Lost Devotion

8.

𝐸𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓇

________________________

Peep peep.

My id is confirmed.

"Have a good day, miss," I smile at the security guards, wishing him the same. I put my ID badge around my neck and head towards the bustling race paddock. Excitement fills the air as teams and drivers get ready for another thrilling race. The weather seems perfectly clear, with the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing. Walking down the paddock, I notice some celebrities and high-profile guests mingling amongst the teams and the drivers. Monaco is known for attracting the elite, so I'm not surprised to see some familiar faces from the entertainment, fashion or sports industry.

I take a sip of the coffee I managed to grab on my way, willing my tiredness and my headache away. I couldn't get some rest last night thanks to my anxiety after the terrifying scene in the supermarket yesterday. Afraid, that he might break into the house or appear from nowhere, I had trouble sleeping and stayed up reading a book to distract myself.

"How terrible," a voice says behind me, breaking my train of thought, "I can see those dark circles under your eyes from here. Your concealer betrayed you." I turn around to meet Jackson, his face holding a disapproving smile. "I couldn't sleep well," I manage to say through my yawn, returning the smile. "Yeah, I can say that," he replies with a nod.

As we walk together, I sense his genuine concern radiating from him; he puts his hands in his pockets and takes them out, rubs the back of his neck, crosses his arms and loosens them as if trying to find the right words.

"Are you okay?" I chuckle at his question, he could've done better instead of that question. "I mean," he clears his throat, "Yesterday, you were running in the street and seemed really frightened and today you look exhausted," he stops me in my tracks, "Is everything alright?" I can't but smile at his concerned expression. Something in me tells me to voice out what happened, but I ignore it as always and say: "It's nothing. I was running from a thief who tried to snatch my bag and I panicked, so I couldn't sleep at night."

His expression doesn't fade away as he listens intently to my explanation. I've been working with Jackson for a long time, he wasn't the first cameraman I started with, he was the replacement of my first cameraman. I didn't appreciate him, as we used to argue a lot, but over time, we developed a friendship and learned to trust each other. Through the time we spend together, we don't know too much about our private life. So no matter what, I can't tell him about my concerning past.

Actually, I can't tell anyone.

"Look who's here," another voice exclaims, a voice that annoys me every time to my core. I sight and turn to meet Sarah, another F1 presenter from another network. We were rivals back in our early days and didn't get along. I have no problem with her, at all, but she seems to hold some kind of grudge against me. Despite the tension between me and Sarah, I hold a polite smile. "Sarah, always a pleasure," I greet her with a calm voice. My day already started in a bad way, I don't have the mood for another mess. "I wish I could the same," she snorts with a seer in her tone, "You seem very tired darling, what's wrong? Got hooked up by some drama?" She fake pouts her lips, clearly relishing a reaction from me. I maintain my composure and smile even more at her attempt to provoke me.