Love Off Track - Pato O'Ward

QUINCE

THIRD PERSON POV:

Two weeks later...

Valentina looked over at her best friend who was currently looking at the indy car garages, Valentina looked down at her growing stomach. She was currently in her 2nd trimester, she was excited to have her baby. "It's the driver parade, are you joining Pato in the car?" asked Valentina, Catalina stayed quiet for a bit. "Yeah... but as friends, not lovers or something else." Catalina explained, she felt guilty for talking to Pato after Christian broke up with her. She wanted to apologise to him, something that she felt like she needed to do to him.

Valentina noticed her friends change in mood, she was cheerful at start of the day and now she's sad and gloomy. "What's wrong?" Valentina asked, "Nothing." Catalina responded. "Tell me, I know somethings on your mind." said Valentina, Catalina stopped walking and looked at her friend. "I feel guilty... about me still loving Pato, even though I was with Christian." admitted Catalina, "You didn't cheat on him, so you shouldn't feel extremely guilty. But maybe you should apologise to him, and tell him what you want to say to him." suggested Valentina. "Maybe..." Catalina murmured, the two of them started to walk over to the bus that would take them to the cars that was for the drivers parade.

Pato was waiting for Catalina, suddenly Alex Palou had tapped him on his shoulder. Pato smiled at him, "Hey, how are you feeling?" Alex asked. "I'm great, you?" Pato responded, "I'm feeling good, who ar-" Alex stoped mid sentence. "Catalina!" he exclaimed, he then stepped past Pato and hugged his sister. "Oh hi Alex, I thought you would have been on the bus by now." said Catalina, she then pulled away from him. "Hello Valentina, how are you?" Alex asked once he had seen his sisters friend, "I'm feeling tired, I'm going to head back to the main part of the paddock. Have fun Catalina!" Valentina said, she then turned around and started to walk away. 

Alex was confused, "Are you going with christian, for the parade?" Alex asked is sister. "Wha- no, I'm..." Catalina looked around trying to find an excuse on why she is here, "She's going with me." Pato admitted. Alex looked over at his former teammate and back at his sister, suddenly the dots where connecting with one another. 

"What no, you guys can't be together!" yelled Alex, everyone around them (The drivers and their significant others) looked at them. "I'm not!" Catalina yelled, she was trying to defend her and Pato. "Stop it with the bullshit, I can't believe you would do that!" screamed Alex, Pato quickly pulled Catalina back and looked at Alex. "We're not together, she's just accompanying me in the parade because I had a spare spot... because my girlfriend and I had broke up last night!"  Pato lied, Alex didn't believe them at all. "Sure, sure." Alex murmured, he then entered the bus without saying another word. 

Catalina and Pato looked at each other, both where in shock of Alex's outburst. "Should we..." whispered Pato, "Yeah..." sighed Catalina. They then entered the bus, Catalina immediately saw Christian sitting alone on the bus. She was about to speak to him, but decided that it wasn't a good time to. Pato sat down on a seat at the back, and Catalina sat next to him. For the entire bus ride they sat in silence, neither didn't know what to say.

• Time Skip • 

"You fucking left me!" screamed Catalina as she had entered her hotel room, that she shared with Valentina. "My brother now thinks that Pato and I are dating, he won't even talk to me!" complained Catalina, Valentina walked around the corner. "What?" she asked, Catalina sighed. "I missed everything?" Valentina asked, Catalina chuckled at her friends response. "Yes you missed  Alex yelling- no screaming at Pato and I, he thought that we where together. Then everyone around us, which keep in mind was very single driver and their significant others, had looked at us. I felt like I was thirteen, sneaking around with my boyfriend then getting caught by my brother once again. So then the entire bus ride was awkward, and after the parade I tried speaking to Alex." Catalina explained, "He didn't even look at me, he said that he dosen't want to speak to me at all." she whispered.

Valentina hugged Catalina, "Everything will be okay..." she whispered. "I'm not sure about that..." Catalina responded, Valentina chuckled lightly. "Did you speak to Christian?" she asked, Catalina nodded her head. "What did he say?" Valentina asked, Catalina stayed quiet for a second. "That he hates me, but he brought it on himself. So he- and I quote 'I don't actually hate you, I'm just mad at myself.', we aren't friends but we can have a civil convocation." Catalina explained, "He also knew that I still loved Pato when we first started to date." Catalina said. "At least you talked to him, and he doesn't want to kill you..." Valentina joked, "Yeah" Catalina chuckled.

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Hello Lovely People!!

It's my birthday so I decided to write a chapter, I don't feel well so this might be the last chapter for a bit. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, thank you for reading it 🤍

Word Count: 883 

M <3