Playing With Fire (Sebastian Vettel)

21. Everything She Needed

Mollie opened her eyes and looked around the strange room.  She had no idea where she was or how she'd got there. She sat up in bed and the first thing she noticed was that the other side of the bed had been slept in.  A feeling of dread started to build up inside her but then she realised she was still fully clothed. 

She cast her thought back to the night before, trying to work out how she'd come to end up where she was. 

She remembered going to the nightclub with Will and Luca.  She remembered doing shots. She remembered dancing and bumping into Daniel Ricciardo. 

Her face went bright red.  She remembered kissing Daniel, she remembered sneaking into an alley way with him.  Surely this wasn't his room?  She breathed a sigh of relief as she then remembered rejecting Daniel's attempt to have sex and heading back indoors. 

Things became a bit blurry from that moment on.  She remembered just the odd moment. Images rather than events.  She remembered the alleyway again. She remembered Will and Luca looking at her with concern on their faces.  She even thought she remembered seeing Pierre and Esteban.  But where was she?   None of these images explained that. 

She heard movement in the bathroom.  She heard a tap running, then a toilet flushing. The door opened and she saw the man she had thought she had lost forever striding across the bedroom towards her. 

Then the memories came flooding back.  Seb taking her in his arms as she'd sobbed.  Seb telling her he was taking her home with him.  Seb telling her he'd get her help and look after her and that he loved her. 

She remembered him scooping her up and carrying her away from all the prying eyes.  Seb, the man she still loved so very much. 

"Good morning," he said softly.  "How are you feeling?  I have some headache tablets if you need them."   She shook her head.  Surprisingly, she had no sign of a hangover.  She was just ashamed.  Ashamed that she'd had such a very public breakdown. 

Seb perched on the side of the bed next to her. He reached out and stroked a finger down her cheek.
"Mollie, do you remember what happened last night?"

"Bits of it," she replied, rubbing the sleep dust out of her eyes.  "I don't remember why I was in that alley, or how I got there, but I remember you.  I remember feeling like everything was overwhelming me."

"Do you remember what I said to you?"

Mollie nodded at him. "Yes. I remember. Some of it anyway. You told me you're going to look after me."

"Yes Mollie. I'm going to look after you.  I'm going to be the man I should have been all along.  I really am so sorry.  This is all my fault."

She laughed, nervously.

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Because of what I said to you in Abu Dhabi.  I should never have said that.  It was cruel and it wasn't true."

"It was Seb.  If I'd have settled, it wouldn't have happened."

"Mollie. I could say that if I hadn't fallen for you then I'd still be with Elena and it wouldn't have happened.  You could argue it was my fault.  At the end of the day Elena made her own choices. She didn't deserve to die but you don't deserve to beat yourself up like this.  Mollie, you have so many people that care about you."

"I just want the guilt to go away.  The drink helped.  I didn't think I had a problem.  Then last night I don't know what happened. Suddenly it didn't work anymore."

"Do you remember what you were saying?"

"Not exactly. I know I was hearing Elena. I'm crazy, aren't I Seb?"

"No my darling. You've been through a traumatic experience. It would knock anyone for six.  Hey, come here.  Don't cry.  We're going to fly to Switzerland tonight. I've booked us a flight.  I was flying this morning but I want us to fly together. I'm going to get you whatever help you need Mollie.  I meant it when I said I'm going to look after you."

He put his arms around her and held her. She relaxed in his embrace.

"But I don't want you to do it through guilt.  I've been vile to you."

"Mollie, I'm not doing it because I feel guilty. I'm doing it because I'm still so madly in love with you. I've never stopped loving you."

"But I pushed you away.  I let you believe I only wanted you for sex. I told you I didn't love you."

"I will admit you broke my heart Mols but you didn't lose it. It belongs to you.  I have to know though Mols, do you think you could fall in love with me again?"

She wiped a tear from her cheek. She looked him in the eye and shook her head.

"No."  She lay her hand on his arm as he went to move away. "I can't fall for you again because I never fell out of love. I love you Seb.  I'm so sorry for what I said.   I didn't mean it.  I just didn't think I deserved your love."

"My darling girl. You do.  You deserve all the love in the world."  He took her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Please Mollie, accept my help.  I'm not expecting anything in return. Take as long as you want to take me back.  I'm not expecting us to jump straight back into a relationship. I know I need to earn your trust again. It's enough for me to know you still love me. To know we have a fighting chance."

Mollie nodded.  "I accept Seb.  I want to get better.  I want to be the old Mollie again."

"You'll come to Switzerland with me?"

"Yes.  I need to tell my parents though. And I'll need to tell Ash."

"I've already spoken to your Dad this morning.  I'm afraid  news of last night has leaked online.  I rang him as soon as I saw it. I didn't want them worrying.  I told him that I wanted to take you to Switzerland to get some help.  He agreed it was a good idea. The press won't know where to find you. And even if they did my place has top of the range security. They will get nowhere near you my darling."

"Ash?"

"Text him later. I've already spoke to Luca and Will. They were really worried about you. And Pierre and Esteban were too.  It was Pierre that called me."

Mollie swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"My stuff? I need to go and get it.  I can't go everywhere in this dress." 

"I'll get Britta to collect it. I'll pop your keycard round to her.  Anything else you need we can pick up in Switzerland." 

"Ok," she agreed.  "I need to shower. I stink.  Do you have anything I can put on after?"

He rummaged through his case and threw her a white T-shirt and a clean pair of his boxers. She smiled and thanked him. 

She headed into the bathroom and was soon stood under the hot spray. Then the tears came again. 

She knew the coming weeks weren't going to be easy.  They could quite possibly be the hardest weeks of her life.  But now she had Seb by her side she knew she could get through it.