The other woman

After effects

Alex hadn't uttered a word since it had happened and had retreated to her hotel room the second they'd got back, refusing to answer the door or her phone. She'd even failed to show up for Seb's usual post-race recovery session and massage.

Aston Martin had launched an internal investigation into the incident and so Seb had taken the decision not to fly home that night but to leave the following afternoon. He was grateful for the extra hours away from home, Gisela was not going to be happy when she saw his lip and he knew that she'd insist that Alex was dismissed instantly.

Which was exactly what happened Monday evening.

After freaking out when she'd seen her husband's face and smothering him with attention she was now pacing the bedroom, ranting and raving and repeating herself over and over again.

"She's got to go."
"You knew I wasn't happy and yet she still stayed."
"Her ex-boyfriend hit you, how much more has to happen for you to see that she can't stay?"
"What if he comes after you or all of us?!"
"Think of the kids, if you won't get rid of her for me then do it for them."

Seb just sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly ahead, half listening and half not listening. All he could he think of was Alex who'd only spoken the bare minimum on the flight home, she'd even faked being asleep to avoid talking to anyone.

"Did you hear a word I said?" Gisela stopped in front of him, her hands on her hips. "We've got the kids to think about, what if that monster tracks her down here?"

"He won't." He replied, not even breaking out of his stare to look at her. What if does come looking for her? What if he finds her? She's all alone in that house. Maybe I should go and make sure she's ok?

"And you're sure of that are you?" She retorted, glancing backwards towards the bedroom door as the sounds of Xiomar starting to cry came over on the baby monitor. "She needs to go Seb, we can't risk a dangerous man like that turning up."

"You're blowing this out of proportion, you're making it sound worse than it is." He stood up, suddenly deciding that he needed to go and make sure that Alex was ok. More than anything they needed to have a serious chat about what had happened.

"Oh really? The man had her kneeling on the floor, she'd pissed herself with fear and he punched you....."

"He went to punch Alex but I got her out of the way." Seb cut in, he was seriously wishing that he'd not told her everything now. "It wasn't me he wanted to hit."

"She's got to go and if you value our security and safety then she goes first thing in the morning. Get her a flight booked right now. I knew having a female PT was a bad idea, you should have interviewed more people and not just took on the first person you saw."

"You seriously don't think I take our security and safety seriously? You really think that little of me?" He asked, doing one of his usual tricks when they argued - turning it back on her.

"Right now I have my doubts." She replied curtly before stomping out of the room to go and see to their son, adding a shouted, "and she goes tomorrow!"

He put his hand across his eyes and then slid it down his face wearily. While he knew he should put his wife and kids first and do as she'd said he also felt a sense of responsibility for Alex. He'd seen her at what was probably her lowest, he couldn't turn his back on her now, it would be too cruel. And as wrong as it was, he was finding it difficult to let her go. He'd seen another glimpse into her life and even though it showed a deeply unhappy and possibly traumatic past, it made him all the more curious. Soren was quite possibly the key to her distant, closed off persona. He could be the reason why she'd never spoken about her personal life, why she'd previously chosen to only reveal a small part of her past. He felt this compulsion to help her, to be there for her, care for her.....and love her. No! No way! He didn't mean it like that. He meant it in a friends kind of way and he didn't think she had many of those. You want to fuck her though, right? He shook his head vehemently, overriding his subconscious. He wasn't a cheat, adultery wasn't his thing. But she is. He'd wait until the morning to see her, going now wasn't a good idea.