Lewis, and you're being petty over James. I think your brother might have been afraid that if he told you about Theo and Eleanor coming to the race, you'd get upset and try to stop him and Lewis from getting close again."
"That's not-,"
"Al." Max said softly.
Lexi got defensive. "It's not like that," she began, frustration in her voice. "I don't want to keep them apart, but it's just... I'm struggling to come to terms with everything. It feels like I'm living a dream. For years, all I wanted was to be safe, have a family, and feel loved. Now that I have it, I'm on edge, waiting for someone to steal it all away from me."
