Where life leads us

Chapter 9

Like trough cotton wool I heard someone jumping into the water and a second person. I opened my eyes when I felt a hand at my waist. It didn't take a second and I could breathe again. My savior quickly swam to the edge and pulled me out of the pool. I was lying on my back breathing heavily and was just happy to live.

A face appeared over mine: "All good Laura? Can you hear me?" I nodded dazed as the shock was still deep. I almost didn't feel the alcohol anymore, so I noticed that there was hardly any blood coming through on my right arm. My gaze quickly turned to this, Lando had noticed and looked at this one as well. He quickly began to remove the tape. He tried to pull first and then bite through. As I said, however, it was an assembly tape, which could not be simply bitten through or teared. Max had reacted quickly and had taken a knife from the counter. Lando finally cut through the tape and blood could return to my arm.

I breathed and Lando could also be seen. Exhausted, he, too, settled on the ground beside me and looked into the sky. Max and Vic are completely sequestered. The Dutchman had probably brought his sister into her room quite quickly, because it was a bit cold. Lando and I just didn't mind the cold, the adrenaline and the shock just sat too deep. As a matter of course, Lando had taken me by. I had placed my head on his chest directly above the heart. So, I could hear his heart racing as much as mine. His hands trembled, as mine think, but he held me. Neither of us said even one word, we were just happy to feel the closeness of the other.

"We should probably dry up and you should sleep out your intoxication," Lando laughed. With that, the romantic mood was gone. But I couldn't help but laugh with him, his laughter was just too contagious.

But before I could get down from him, he pressed me a kiss on the apex. With a grin, I let him get up first and then held my healthy hand to him. Laughing, he pulled me to my feet and immediately supported me. My legs were shaking so much that I couldn't keep myself on my feet.

From our clothes and hair, it still dripped on the floor, leaving a trail in the hallway. But we didn't care, we just wanted to go to bed. Tired, I leaned in the elevator at Lando. Lando rubbed himself with one hand across his face with the other he held me. The adrenaline had disappeared from our blood, which increased fatigue. I felt like I hadn't slept for weeks. Based on Lando, I could have slept in the elevator had we not been on the top floor quickly.

"Do you still need help?" the Briton looked at me tiredly. We had arrived at my room door, and I was already opening the door. Shaking my head, I told him he could go to bed. I already had a bad conscience because we had awakened them, and they had to drive a qualifying today. If he's going to be bad because of my stupidity, I won't be able to forgive him.

Before Lando could go to his room, I gave him a kiss on the cheek: "Thank you." With a big grin on my face, I went to my room without paying attention to the British. I just threw my bag and shoes into a corner and went to the bathroom, where I wrapped a towel around my hair. With cloths, I washed my make-up from my face, which had spread all over the face.

I tried to somehow open the zipper of the dress, but I only managed a few centimeters, which was not far enough. But since I was exhausted, I just wanted to go to bed. So, I just lay down in my bed in a wet dress. The eyes closed almost automatically. With a jerk I sat quickly again candle straight in the bed. My breath had accelerated, and my heart was racing like wild in my chest. Everyone knows the dream in which you fall and then stratus. I had such a dream only with my memory of almost drowning. As the alcohol became less and less, I became more aware of what would have happened if the boys hadn't come.

Tears came up to me and I let myself fall back into the pillow exhausted. In my head I went through the scenes again and again. They had probably burned themselves in more than I thought, because I couldn't close my eyes despite the tiredness. The pictures didn't allow it, they just didn't want to give me the peace and after this action I probably deserved it. We had put ourselves in danger of life, that only because we had crossed our borders. I always thought I was in control of myself drunk. I was probably mistaken. If the boys hadn't come, my dad would have had to fish me out of the pool. The performance alone brought tears to my eyes because I didn't know how he would react. Would he and Mum have been happy to be out. I was just a mistake, an accident.

I turned my face into the pillow as if this freed me from my own thoughts. But the carousel in my head kept spinning. Even when I closed my eyes again and really wanted to sleep. Annoyed, I turned from one side to the other and somehow tried to find sleep. Desperately I looked at the clock again and again and hoped for a little sleep, but when it was already six o'clock, I gave it up. Frustrated, I stepped back from the blanket and quickly got my bathrobe.

Carefully I tapped on my balcony and looked into the distance. I had put my legs on the chair so that my head could rest on my knees. Silently, I stared at the rising sun and went after my thoughts. Without Lando, I wouldn't see this sunrise, but would it have been so bad? What was it worth living for. Everyone had someone, but I was alone. My father had Maria and Mum Luca and the boys. I was just an appendage of one that was simply accepted.

Normally in such situations I would have soaked my thoughts and sorrows in alcohol, but after that night I was not after drinking. For a while I would probably fail the drink and stop touching it. Let's say until next weekend or until I've digested the shock.

