HALO - l.n

10:00

Once we arrive at the track we walk through the paddock gates together, scanning our cards and walking side by side.

I thought he was walking too close to me so I make the decision to move over slightly as we both head to the McLaren hub, but he moves back closer to me, closing the distance between us, our hands almost brushing against each other as he does so.

"Pre-race interview at 12 right?" he asks as we're walking up the stairs, I stop to look around to see if Rebecca had also gotten here yet.

"Erm, yeah," I reply, racking my brain trying to remember the schedule Rebecca had sent to me late last night.

He nods his head before walking into the hub, leaving me outside on my own with my thoughts.

I pull my phone from my bag to text Rebecca and Patrick to see where they were, scrolling through the countless text messages I was yet to reply to from my mum and therapist back home.

"Excuse me, Lola?" I hear from beside me as I'm scrolling through the messages, replying to each one.

I look up from my phone to see Carlos stood a few feet away from me, a grin plastered across his face as he waits for me to reply.

"Carlos, how can I help you," I stretch my hand out to take his as he shakes my hand, I give him a warm smile.

"I have something you might be interested in," he goes on to say, patting his pockets looking for his phone before he finds it, unlocking it and showing me a video from the bar we were at last night.

He plays be me a video of Charles and Madeline arguing in the corner of the club, similar to the image I had seen earlier this morning.

"I think this would make a great story for you to cover," he shocks me as he speaks.

Although it was a good story to cover, a different perspective of whatever happened between the pair last night, I wondered why he was trying to dishearten his team mates image.

"I mean yeah-"

"Carlos, there you are." A girl approaches us, her face flushed as she meets Carlos by his side.

She had long dark hair that was swept behind her shoulders, a long white backless dress on that swung around her ankles as walked. The scent of her perfume flooded my nostrils as I watched her look at Carlos, an angered look on her face.

"Oh, Evelyn," he almost looks annoyed that she's now here with us as he runs a hand through his hair, looking behind him.

He places a hand on her arm, moving her away from me slightly as he talks to her in a hushed tone. She glares at his hand on her arm, shaking his grip off her. He laughs awkwardly, looking back at me and apologising.

They've moved away from me now, out of earshot so I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but I could tell by the way she was waving her arms around she was angry at something.

I didn't know who she was, Carlos and his ex, Isabel, had only broken up last year, so I was unaware if this girl was his new girlfriend or someone who worked for him.

Their conversation ends with her storming off, Carlos calling after her as she disappears into the growing crowd of people that was now starting to overtake the paddock as the morning progressed.

"I'm sorry about that, she's just- yeah whatever, anyway, do you want the video?" he asks, beckoning back to his phone is his hand.

I was too busy analysing their situation to think about the video he had been showing me before Evelyn had turned up.

"Oh, erm, yeah sure," I shrug, not knowing of an excuse to decline the video.

I thought of a brief moment about writing about the video as Carlos started to airdrop me the evidence, but I don't think I could do that to Madeline, even if it wasn't anything significantly damaging, she had been nothing but kind to me.

He leaves me after that, still stood outside the McLaren hub, dumbfounded by his offer.

"There you are, I need you for that interview with Lando and Daniel in ten minutes," Rebecca is now by my side, pulling me by my elbow.

I had completely forgotten about the interview with Lando and Daniel now, as I was far more interested in finding out what was going on between Evelyn and Carlos.

I'm dragged back into the McLaren garage and into the back studio where Lando and Daniel were sat, having their hair and makeup sorted by the artist.

"Lo, I was wondering where you had ran off to," Lando calls out to me as I take my seat in between the two of them.

I couldn't look him in the eye as I knew something he didn't, feeling the guilt overwhelm me once again.

"Are you alright?" he places a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to look at him.

I look at his arm on my shoulder a little longer than I should've to the point he removes it regrettably, he face full of concern.

"Yeah, all good," I smile at him, I couldn't stand being around him.

The interview goes well, with Lando and Daniel ending up covered in cream.

"Come on Lo, give us a hug," Daniel starts to walk towards me with his arms wide, whipped cream all down his front and on his face.

I take a few steps back, knocking into the camera tripod, almost sending it toppling over.

"No, stay back," I hold my hand out in front of me, trying to stop the camera from falling over as Daniel continues to walk towards me.

His smile was causing his eyes to crease as he inches closer, I let out a nervous laugh, having not packed another set of clothes that if he did in fact hug me, I would be covered in cream for the rest of the day.

Just as he's about to elope me in his arms, my back now to the wall, Lando shoves him away, rather roughly.

"She said no." he states firmly, now stood in front of me.

My hands fall to their sides and my smile drops as he speaks, Daniel the same.

"I was only playing around man," he laughs awkwardly, trying to brush him off as one of the film crew passes him a towel to wipe himself down.

"Yeah, but she said no." his voice was harsher than I had heard before, his back still to me, but his shoulders and neck muscles were tense as he had taken his shirt off due to all of the whipped cream.

"It's fine Lando," I place my hand on his bare shoulder, his skin soft under my touch.

It felt weird to be touching him without any clothes on, the memories of last night and how he held me gently in front of all those people, now the roles being reversed.

He turns to face me now, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes cold as he stares back at me.

His eyes scans my face but I was looking back at him confused by his outburst.

He throws the towel he was holding down onto the chair next to him, grabbing his phone from his assistant before leaving studio.

Leaving me confused.