Double Sided Tracks

Alternate ending- Nora x Lewis

Alternate ending, DO NOT read if you like the Max/Nora endgame. But, read if you want to read Ferrari Lewis/Nora sequel!!

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2025

"I have to tell you something," Max said to Nora, they were both sitting comfortably on his couch. Empty plates abandoned on the coffee table, they both ate too much of the Indian take out.

Nora still had a smile on her face from the movie— turning her head to Max. Her smile dropped at how serious Max was being. "Is everything okay?" She asked softly.

No, Max had wanted to say. He genuinely doesn't know what to expect from Nora once he told her this. She seemed to pick up on his discomfort, take his hand in hers and squeezed it once. Max is staring at her hand that's covering his, asking himself whether he wants to do this. Risking it all, the shine of the emerald cut diamond snuggled on her ring finger snapped him out.

Max fully turned to her, staring into her eyes. "Abu Dhabi 2021." He said, and Nora scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Masi.. Masi– he did change the rule as a favour for Red Bull." He said quietly.

Nora dropped his hand like she was holding a boiling hot stone, "what."

"Horner—" Max started, ready to spill everything. If Jos is here, he would've punched Max probably, and kicked Nora out— after making her sign an NDA.

"I don't.. I don't care about— how long have you known?" She asked, her eyes teared up. She only moved slightly away from him, but she seemed so far.

"In Abu Dhabi."

Nora scoffed, "unbelievable." She said, shaking her head while standing up. "Unbelievable." She repeated, looking around the room. She got her arms wrapped around herself, like it's cold all of a sudden. Max knows it's a stress response, and he wanted to run to her to offer some comfort. But she kept shaking her head, then walked away.

"Where are you going?" He asked, standing up when he noticed she's walking away, ready to follow her. He will make this right, he has to.

Ignoring him, she gathered the empty plates and walked quickly to his kitchen. Put in the plates in the dishwasher, and run it. She wipes her hands and throws the towel in defeat. "You will never know the struggles. You will never know how difficult it was for him to get where he was—" she started then stopped herself, when she realised what she had said.

Max had his own struggles getting into this sport.

"That's not what I meant and I'm sorry— I was trying to say that you would never know the type of hate Lewis got just simply existing in the skin that he was born in." She said, "losing 2021 and having you won was like a slap, and it was the ammunition these racists needed— you don't—" she stopped herself, wiping her tears quickly.

"You will never understand how I felt— I felt for him. Everybody like me and like him— felt for Lewis. And you will never understand that. That's why you stood there, not saying anything."

"Nora–" he started, then realised how they're both standing by his front door. "Are you leaving?" He asked. Are you leaving me? Are you leaving this— us?

"Max, I— I have to think." She said, "I can't—"

"You're not coming back." Max said. He knows she's made up her mind.

"Max." She whispered, "you don't understand."

"You're not coming back, are you?" he asked, but he didn't need to know the answer. He messed up, he fucked up, he should've come clean. Four years after it happened, everything was set to stone, nothing he does now will change anything. He gets Nora, he understands where she's coming from, that's how he knows she's not coming back.