Driving Me Crazy

Chapter Forty-Eight

Katana

The worst part about us arriving late in Barcelona is the media. The original plan was to arrive on Tuesday after spending an extra day in Monaco, but after everything that happened, we arrived on Wednesday night. Thursdays in the paddock are either the best or worst thing to be around. Media day is an introvert's personal hell, and I can attest to that. When Charles and I walked into the paddock, it was sudden chaos. Interviewers left and right wanted something from us. I understand that the accident was major and he was very lucky to survive, but they're all asking the same questions on repeat.

"How are you feeling? Are you sure you can return this weekend? Do you expect this to happen again? What steps have been taken to avoid another situation like this?" The reporters drone on and on. Charles looks emotionally drained after just an hour of these interviews. "Maybe you should take a break, get some food," I say to Charles, trying to take some weight off of his shoulders. He shines a small smile and nods off the interviewers before leading me to the cafeteria where we find Lando and Cam.

"Hey!" I say to the duo who look like they've been mauled. "Long time no see!" Cam says to me before standing to give me a hug. Taking a seat at their table, the boys engage in their usual convos as Camryn and I catch up. "I feel like I haven't seen you in decades," I say to Cam. Her eyes sink and exhaustion shows as she responds with, "Things have been rough lately, I've missed you." My heart sinks at the idea of not being there for Cam, but I also know that she understands why I haven't. "How are things going with you two?" I ask, nodding my head towards Lando at the other side of the table. Camryn blushes and looks at me from underneath her eyelashes when she says, "Things are great, once again. Honestly, Kat, I don't know how we ended up here but I never want to leave. Like, seriously. Formula One is amazing, traveling is amazing, and I couldn't be happier with Lando now that we've set things straight." A smile spreads across my face while she speaks. "I'm so happy that we're here and I'm happy that I'm here with you," I say, grabbing Cam's hand.

Lando interjects from behind Cam, "Hey, don't be stealing my girl over there," causing the entire table to burst into laughter. I wink at him lightly before placing a kiss on Camryn's cheek and then turning back toward Charles. "You knew the reporters would be this bad today, didn't you?" I ask Charles as he steals some of Lando's food. His eyes reach mine when he says, "Yeah, It's typical for a crash like that. It's just a lot more than I expected it to be. I think I'm going to make a big announcement and then ask to be done for the day." My heart aches at the pain in his voice, but I also know that this is part of the job no matter what. Charles pushes back from the table and stands while saying, "Come with me," and walking toward the interviewers.

"All right, I'm making one final announcement and then I will no longer be available for interviews today. I understand that my crash was rough, but Ferrari and the FIA have taken action to prevent it from happening again. The car had a malfunction, causing the halo to separate from the car, leaving me stranded. Our wonderful engineers have taken a look at the issue and made the necessary changes. As for myself, I feel better than ever and I will race this weekend. Many people have mentally and physically cleared me, and I plan on keeping it that way as I fight for the championship. I also understand a lot of speculation around my relationship with Katana," My heart jumps as he says my name. The reporters look at me, causing me to shy behind Charles. He grabs my hand and continues, "We are together, we are very happy, and she is an amazing person. She also understands the risks of Formula One and supports my decision to continue racing. I will not be retiring simply because I am in a relationship, that isn't who I am and that's not who she wants me to be. Anybody who says anything negative regarding my relationship will be asked to leave the event and not return. I will not accept slander to me or my girlfriend; it is simply unacceptable as we are all adults here. Thank you" Charles squeezes my hand lightly as people shout toward us, begging for more answers. He turns toward me and leads me back to the Ferrari area with his hand on my lower back. It's crazy how such a simple thing can make my heart melt. "I'm proud of you," I say to Charles, who is climbing onto the bed and laying down face first. Sitting down next to him, I rub his back and do my best to comfort him as his muscles relax from the stress of the day.

↫↬

The practice seemed to show great improvement for the cars yesterday, but Charles still seemed a bit out of it. While preparing for qualifying, he has been nothing but quiet. "Charles, I'm worried about you," I say, breaking the silence. He looks up from his phone where he is sitting on the edge of the bed and gives me a weak smile before saying, "I'm sorry love. Things have just been running through my mind." I give him a weak smile back and ask, "What is going on in that pretty little head of yours, Romeo?" He chuckles lightly and replies, "I'm nervous. I want to keep racing, but my head continues to think the worse." I walk over to him and take a seat next to him before lying my head against his shoulder. "I know things are scary, but you have to get back out there and push through it. That's the only way you can prove to yourself that you can still do it. I believe in you, Charles. Now you have to believe in yourself," I say before getting up and walking toward the door of his room. "C'mon, you have a pole position to add to your record," I say as I open the door and close it behind me.

Charles made his way to the garage shortly after me. He notices me on the sidelines and rushes over to give me a quick kiss and shoots me a wink before running back to his car. The team works around him, making sure everything is secure. I hear one of them say, "I'm glad you stuck with us," and it melted my heart. These people love him, he deserves this family he created. They do everything they need to do in order to get him all set and then his car races out of the pits to wait for qualifying to start. I do my best to stay strong for him, but now that he's gone, I'm falling apart in fear.