𝘽𝙄𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍, max verstappen

chapter fourteen.

camila was still sat on the bed of her hotel room - alone.

she needed to speak to lewis. because he knew what she was going through, didn't he?

would lewis be bothered by her presence? did he even want to see her? deal with her sadness?

it was embarrassing. being vulnerable like this.

because camila never ever wanted to cry. in front of lewis, or anyone.

she had only ever cried to him once. that was when he found out what her father had been doing to her.

but camila told lewis that her hadn't hurt her since.

another lie.

her lies were suddenly coming back to ruin her. it had happened with her secret about her and max, and she prayed it wouldn't happen with the lifelong lie she had kept about her father. lewis knowing was enough. nobody else needed to know. nobody else should know.

but camila wasn't aware of how long max had been standing outside her apartment door that day.

camila walked out the door of her hotel room, making her way across the hall to lewis'.

it wasn't unusual for camila to visit lewis like this, but there was still a pit in the bottom of her stomach.

the soft knock on lewis' door echoed in the hallway. the door soon hesitantly opened, lewis now facing camila.

camila must've looked similar to how she felt - because soon, lewis expression softened, gazing sadly at the girl in front of him.

"hey cam" lewis managed to smile, moving aside to let camila enter the room.

camila followed lewis, as he sat down on the end of his bed, camila seated next to him.

it took everything in her to stop the river of tears she had inside from spilling out.

don't cry. don't be weak.

lewis stared at camila, confused, but his silence a signal that he was here - to hear whatever camila needed to say.

"my contract's not getting renewed for next year" she spilled out, breathing a sigh of relief at finally managing to say something.

there was a breath of silence;

"i know" lewis confessed.

his revelation hung in the air. camila had a feeling lewis may have known, but for how long? was there a deeper reason as to why he hadn't told her?

"how long?" camila croaked out, "how long have you known?"

lewis stare hardened, as he brought his hands to run over his face in frustration. camila was his friend. but lewis had to keep secrets of his own. for his sake, for her sake too.

"since we started making updates to the car. toto told me it could put the team at financial risk, put you at risk" he confessed.

camila searched lewis eyes. for something. anything. a sign of remorse. he had known her career would be in jeopardy, toto had told him the risks before they began to update his car, but he didn't care. he was willing to risk camila's career, and more importantly, their friendship. he had broken her trust, and he had known for far longer than she'd anticipated.

"why didn't you tell me lewis?" camila breathed out, mindlessly backing away from him. lost in his world of betrayal.

"camila... i'm sorry. i knew from the beginning, but i thought..." he paused, searching for words that could somehow mend the breach widening between them.