The Limit (Sebastian Vettel)

75. The Pain in Spain

"And that is P5 Lily, P5," came Joel's voice over team radio at the end of Q3. 

"Damn it!   How close to P4?"

"P4 was Vettel, eight thousandths."

Lily growled in frustration. So close! And it had to be him, didn't it!

"Ok, what's the rest of the top ten like?"

"Verstappen, Ricciardo, Russell, Vettel, you, Charles, Stroll, Hamilton, Norris and Ocon."

Lily made her back to the pitlane. At least she was ahead of her teammate. That was something she guessed. She'd just have to make sure she got past Seb at the start.

Seb was in her bad books. He never had replied to her text after the launch party in Miami, and he'd only texted her short answers to the texts she'd sent him since. She presumed he was getting his own back for her own short answers to his texts before Miami.

Well, if he thought she was going to chase after him he had another thought coming.    She wasn't chasing after any man.   She had to concentrate on her driving, on the job she was paid to do. She was currently joint third in the championship with Daniel, seventeen points behind Max and thirty three behind Charles.  It wasn't good enough.  She wanted more. 

She parked her car up next to Seb's in parc fermé and got out.    He was loitering, obviously waiting for her.    Ignoring him, she marched straight to the FIA garage.   

After she'd been weighed she headed straight for the media pen, walking as fast as she could.  She didn't want to talk to him, especially not here, not where everyone could see them.   

Seb watched as Lily stomped off as if the hounds of hell were after her.  She was mad at him.  He knew she had every right to be but he hadn't been in the right frame of mind to talk to her after Sofia's bombshell in Miami.

He still didn't know if Sofia had been telling the truth or just trying to fuck with his head.    Whichever it was his head was well and truly fucked.

He'd blamed Lily for everything, he'd been vile to her. He'd walked away from what could have been an amazing relationship, and all because of his ex's spiteful actions. No, all because he'd been too stubborn and pigheaded to listen to Lily.

If it was true he knew he should just let her go, he didn't deserve her, but he was selfish and his need for her was growing by the day. He knew he was so close to loving her again, and if what Sofia had said was true, there was no reason for him to resist loving Lily. She would never love him though, he'd made sure of that.

He knew he had to talk to her, he just didn't know what to say. Sorry for a start, but it was going to take more than an apology to fix this mess.

"You've got a face like a wet weekend Seb Vet!" He turned and looked at Daniel, who had fell into step besides him.

"Just one of those day."

"You did alright. Fourth is good."

"I don't mean racing."

"Ah, you mean a woman then. It's always racing or a woman. In your case a certain woman in red."

"Keep your voice down," Seb hissed.

"Hit the nail on the head, didn't I?"

"It's not really her. It's me. I'm an asshole. Or I may be. I don't know."

"Tell you what you are. Confusing!"

"Daniel I might have fucked up. All this time I thought she'd stabbed me in the back, but it turns out that things might not have been how I thought."