Happy race weekend! Tysm for all the votes and comments on the last chapter ❤️
"Can I ask you something?" Lando is speaking through a mouthful of food, I try my best to ignore the sight and nod taking a sip from my coffee. Unlike the ones I've been having over the last three weeks, this one is warm. It's needed in the cold English springtime, I wish that the weather would hurry and heat up a little. Instead rain patters against the windows of the house and the sky remains grey with thick clouds.
We're sat in our parents kitchen, eating breakfast. Scrambled egg and toast for him, just toast and a coffee for me. Mum went to the stables to help with Flo, our younger sister's, horses and Dad is away on yet another endless business trip - as he always seems to be at the moment. Our families activities were all a bit ridiculous when you think about it really.
Lando decided to stay here before heading to the next race, despite having his own place twenty five minutes away explaining that he was lonely there. I know it's just because Mum will cook for him though.
I'm staying here because I dropped out of my apartment contract the second Lando offered to bring me along this season. There was no point paying for rent, in London of all places, when I'd barely be in the building. It would only be a waste of my money which because of this decision hasn't disappeared too quickly.
"Don't take this the wrong way." Lando says cautiously, eyeing me from his place on the breakfast bar across from him. I lean forward on the counter, the cold white marble chilling my arms as I press them against the bench.
"Okay, I'm definitely going to take it the wrong way." I warn making Lando laugh, he'd always been easy to make laugh so it's hardly something to be proud of. It dies down quickly though as he shakes his head, feeding himself another mouthful of the food in front of him.
"Did something happen in Saudi?" He asks and I narrow my eyes at him a little needing more than that. Lots of things happened in Saudi. The race almost got called off because of a freaking bomb threat, Daniel's engine broke down meaning he couldn't even finish the race and Lando, thankfully, got his first points. "Between you and Daniel?" He clarifies, looking strangely calm for the question he's asking. My stomach flips a little, he's kind of asking the wrong location for the question. Does this count as lying?
"Oh, no." I reply quickly. My eyes drop to the bench in front of me as I grab for my coffee.
"No?" He questions cautiously, like he didn't believe me. His eyes are narrowing distrustingly at me.
"Definitely not." I confirm. "Why?" My question is quick as I lift my toast covered with jam to my lips.
"I've been hearing things." The words from his mouth are cryptic, I mutter a 'oh god' in reply to his words. Gossip - and my brother's engagement with it- will be the death of me.
It's with an eye roll I go to explain where these things he heard may have come from. "Daniel slept over in my room, in Saudi." I say with a shrug. Lando's eyes widen making me quickly shake my head. "But it wasn't like that!" I warn him my voice rising a little to reassure him. At this point in the story I get why he'd be alarmed. "It was the night before practice and it was more like he passed out after dinner and all the meetings you guys had. He fell asleep watching a movie and he's such a deep sleeper I couldn't wake him up." I explain as Lando seems a little calmer than he was the ten seconds before as he eyes me cautiously. "Nothing happened, we're just friends!" I stress feeling completely evaluated by my brother. I think he believes me, and he should! I've done nothing wrong.
Well, in Saudi Arabia anyway.
Although, after our little unplanned sleepover, I woke up the next day to find Daniel's hand still softly holding onto my arm. When he woke just before the alarm it was the snatching away of said touch that woke me up. We never spoke about it. I think we both just preferred it wasn't a topic of conversation. I'm glad because I didn't want to explain to Daniel that I really didn't mind the action, and found it comforting more than anything.. Just the reminder he was there enough for me to have the deepest sleep I'd had in weeks. I also didn't want to tell him that my heart sank when he moved his hand so quickly away from me
"I think he's interested in you." Lando states. I roll my eyes at the intent behind his statement, he's fishing for information.
"It's Daniel, he's interested in 50% of the population." He said something along the same lines to me last season when I'd first asked about how his relationship with his new teammate was going. My heart twists a little at the thought.
"Nah, I think there's more to it than that." Lando says quickly as I place my now empty plate by the sink. Lando seems like he's almost assessing me now. "He asked about you all last week when he was at the MTC." I furrow my eyebrows at the information. That doesn't make sense. If Daniel wanted to hear how I am or was he could just text me, he has my number. He used it enough when we were in Saudi.
