The Race Director's Daughter (Sebastian Vettel)

41. Facing Facts

Seb entered the paddock in Austria, he put his head down and sped up as he passed the FIA motorhome.  He didn't want to see either of the Chandler -Webbs.

He didn't want to see Martin because he never wanted to see Martin. He didn't want to see Leah because...well, just because. If he ever saw the treacherous bitch again it would be too soon.

He knew that deep down he didn't mean that ,but he was hurting so much, hating her was the only thing getting him through the pain. If he let go of that hate he'd collapse and give in to his heartbreak.

He soon reached the Aston Martin motorhome. He was about to go inside when he heard someone calling his name. He turned around and he saw a blonde man walking towards him, a stern look on his face. He realised it was Leah's stepbrother, Joel.

He thought about ignoring him and going inside, but he knew that he'd have to face him sooner or later so he might as well get it out of the way.

Joel came to a stop in front of Seb. Seb slipped his sunglasses off and put them on top of his head.

"Yes?" he asked.

"You know what! Leah. She's really upset."

"Boo fucking hoo.  Well she shouldn't go around lying then should she?"

"She had her reasons, and your reaction has proved that she was right to be wary of you."  Was this guy for real?   His stepsister was the liar and this joker was trying to make him out to be the bad guy!

"Look, I have nothing to say to you, or to her.  I made it perfectly clear where we stand.  It's over.  I don't want to see her or speak to her again.  Oh and tell her I blocked her number so she needn't bother trying to call.  If she comes near me at the circuit I'll make sure she is fired, no matter who her fucking father is."

"How could she have been so wrong about you Vettel?  She literally adored you, yet you talk about her like she meant nothing to you."

"She meant everything to me!" Seb shouted, causing heads to turn and look in their direction.  "Don't say she meant nothing to me.  She was my world and she broke my fucking heart!  She held it in her hands and she ripped it apart.  So never, ever say that she was nothing to me."

Joel fell silent, shocked by the tears that were pooling in Seb's eyes.  He could see that he was hurting. He just couldn't understand why he had cut Leah out of his life if he loved her like he'd said he did.  Sure, she'd done wrong. She knew that. He'd told her enough himself since she'd got involved with Seb, but she hadn't meant anything malicious by it. 

"Are you ok? Look, I didn't mean to come across as aggressive.  I know she hurt you, I just hate seeing her so upset.  She's tried calling you and you don't answer.  Can't you at least hear her out?"  Seb slid his sunglasses back on, embarrassed to be seen on the verge of tears by anyone, but especially by Leah's stepbrother.

"As I said, I blocked her number.  I don't want to talk to her.  She lied to me!"

"Strictly speaking she never lied."

"She lied by omission!  Why didn't she tell me?  Was she laughing at me behind my back?  Did she ever fucking care about me or was it all just a game to her?"

"If you have to ask that then maybe you never really knew Leah at all."

"Maybe I didn't," Seb said as he turned and stomped off inside the Aston Martin motorhome.

Joel shook his head in disbelief as he watched Seb disappear.  He turned and headed towards the FIA motorhome to check on Leah.  When he'd told Seb that Leah was upset he hadn't been exaggerating.  In fact, upset hardly seemed the appropriate word.  He hadn't told Seb how Leah wasn't eating properly, how she cried herself to sleep every night since they'd split.  He'd heard her himself at home, and Tamara had said she'd been the same the previous night.   She'd had to stay with her for the night, worried by her low mood.