Mind of Steel | Part two | L.N.

XCVIII

"Wait, so you can't really ride a bike, but you can drive a million-dollar car that goes 300 kilometers per hour," Max stared at her as they went down a straight once again.

"Yeah," Leah breathed, she was getting slightly winded. "Can I just run this instead, I don't think we are allowed to have bikes on here anymore. I see FIA complain about Carlos and Charles all the time."

"Are you tired?" Max asked as he rang his bell in a little tune.

"Only a little, but I run all the time, so biking is just different," Leah breathed as she looked back. "We've barely made it half a mile," She gestured behind her and then almost lost control of her bike once again. "Woahh!" She laughed at herself. Max just rolled his eyes at her.

"You are a mess, here get off," He stopped his bike. They were coming up on a turn.

"What? Why?" She stopped suddenly too. "I'm coordinated I swear, I'm just odd at times." Max smiled and got off his bike kitting down the kickstand and moving over to Leah.

"Alright so when you turn, you steer the bars like the steering wheel. These are your steering wheel, think of this as a giant car, your peddles give you acceleration and if you pull the handlebar brake you will slow, don't yank it, cause then you will flip over the handlebars," Max instructed as he pointed at the small hand brake. Leah pulled it and smile, but Max gave her a warning look.

"Thank you, thank you, okay let me try," She smiled as she started peddling making him step back from her. She went around the corner and then slowly turned around coming back and circling Max's bike. "Come on old man, get on your bike we've got  track to finish."

"Your welcome, but don't show off you are going to crash again and I'm not going to get blamed if you skid up your arms from falling off," Max added as he put the kickstand back up and followed after her. She was cruising back and forth humming to herself. "She is so going to fall." He muttered to his mic.

"How long do you think it will take us to get done with this?" Leah asked as Max came up beside her again.

"With you, probably thirty minutes to an hour," Max added as he passed her. "We are racing now!"

"Wait, what! You cheated!" Leah yelled. She peddled faster catching up to him fast. He slowed down as she flung past him. "You started it, so let's go!"

-----

They were done within twenty minutes. Leah had gotten a lead ahead of Max and kept the lead. when they stopped she had pointed at him and made a comment about how this was forecasting her win on this track for the weekend.

They were now sitting in hospitality. Leah was drinking her smoothie while Max scrolled through his phone. Pippin was running around playing with the other mechanics.

"I've got a question," Max sighed as he set his phone down on the table. Leah put the lit back on the empty bottle and set it to the side as she leaned back in her chair.

"Sure," She sighed and looked around for Pippin. She whistled a little and then clicked her tongue. Pippin came running from the mechanics nearby and stood near her chair she tapped her legal and he hopped up on her lap so she could pet him.

"What were you and Christian arguing about the other day he's been stressed since," Max watched her expression fall.

"It was just a random disagreement, I wasn't in the best mood," Leah scratched Pip's head a few times as she avoided eye contact with Max. She looked around the room realizing that they were alone. "He didn't say anything did he?"

"No, why would he? I thought you said it was nothing," Max sat up leaning against the table. He was interested now.

"It is nothing," Leah put Pippin back onto the floor as she turned to face Max. "It's just that I'm retiring at the end of the season." Leah looked around again making sure no one else is there to hear that.

"Wait, what, why? Leah this is your third year and you are doing good?" Max stared at her unsure. "Leah, I don't understand."

"It's something to do with medical and I can't get a contract extension," Leah reasoned as she wrung out her hands.

"What kind of medical are we talking like cancer?" Max asked. He didn't think anything was wrong with her, but he didn't like that she was hiding some kind of medical issue from him. "Does Lando know?"

"No, and it's not cancer either. It's just from my past crashes I have head trauma and if I get into another one there is a chance that I could die, so Christian wanted me to retire early this season for safety reasons, but I talked him into letting me finish the season at least. I want to go out with a bang, not end it abruptly. Also don't tell Lando because I don't want to freak him out," Leah pointed a finger in Max's face. He grabbed her hand and put it in his.

"Are you going to be okay though?" He looked through the windows seeing people walk past the hospitality.

"Yes, I'm going to be fine," She patted his hand a few times.

"You know I will support you with almost anything right," Max reasoned. "But you need to tell Lando at least before he finds out through the internet."

"I know, but I hate making him worry because I know what it feels like to worry about others, and it's not like it changes anything. When we get into those cars there is always a chance that we won't get back out again, I've already had this talk with Cassidy. She understands as well. It won't change anything," Leah explained as she twisted her ring around her finger.

"It would change your future Leah, Lando deserves to know, he cares about you too much for you to leave him in the dark with this. I know it's not super important but he deserves to know the real reason you are retiring and the medical dangers you face," Max reasoned as he crossed his arms. "And like you said you know the feeling so do you really want to leave him out of this? Not knowing." Leah stared at him. She knew he was right she just hated that Lando kept having to put up with her issues.

"I'll just add it to the long list of issues that I have," Leah let out a long breath and leaned her head on the back of the chair as she stared up at the ceiling. "I just keep dumping more and more bad news onto him and I feel horrible for it." She rubbed her face.

"He loves you, Leah. He would rather know than you keep this all hidden from him," Max added as he grabbed her empty bottle and threw it in the trash. "I'm going to head back to the hotel, do you want a ride?"

"No, uh Lando is going to take me back, he is finishing up a video with Oscar," Leah gestured to the windows.

"Okay, well I will see you tomorrow," Max kissed her temple and petted Pippin before leaving the room. Leah sat there alone staring at the TV in the corner. She really wanted to take a nap. Her elbow was still slightly sore from slamming it into the ground earlier. She was debating on texting Lando to see where he was, but she didn't want to disturb him during a video so she moved toward the couch with Pippin curled up next to her.

Leah ended up passing out, so when Lando was done he came in and saw her asleep on the couch. He didn't want to wake her up because she looked so peaceful so he let her sleep for a little while longer before waking her up and taking her back to the hotel for team dinner.