𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬

𝟏𝟔 | 𝚳𝛐𝐧𝐳𝐚 ⅋ 𝚮𝛐𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥

Saturday had arrived by the time we touched down in Italy. Arthur and I quickly dropped off our luggage at the hotel, ready to dive into a busy day. The flight had been short, so neither of us was tired. After a quick change into fresh clothes, we were whisked off by a driver in a black SUV with tinted windows to the Monza racetrack, where a big meeting with Ferrari and Prema awaited us.

The driver gave us entry passes and showed us the way to the building. Arthur and I entered, feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. This meeting would outline the future, our performance expectations, and what Ferrari and Prema had in mind for us. After an intense 90 minutes, we finally walked out, relieved it was over but feeling the weight of the expectations they'd laid out.

As we stepped outside, I spotted Max and George nearby. Unable to resist, I darted over and jumped onto George's back.

"Missed me?" I teased, tightening my arms around his shoulders as he laughed.

"Ah, the queen of Prema graces us with her presence," George joked, laughing as he ran around with me still clinging to him piggyback-style.

I grinned, hugging him tighter. "I heard about your deal with Mercedes! I'm so proud of you. You really deserve it."

We were laughing along with Arthur and Max, but then I noticed someone staring at us from across the paddock—Lando. His eyes fixed on us, a strange intensity behind them. My laughter faded.

"George, stop. Put me down, please," I said quietly.

George noticed my sudden change in tone, looking in the direction of Lando before turning back to me. "Maybe you should talk to him, clear things up."

I shook my head. "I don't know, George. I don't want to believe what I saw, but...it hurt. I don't want to go through that pain again, not after what happened with Nick." I forced a smile. "Anyway, good luck in qualifying. I'll be cheering for you."

I walked off, trying to ignore the pang of guilt as I left Lando standing alone. I headed towards the Ferrari motorhome to find Charles, brushing off the sadness gnawing at me. On the way, I bumped into Dennis, who was on his way to a meeting with Red Bull. After a quick chat, I made my way to Charles and found him in deep conversation with the mechanics.

"Hello there, brother," I greeted him with a smile.

"Sophie! How was the meeting?"

"It was... fine," I replied, not wanting to delve into the details.

I wished him luck, promising that Arthur and I would be watching and rooting for him. Arthur joined me soon after, and we found seats in the Ferrari motorhome to watch qualifying.

As the final minutes of Q3 approached, the excitement was palpable. Charles, Max, Lando, and George were all out on track, pushing for the best times. My eyes were glued to the screen, hoping Charles would pull off a great lap, but my focus shifted when George came up on his final run. His lap was unexpectedly fast for a Williams, and just as he rounded a tight corner, disaster struck—he lost control and crashed violently into the wall.

I froze, a wave of panic surging through me. My heart raced, hands turning clammy as I watched the medics rush to the scene. George was like family, and I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him. Without a second thought, I jumped up and made my way to the medical center, where I knew he'd be taken.

I waited anxiously, pacing until George finally arrived, supported by two medics. Relief washed over me, seeing him relatively unhurt. I walked beside him into the examination room, my worry evident in the tears gathering in my eyes.

"George, are you okay? I was so scared..." I said, my voice shaky as I tried to hold back tears.

George forced a smile, clearly trying to mask his pain. "Don't worry, Sophie. Just a few bruises. I'm tougher than I look." He extended his arms for a hug, and I leaned into him, feeling his discomfort but grateful he was trying to be strong for my sake.

I stayed with him, chatting to keep his spirits up until Max, Charles, and some of the Williams team came in to check on him. The doctors soon cleared him to leave, but they insisted he get additional scans at the hospital to rule out any serious injuries. I joined him in the ambulance, only for Lando to unexpectedly climb in as well. George had asked him to come along, but the silence between Lando and me was heavy.

Once we reached the hospital, George was wheeled away for further tests. Lando and I sat in silence on a bench outside his room, the tension between us thick. Just as Lando looked like he was about to speak, my phone rang.

"Hey, Léo, what's up?"

"Are you okay, Sophie? I saw you on TV... Is your friend alright?"

"Thanks for checking in. I'm okay, just shaken. George seems fine, just bruises, but they're double-checking him here."

"When are you coming back to Monaco? Wyatt and I would love to hang out again."

I smiled. "In two days, I think. I'll let you know."

The doctor came out at that moment, explaining that George had a cracked rib but no internal bleeding. I hung up quickly, reassured but still tense, and mumbled to myself, "He'll be okay. He has to be fine..."

Lando reached over, gently taking my hands. I hadn't expected it, but his touch was steadying. I leaned into his shoulder, and he ran a soothing hand over my head.

"Sophie, I'm sorry. I know it looked bad, but it wasn't what it seemed. I just want a chance to explain," he murmured, voice low and sincere.

I pulled away, feeling the old ache resurface. "Lando, I don't think there's much left to talk about." Saying it hurt, but I convinced myself it was the right decision.

Shortly after, the doctor came in with the final good news: George had no further injuries, just the cracked rib. I rushed into the room to see him, relief flooding through me as I hugged him tightly.

Max and Charles soon arrived, and we spent some time with George until visiting hours ended. I said goodbye, stepping out of his room to see Lando still sitting on the same bench, fast asleep. I grabbed a blanket from the nurse's station, carefully draping it over him before quietly leaving the hospital.

The next morning, I picked up some pastries and coffee to bring to George. On the way, I was stopped by fans, so I didn't reach the hospital until just before the race. We watched together from his room, and I cheered as Max and Charles clinched podium spots, with Charles finishing third and Max second.

Sophie_Leclerc

Story posted

After the race, George and I reminisced about old times, his injury momentarily forgotten as we laughed. He invited me to stay with him at Silverstone in two weeks, and I eagerly accepted. It felt good to spend time with him like this, just as it did when we were kids. The following day, Arthur, Max, Charles, and I flew back to Monaco.