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'Darling, hold my hand, oh, won't you hold my hand?'
My hand wrapped around my glass as I looked across the table at my friends. I was so glad the girls were around at a time like this. Carlos, my partner, was currently in France preparing for the Qualifying and the Grand Prix over the weekend, so being with my friends was needed.
"So, you're coming to mine tomorrow, yes, Dottie?" My friend, Emily asked as she looked at me. I noticed her tuck her long blonde hair behind her ears as she awaited my answer.
I nodded, "Definitely. It will be the same as always," I rolled my eyes as I spoke. "You will invite me over before leaving me with Danny watching the F1 whilst you stare at your phone."
Emily bowed her head as the two other women laughed at my description of my usual Saturday if Emily invited me over. "At least you have someone to watch it with," she tried to justify it.
"I appreciate it really," I assured her as I grinned widely. "It's nice to not be alone. I'm sure my neighbours can hear me shouting when I am alone."
The three women started speaking but for a second I zoned out when I heard my phone bleep. I looked down at it, unlocking it as I raised an eyebrow. I had a message from an unknown number, looking down at the text I realised it was a video. Getting up from the table, I mumbled an excuse as I moved from my seat and towards the toilets.
Standing at the sink, I pressed the play button and watched. My eyes widened as I watched the clip of Carlos walking around the paddock and his garage. It seemed to be filmed from a distance which confused me. There wasn't anything on the video which seemed to be anything I needed to see which also had me questioning why I had been sent it.
My phone vibrated in my hand again before a message came through under the video.
I'm sad to find you're not here in France too. Never mind, it will be nice to catch up with Carlos.
Swallowing hard, I felt physically sick as I began to shake. I didn't need them to sign off or show their face to know who it was. I fumbled with my phone before I called Carlos, my phone shaking as I lifted it against my ear and walked out of the toilets and outside of the restaurant to get some fresh air.
The phone just rang and rang as I looked down at my feet. I didn't know if the video was taken in real-time or if it was filmed earlier, all I knew was I was worried. "Come on," I groaned before biting my lip and ending the call and trying again.
"Hello?" It wasn't Carlos, the voice sounded nothing like him. "Carlos' phone."
"Is he there?" I was short as I looked up and around me as I tapped my free hand against my leg.
The other person chuckled, "Hold on. He's just in the sim."
I listened as the phone moved. I held my breath before I heard his voice. "Hello?"
"Carlos!" My voice sounded relieved. I was so glad to hear his voice and know he was safe right now. "Are you okay?"
"What's wrong?" He asked knowing I didn't normally call him on the weekends, he usually called me as he never knew when he was going to be free. "Dot?"
If I was honest, I didn't even know where to start. "It's Ash-"
"Hey, hey, calm down. He can't hurt you anymore." Carlos tried to assure me. It wasn't the first time he'd had to talk to me about my ex, but it was the first time in a long time.
"He's there," the words were frantic as I spoke them. "Please Carlos, I need you to promise me you'll be safe."
I listened as I heard him let out a small huff. "Nothing will happen, baby. Try to relax."
It was easy for him to say, he wasn't worried like I was.
"If anything happens-"
"Nothing will," Carlos spoke again. "I love you. Any changes and you will be the first to know."
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It was a few hours before I heard from Carlos. He called me again.
"Carlos, what is going on?" I asked as I paced the living room.
"You were right," he told me in a unreadable voice. I didn't know what he meant right now, did he just believe me or had he come face to face with Ash. "But don't worry," Carlos' voice sounded happier when he speaks again. "He's been arrested, apparently they don't take very kindly to people who are not supposed to be in the country."
My emotions were mixed, I was unsure how to feel. "Did he..." I struggled with the words, "Did he do anything to you?" I didn't want to ask him, I just needed to know.
"Babe, Dottie, I am fine. Everything is okay. He was picked up before anything could happen," Carlos assured me as I sat down on my sofa, stress seeming to leave me for a moment. "There is no way he can hurt you any more. As soon as I can I'm coming home, I'll be there with you."
I smiled at his words, at the way he wanted to comfort me. "Carlos," I breathed his name in such a way it made me feel gooey inside. "Please don't come home, knowing he is gone makes me feel much better. "I love you, Mr Sainz."
