Faking | L.N (English)

48

.·:*¨ REAL LIFE ¨*:·.

"Loving is scary," Alice agrees, nodding her head. "And losing the person you consider the love of your life is even more terrifying. Still, it's one of the most wonderful things that can happen to you."

"Charles must be really good if Alice Horner is now talking like that," Olivia teases, trying to change the topic. The Spaniard then smiles, noticing how Alice starts blushing.

"I am madly in love with him," Alice admits. Even though Olivia already knew it just by seeing them together, it's clear how deeply in love the couple is. Their story could be the plot of a romance novel, it's actually so cute. "And so are you, Liv, I can tell." Her gaze then moves to Olivia's hand, which is touching the necklace resting on her neck with an 'L' pendant. "Did he give that to you?" Alice asks, pointing at the silver necklace.

"Yeah," Olivia nods. "It's a reference to a Taylor Swift song," she explains with a smile on her face. "It might look simple, but it means the world to me."

"I'm so happy for you, love," Alice whispers, hugging Olivia once again. Then, breaking the silence, Alice says, "Charles told me he would like to marry me." Olivia freezes at the declaration.

"He proposed?" Olivia asks, still in shock. Of course, she expected them to marry eventually, but she didn't think it would happen so soon.

"No," Alice shakes her head. "He knows I'm not ready for something like that, considering how chaotic my life is right now. But he gave me a promise ring." She extends her left hand to Olivia, showing a beautiful ring on her middle finger. "He promised he would marry me someday."

"Oh my god, Ali, I am so happy for you! You deserve to be happy after all the shit you've been through," Olivia says, her voice filled with genuine joy for her friend. Alice has been through a lot during this past year. Her dad and the team she worked at for so long simply vanished when she decided to follow her heart and fall in love with Charles Leclerc, the guy everyone at Red Bull saw only as a rival.

"Thanks," Alice answers sincerely. "Where will you be watching the race?"

"At McLaren, I think. Why?"

"You should watch it here, then you can go and celebrate with Lando once he wins the race," Alice says, half-joking.

"I love him, but I know he won't be winning this race, at least not now. He still somehow hopes in McLaren, just like Carlos keeps believing in Ferrari. Even though I've told them that perhaps it's time for a change, neither of them seems to like my idea. Maybe that's why I'm not a racing driver. I'd be changing from team to team until someone gives me a worthy race-winning car," Olivia explains.

"As someone who has worked in racing teams for almost my whole life, I can guarantee you that they made the right choice. Carlos has already won his Grand Prix, and it's just a matter of time until Lando does too. Trust me, they are both incredible racing drivers. The car still needs some work, but I can see that McLaren has already made a lot of changes. Maybe he will surprise us."

"You have such high hopes," Olivia jokes. "Yeah, maybe Lando will win today's race."

They both laugh, and the conversation shifts to lighter topics, but Olivia can't help but feel a little more optimistic after talking to Alice. The garage is buzzing with energy as the race time approaches, and Olivia finds herself feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. She glances over at Alice, who is animatedly talking to another team member, and she realizes how much has changed over the past year. Both of their lives have been turned upside down, but they've managed to find love and support in unexpected places.