Right On Track

Chapter 21

"Kiara,did you see me?"Elijah excitedly ran up to Kiara and into her arms."Did you see my overtakes?"
"Yeah."She nodded with a grin."You did so good."She took his hat off and ruffled up his hair as he tried to make a grab for the cap again.She handed it back to him while saying."Good job."
He waved his trophy in front of her,showing off his award for second place.
"Well done,Elijah."Carlos said,giving him a high-five.
"Come here."Alora grinned and pulled Elijah into a hug.
"I guess we might as well put you in an F1 car right now."Carlos joked with him,winking.
Elijah pulled back from Alora and moved to Carlos.They shared a long hug,Elijah hugging Carlos's torso with a smile."Thanks,Carlos."
Kiara lifted an eyebrow and met Carlos's gaze."Hey,what did you tell him?"
"Just some karting tips."Carlos replied.He picked up Elijah with ease,putting him on his shoulders and saying."Let's show everyone our championship competitor here."
Elijah laughed as Carlos began to walk towards the tent with him on his shoulders.Elijah,still clutching his trophy,shyly waved back at people who waved at him while passing.
"Let's go show Aunty Lina your trophy."Kiara said,smiling up at Elijah  as she walked beside Carlos.Alora,though,had gotten a little caught up with some Mercedes fans nearby.Kiara assumed that if she didn't run into any fans herself,she could spend a little more time with Elijah here at the track.
At the tent,Kiara watched as Elijah showed Carlos towards his kart.Then,she looked around and saw her mother approach,a look of amusement on her face.She smiled at Kiara.A smile that could only mean one thing.She had seen the whole situation from a few minutes ago.
"What?"Kiara asked,even though she already had a basic idea of what was on her mother's mind.
She shrugged."Nothing.I'll talk to you later about it."
"Okay...?"Kiara frowned.
"Can we get ice-cream?"Elijah asked Alora as she walked into the tent a few moments later.
"I'll think about it."She said.
"Please."Elijah looked up at her,trying to give his best look that one had to take pity on.
"Fine,"Alora shrugged."Only because you did well today."
"Thanks."He grinned and ran back to Carlos and his kart.
Kiara crossed her arms and stood beside Alora,saying."I guess he learns from the best."
"Me,of course."Alora winked.
"Nope."Kiara shook her head,gesturing to herself."I was referring to myself,obviously."
"This again?"Their mother sighed,shaking her head.