Perhaps he was just making conversation with Lando?
Even that explanation doesn't fully make sense. Dan and Lando have hardly had any problems making conversation up until now. I've never needed to be brought up. From what I've seen and heard between them they can talk shit for hours. Lando cracks up at Daniel's jokes which sets daniel off until they're all red in the face and gasping for breath. They're like teenagers together. No need for any small talk or mention of me.
"I don't know what to tell you." I eventually say in reply to Lando. I honestly don't. "There's nothing going on, we're friends. That's all." I promise him, because now, there really isn't anything going on. Maybe something went on last year, but as far as Lando knows that never happened. The last thing I want is for any tension between them to result in negative race results because of my stupid mistake.
I'm not carrying that guilt with me.
"Maybe I'm just making it up." Lando concedes and I nod in agreement. "He's been with this girl from London since he got back anyway." He says casually. With this my interest in peaked, I also feel like I've been punched in the gut - but that feeling is something I'm choosing to bypass and ignore. 'Oh' is all I say, it prompts Lando for more information. "Yeah, I can't remember who she is now, but I'm sure they met at dinner, Zak might've even introduced them so that's gonna be fun." I force a smile on my face to hide the flashes of jealousy running through me.
I haven't heard from Daniel since he left Saudi the day after us to head here. This explains it all. If I were a more jealous person I'd Google him to see if there's any paparazzi photos of him and this new woman together. But I'm not, I'm far above that - so I don't.
"That's crazy." I hum, hoping that my muted reaction to his gossip doesn't get me a look. Internally I'm scolding myself for feeling so jealous of this girl daniel has been spending time with. Everyone knows it won't be serious but man, he's so good at sex you don't end up caring. I clear my throat, forcing myself to forget about daniels hands, and face and arms and...
"Have you packed?" Lando asks interrupting the thoughts of my new friend which were not so friendly.
He's obviously done questioning me and bored of the topic of Daniel, Thank god! I couldn't take the tension of it. My body relaxes with the change in subject. One day the involuntary reaction I have whenever Daniel's name is mentioned is going to be what gets me caught out.
"Yep. Car is coming at four right?" Lando nods at my question. I still had a lot to do before this, packing activities for the flight making sure my phone is fully charged and actually getting dressed. It's only Tuesday but we're heading to Australia in preparation for the race this weekend. The early trip needed so that Lando can offset any jet lag before any racing takes place. Whilst I'm excited to get to Australia, I'm already dreading the battle with my body clock.
The first, and last, time I was in Australia was for Lando's first F1 race in 2019. The time difference battered me, but the whole thing was so exciting for Lando I didn't even care. I bunked off a week of my final year of university to see him. I spent the whole flight working on my dissertation so I could spend the weekend solely focusing on him. Mum, Dad, myself and Oliver screaming at the top of our voices when he came over the line in 12th.
Lando kept his cool later saying 'it was only twelfth' but I saw the proud look in his eye when I pulled him in for the tightest hug. I didn't care that it was 12th and not first or 5th, he could've came last for all I cared, it was the fact that he'd even had the chance to race in F1 which had me so overwhelmingly proud. It meant that everything he sacrificed to get to that point was worth it. All the missed socialising and things normal kids do, it all made it worth while.
Lando would never understand this if I told him. He'd probably laugh at me, the way he generally does, as I get teary explaining the memory. So it was just never spoken about, but I think about it a lot. It's probably one of my favourite days.
Daniel will likely already be over his jet lag by the time we arrive. We didn't get much of chance to speak much after our little sleepover. I offered him 'good luck's' and we exchanged texts a few more times but he was so just so busy. Race weekend passed in a blur, instead of watching from the pits this time I found myself in the hospitality lounge, overlooking the track from the marina as the cars zoomed by. As soon as the race finished we headed back to the hotel to pack up and caught a flight in the middle of the night back home. Daniel was flying the next day.
He never text me once back on British soil, but I didn't text him either.
It's pathetic if I say I miss him, right?
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Thank you so much for all the reads and comments and votes!! This is kinda a filler chapter but just you wait for the sweetness that lies next 🥰
They're so cute I just 😍😍
Are we excited for Miami and it's fake marina? 💀 I'm actually quite excited about the track. Who is everyone rooting for this weekend?!