With sunglasses on my nose and a bathrobe, I ventured into the hallway. Since I still couldn't take off the dress, the bathrobe was just right for me. The dress doesn't have a lot of fabric, so it would have been a bit fresh with this one. In addition, it probably wouldn't have been the right thing for a breakfast, with Maria not really wearing more fabric on her body. But I wouldn't feel comfortable in the dress, not at a breakfast.

In the hall there were almost no single members of Red Bull and McLaren, although they probably had to go to the track soon. But at a table in a corner, I could identify a blonde who looked just as bad as me. Sunglasses covered her eyes and jogging suit covered her body. Without thinking about it, I went straight to her. Opposite her, I let myself sink into a chair. Vic probably hadn't slept as much as I did and didn't look any better than me. The plate in front of her was laden with bread rolls and fruit, but she did not touch it.

"Even had a long night?" her voice was very quiet. But I had heard them and just nodded. We both didn't know how to deal with what we had experienced, but the presence of the other helped. Knowing that Vic was doing the same way as I helped me. I didn't feel so alone.

I carefully reached for her hand on the table: "We live, and we are well. That's all that matters." Of course, we were still alive and nothing had happened to us. We might not even have been underwater for a minute, but at that moment it felt like hours. Our lungs had enough volume to hold the air. But this does not change the fear we had. The feeling that you were going to drown, that fear of dying was just unbearable.

A slight smile formed on her lip, but she probably didn't believe my words any more than I did. Even though we were still alive, these memories made us ready. Slowly Vic pulled her hand back and I did. I quickly decided to get something. Even though I wasn't hungry, I didn't have to get anything in my stomach. My cycle would hate me otherwise.

With a muesli and a cup of tea, I sat down at the table again. By now, the drivers had also come to this. Lando had settled on the chair next to mine and looked at me anxiously. Max also looked at me, his sister had probably already squeezed out. Nevertheless, he had put a hand on her back, soothingly he stroked his little sister over the back. Alex and Carlos seemed to have no idea what I liked. It was enough for Max and Lando to know. We didn't need pity or protectors; we were just right. Time would also heal this wound, I was sure.

"All good, you look done," Lando had bowed to my ear. His breath on my ear gave me goosebumps, but it was pleasant. Quietly I breathed a yes, I'm, so that he no longer had to worry. But when I saw his face, I knew he didn't believe me.

Alex sat down again after fetching food and looked at Vic and me: "Well, it was a long night." Laughing, he looked at us and we just nodded. Probably he and the Spaniard thought we only had one hangover. But this one was beside the matter. I just liked the headaches to be honest, they proved to me that I was still alive. I didn't know what it was like for the Dutchwoman, but I could imagine that she was doing the same.

Alex had probably been satisfied with the answer and was now talking to his friends. We on the other hand, forced ourselves to eat one spoon after another. We kept our eyes stubbornly on the plate. Vic and I didn't want to have a conversation, because we were too busy with our feelings. Lando's soothing caresses on my knee didn't really help. But I just let him do it, I didn't want to fight it. After all, he just wanted to help me. But he couldn't help me, this time I had to get along with myself. He had already saved my life, which was more than anyone else had ever done for me.

"Are you coming to the racetrack?" Max wanted to know. He and the other drivers got up and looked down at us. Vic looked at me inquiringly and I nodded hesitantly. So, she agreed. Since the qualifying would not take place until after noon, we would not show up there until noon. Anyone who thinks that we would sleep a little bit before, had cut himself. Even though we were tired, we didn't want to sleep. We couldn't close our eyes without seeing the pictures again.

The boys left the room because the teams would now go to the racetrack. Finally, things had to be discussed and what else do I know about being done. So, we were now all alone in the big hall.

I briefly looked up from my muesli: "Do we still want to go to the city?" Distraction would be good for both of us. The blonde had probably thought so, too, because she agreed. Since I needed help getting ready, she just went to her room quickly and got fresh stuff and her make-up. Together we sat in my room and Vic was doing me understated make-up. We hadn't spoken a word yet.

"Lando likes you. You can see the worry and love in his eyes," she was mute after that. Not because she was waiting for my answer, but because she didn't know what else to say. I thought about her words. Could a boy like me after not even a weekend? I didn't love it, I liked a lot of people, but I didn't love them.

My corners of my mouth shrugged: "What, if I like him." I was overwhelmed with things like that, feelings weren't mine. Nobody had taught me to talk about them or even show them. Dad thought men shouldn't show any, which is why he showed almost none. And my mom was a tough businesswoman, even my adoptive parents weren't the most emotional. The only thing my parents had learned from me was arguing. I had never learned how to let people get to you and how to love them.

"Then grab him," the Dutchwoman giggled. We just could forget the night, which was good for both of us. That's why I had to grin a little bit. I could only shake my head at her statement, which only made the blonde laugh even more. That's why we lay on my bed laughing and staring at the ceiling.

"Come the city waits," so I pulled Vic up with my left hand. Hooked into each other, we ran out of the door onto the streets of Monza.