Marry. Ride. Love.

Someone had to know where my wife was

*Valentino*

The call from Bella had torn me out of sleep and I had not really found sleep afterwards. I had been about to pull down all tents here and fly to her, but I had also had to think of the team and so I had stayed and sent her Uccio.

My oldest friend. My closest friend.

I could have sent Pecco or Franky or Maro or Bez, but I needed someone to help her sober up. He had called me later and told me that she had probably been very drunk and had cried a lot, but without really saying a word. She was just done and it was my fault.

I had felt horrible when she had said that she just wanted to come to me, wanted to hear my voice. She had made it so clear that she missed me that I really could hardly stand not to fly to her right away.

I was all the more relieved when my race had been over. We had won and I had left immediately. I had gotten on my plane, but I hadn't arrived at the race track until the end of the race.

I had followed the race on my cell phone and had proudly seen what a great race Pecco had delivered today. He had virtually outdone himself and had almost flown. I was all the happier that I had come to congratulate him directly on this victory. And Bella was also in his box, so that I could immediately wait for her there.

First, however, I made my way briefly to my own team. Bez and Maro looked unsurprised when they saw me. They had driven a decent race, but were both already in post race analysis. Uccio did what he did best and made sure that everything went according to plan. I talked to my guys for a while before I went over to the Ducati pit.

If I was honest with myself, I didn't have a mind for anything else right now anyways.

I basically just wanted to hug Bella and promise her that everything would get better, that I wouldn't leave her alone anymore and tell her how much she meant to me.

I entered the Ducati pit just as Pecco was giving his speech. He was standing on a box and holding up his glass.

"The victory today, I owe to many people. But to one in particular. Bella, thank you. I dedicate this race to you. To the woman who gave me wings today.", he held his glass out to her and toasted her.

And there it was again. This irrepressible jealousy.

So there was more to it than the two admitted. She "gave him wings", he dedicated his victory to her.

I could have burst.

"To the man who gave me a language to speak with," Bella replied half aloud in perfect Italian.

I seethed. So to him she could speak Italian, but to me she still demanded that I speak English to her?

I could see Pecco jumping off the box and wrapping his arm around her back before they both drank. I was about to burst.

"Vale!", Carola smiled at me "Hey Pecco! Look who's here!" she called out to her brother.

People made room between us so we could see each other.

There was an indefinable expression on Bella's face. But I didn't wait for either of them to say anything. I walked up to her, grabbed her a little roughly by the wrist and pulled her along. I didn't say a word and she didn't resist. She just came along with me while anger pulsed inside me.

I could hardly breathe properly, so much was I about to burst.

Just last night she called me, crying how much she missed me, and then I see her like this today. She probably had a guilty conscience yesterday.

I pulled her with me into my team's motohome and slammed the door behind us.

I had rarely been so angry in my life. But I was mostly so angry because I was hurt. Because I cared about her and then this....