Red Silver

S1.C20 - Race incident (Austin)

The days after are not easier, we fly back to Monaco and I spend almost the whole time in our flat, working on the new car with all the details Toto sent me.
"Still in smart working?" Lewis asks.
"Yes" I say not looking at him.
"Why don't we go outside? A little walk by the sea?"
I look at him, he looks worried "I don't really want to go out"
"Isabelle..."
"Lewis, every time I go out people look at me like they have seen me naked, it's frustrating"
"That's not true" he says hugging me and laying his head on my shoulder "Please, just 30 minutes by the sea"
"Just 30 minutes?"
"Promise"
"Ok"

We dress up and go out, the streets of Monaco are not so crowded and we reach the beach in a minute. I think it is more than 30 minutes that we are walking because it's getting darker, but I realise that I really missed staying outside, I really missed the sea.
"Are you cold?"
"A bit" I say and Lewis gives me his hoodie "Here"
"Thank you. Lewis? Do you still think about all of that? That video? That night?" I ask stopping to watch the sun setting down on the sea.
"Sometimes"
"Are you mad at me? Like are we ok, really?"
"Yep" he says pulling me closer and hugging me "Although it will take me a while to stop thinking that somebody else touched you in that way, I mean I know you had other men but..." I laugh."what?"
"You're so stupid"
"Why?" He says smiling too.
"You never understood it?"
"What?"
"You're my first love, Lewis, I never even kissed someone before you"
"You..." he is shocked "no, no, no"
I laugh again "Sad to say but yes"
"I feel... dirty"
"Why?" I'm laughing louder.
"I... you... I'm the first?" I nod "I'm disoriented, I mean I could tell you had little experience but" he moves my hair from my face "You are so little and beautiful and pure, I feel the need to protect you even more now"
"Pure?"
"At least you were before meeting me" he smiles.
"You bet, you made me a sinner, Sir Hamilton" I say and I kiss him.
"You are making me feeling worst" he says laughing.
"I love you, Lewis" I say softly "even if I messed up lately, I really love you"
He kisses me "I love you too"

"Are you going to get Roscoe?" I ask Lewis while we are in the taxi to the hotel.
"We are going to visit him after, before Brazil, if you don't have to work"
"Let's see how much I can do this weekend, I'd love to finally met Roscoe"
"I bet he will love you too" says Lewis smiling "just like his dad"

"I need to talk to you" says Carlos when we meet in the middle of the paddock on Saturday evening.
"I don't want to talk to you"
"Isabelle"
"No Carlos, no, I told you I wanted to be your friend but not anymore. Look around, everybody thinks I'm a hoe and that's because of you" I say trying to keep my tone low.
"It's not my fault"
"It is. We were good friends before you decided that telling someone who is completely drunk that you love her it's a good idea"
"I had to tell you"
"Not in that way, please Carlos, you really thought it was a good idea? That video is your fault, the fact that everybody thinks I'm a hoe is your fault"
"You were the one who kissed me!" He screams in the middle of the paddock and everybody turn around and stare at us.
I stop and look at him with my eyes full of anger "you really needed to scream that, didn't you?"
"I'm sorry"
"I don't care, Carlos, just... stay away from me!"
He tries to reach my arm but someone grabs his, Lewis. "Haven't you heard her? Stay away from my girlfriend, Sainz, I already told you once"
Lewis takes my hand and under the eyes of the whole paddock we walk together to our motorhome.

"You good?" Asks George sitting next to me.
"Kinda"
"I was... there" I look at him and he says "Carlos..."
"Oh, yes, the few people who didn't think bad of me , now they do" I say faking a smile.
"That's not true"
"It is, people who don't know me in real life just assume I am a cheater and that I some way manage to keep Lewis. They think I don't love him"
"No..."
"You haven't opened social media recently? Or just TV?"
"They will always talk..."
"Yeah but now they will talk even more after Carlos confirmed I was the one who kissed him"
He comes closer and hugs me "Chocolate or vanilla?"
"What?"
"The ice cream" he smiles "Chocolate or vanilla?"
"Chocolate" I say smiling.

First turn. First turn and I can see George going wide and touching Carlos car. The Ferrari is out, with that touch the car is out of order, technical problems.
-Is my car ok?- Asks George via radio.
-Yes George-
-Copy-
-What did you do George?- Asks his race engineer.
-Race incident.-
But we all know that it was not a race incident, he did it for me, he almost crashed, for me?

After the race I walk to the parking lot
"George?"
"Hey, nice race, P4" he says taking off his helmet.
"You didn't have to"
"What?" He smiles "go, you should be with your boyfriend under the podium"
"George, really, be careful"
"I am careful, it was a race incident, I thought I saw a gap, now go or you'll be late for the celebrations"
"I... thank you George, but don't do that ever again" I smile and walk back to the podium to celebrate Lewis P2.

"You really have to did that?" Says Carlos stopping me on my way to the podium.
"What?"
"George took me off"
"It was not my fault, it was a racing incident"
"Bullshit" he says grabbing my arm
"Take your hands off me, Sainz"
He leaves my arm go "you ruined my life, you can't ruin my career too"
"I... what?"
"Isa left me because of you"
"Carlos, that's not on me, that's on you. It was your relationship, I didn't even know you liked me. Now sorry, I have to go back to my driver and to my team"
He looks at me "your team was Ferrari once and I was your driver"
"Yes, and we both know how it ended" I look at the silver star on my shirt "it was a mistake, it has always been, I've always been silver, Carlos, and I'm sorry I let you think I was red, I am really sorry"

——

Hi readers, as the season/book is coming to an end, just 2 races/chapters to go, I'd like to know if you'd like to have a book 2 of "Red Silver" about the next F1 season, got some ideas but I need to know if you'll read it.

Thank u :)