Deep Breath | Daniel Ricciardo

Part Eight

🎵'Better days' - Dermot Kennedy🎵

"Who do you think you are looking at me... speaking to me like that." His hand swung round, the cold metal of the pan collided with my head, i felt myself falling. My eyes rolling back, loosing grip with reality.

I gasped myself awake. My breath catching on my dry throat. "Ahem" I cleared my throat. I was soaked in sweat, bound by the tight bedsheets round me. Shit. I pulled the sickly hot sheets away from my bare skin desperate for the cool air that brushed them. I pulled my phone off the side table *1am*

'Great' I thought, throwing my head back in exhaustion. I had only managed an hours sleep at the most, but there was no use flighting it. My heart raced, adrenaline pumping through my body. Pool it was.

I'd spent every night, sometimes multiple times a night, in the roof top pool. It was a true beauty. I made my way up in a robe and my swimwear, ready to feel the cold air burn my hot sticky skin. Ready for the calm the water would bring.

Swimming regulated my breathing in a way nothing else can. The deep inhale and exhale, holding on to every breath until my body burnt with the need for fresh cool oxygen. I loved it.

I'd been swimming for about two hours before deciding to head back, I knew I needed to try and get some sleep before tomorrow. Thursdays could be so busy I'd be on my feet all day and probably work through most of the evening preparing. I didn't mind, I loved the work and the distraction it brought. If I could just get a couple more hours I'd manage fine, with a little coffee buzz.

It wasn't just my anxiety that was bad right now. Daniel had had some trouble getting off the tarmac in Monaco and was running at least a day late in his schedule. He hadn't even arrived when I had last checked at about 11pm last night so I wasn't actually sure what today was going to look like.

I headed down the stairs to my room. We'd be sharing the hotel with staff from both Red bull and AlphaTauri. Daniel liked to have his team all close, so I had requested, for Daniel, Michael, Blake and I to have rooms on the same floor, but between us and alpha I wasn't exactly convinced that it would be possible.

It was a fair way down to my floor but I just used the stairs as an excuse to extend my time out of my bed. I was cold now, the a/c in the hotel was intense and I was in wet swimwear with wet hair and a linen robe. As I made my way down and reached my floor, the elevator opened. 'Ding' Before thinking I turned to look, Daniel, Blake and Michael stepped out, loaded with luggage, their voices loud in the silence.

I turned to walk toward my room, hoping they hadn't seen my face. That they wouldn't recognise my silhouette.

"Libby?" His Aussie accent made my heart melt.

"Erm... h-hi" I smiled back while still heading toward my room

His pace quickened behind me, he was close now I could smell his aftershave lingering in the air. His arms wrapped round me from behind. "I'm so happy to... Lib. Why are you soaking wet?" Childish giggles came from the boys.

I turned locking eyes with him, our faces close enough to touch. "I've been for a swim." His face scrunched up in confusion

"At half three in the morning!" I anxiously felt exposed. Pulling the hem of my robe down, subconsciously trying to cover my upper thighs. Dreading the marks that we're hiding so close to the surface being seen.

"Couldn't sleep," I shrugged. "Looks like you finally made it then?"

"Yeah. Apparently some sweet talker talked her way into the office of a very high ranking official and got me off the run way." He smiled

"Good," I say as he pulls me tighter to him. "Now go and get some sleep, you look like you could use it." I giggle prodding his side. We pull apart and I head back to my room. Grateful for no more questions.