"Kiara is boring."Elijah said and stuck his tongue out at her.
Kiara crossed her arms and leaned against the nearest wall."I'm not boring.I'm just not in the mood for it."
"Some diet,I guess."Lina laughed,grabbing the house keys from nearby and making her way towards the door.
"No."Kiara frowned."I'm just not feeling for it."
Alora arched a brow,the car keys in her hands."You sure?"
"Yeah."She nodded.
"Okay,then."Alora shrugged,then turned to Carlos."You coming?"
Carlos glanced at Kiara,then replied."No,I'm okay.Thanks."
"Suit yourselves."Elijah shrugged and opened the front door,running out to the car.Lina followed behind,then Alora,shutting the door while saying."See you two later."
A minute later,Kiara heard the car pulling out of the driveway.
"And why didn't you go with?"Carlos lifted an eyebrow and sat down on the couch in the lounge.
"I don't feel for it."Kiara shrugged and pulled out her phone,trying to avoid conversation with him.She didn't know what to say or do now.Every time she kept on thinking about what they had done at the track.And she was starting to wonder whether it was for nothing or someone had actually seen it and posted about it.
She was about to ask Carlos if he had seen anything yet,but stopped herself.She felt awkward asking that,worried she would sound annoying to him.
She opened up her social media and didn't see anything so far.Most was just about "the cousin of Kiara Wolff speeding to the top of the ranks in his karting championships".She smiled at that,happy about the fact that Elijah's talent wasn't insulted like her own had been.
Kiara sighed to herself as a notification came up,her ringtone breaking the silence in the house.She answered Lydia's phone call.
"Hello?"
"Kiara?"
She said."Uhh,Lydia...We did what you guys asked."
"As I'm seeing."She replied."That's what I called for."
Kiara exhaled."Please,tell me we did it fine."
"It was fine,Kiara.Don't stress it."
"Are you sure?"She asked.
"Yes,I'm sure."She said,laughing a little in-between her words."It was on point.I got a few notifications about it already."
"And it doesn't seem too forced?"Kiara wanted to make sure.Carlos,who had obviously heard and gotten an idea of what the conversation was about,stepped into the hallway and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed,waiting to hear what he hoped for.
"Keep up the good work,Ki."Lydia added."You two are making it really convincing."
"Thanks,I guess?"
She laughed."It's as if you two are actually together."
"Okay,I'm going to hang up now."Kiara said in response to that.
"Wait,before you do."She quickly said."I spoke to Caco and he agreed that we should give you two a small break from it.You'll probably only have to pull something off later in the break."
"Great to hear."Kiara replied sarcastically.
"Alright."She said."Goodbye."
"Bye."Kiara told her,then immediately hung up on the call.
Kiara shoved her phone into the pocket of her pants,then slowly moves her gaze to Carlos.
"And?"He lifted an eyebrow.
"Lydia says we did a terrible job."She lied,trying to keep a straight face.
"Really,now?"He said,stepping towards her.
"Yes."She nodded.
He smiled."Okay."
She frowned."And you're not bothered by this?" Why the hell was he not worried?
"Because we did perfectly fine."He said."And I know it."
"Bold of you to assume so."She told him.
"I know."He winked."Mostly...Because you always have that certain mischievous look on your face when you're trying to mess with someone."
"Well,I'm not messing around this time."She crossed her arms,trying not to smile.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."She said,lifting her chin.
"Then,I better give Caco a call right now."
She paused."Wait,why?"
"Beacuse we did a bad job."He said,trying to catch her out."So,I'm going to give him a call to reason with our options."
"You don't have to do that."She shook her head.
"No,I think I'll do it."He said,pulling out his phone.
Kiara glared at him for a few moments.Then,it struck her that this was Carlos and he would actually call Caco just to get her to admit that she was messing with him.
"Fine,"She said."I was lying.So what?"
He laughed and shook his head."I wasn't actually going to call Caco.Mostly because I already knew."
"Can I slap you?"She rolled her eyes.
"Hey,"He said."That kick to the shin was enough."
Kiara allowed a smile to falter for a moment,then started to walk off,moving past him.
"And where are you going?"He asked.
She said."I'm going out tonight."
"With who?"He frowned.
"Me,myself and I."She said."Don't get too jealous."
"Where and why are you going alone?"He asked.
"Somewhere and because I can,Carlos."She said,slightly raising her voice since she was now at the top of the stairs.She went to her room and entered her bathroom,leaving aside  the clothes she would wear before shutting the door behind her as she tried to ignore the fact that Carlos was downstairs.She got into the shower and spent more time in there than expected.
Later on,she only planned on going to this one restaurant she sometimes went to for dinner.And she normally did it alone,which she was completely  fine with as she found it peaceful and gave her good time to herself.Sometimes she even met familiar faces while spending time in the town.And she didn't mind the nostalgic feeling that accompanied it all.Being an F1 driver didn't mean that she always got to be here at home.So,whenever she got the chance  to actually be home,she favoured the time.
Soon,she began to think about the coming week.Next week,she would be enjoying her birthday with her family.She would be spending her time in Formentara and she would make sure that the PR stunt wouldn't ruin anything for her during that time.
Kiara finally finished showering and turned off the water.She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself,moving to her room the get ready.She stepped out of her bathroom and walked into her room.She opened one of her drawers and pulled out a tube of cream that she had been using on her bruises.Thankfully,it was working nicely and quickly.
She moved back to the bed and sat down,about to open the cap of the tube to smooth the cream over the first bruise.But just before she could do so,her bedroom door opened."Hey,Kiara.I just wanted to ask-"
Kiara snapped her gaze to Carlos,quickly grabbing her towel and covering herself."Carlos!"
He shielded his eyes with a hand."I'm sorry I didn't know you were-"
"Close the door!"She exclaimed.
He grabbed the door handle and shut the door,but walked right into it like the idiot he was.
"Ouch!"He hissed.
"I would ask whether you're okay or not,but you're still in the room,dumbass!"She snapped.
"Why would you leave the door unlocked?!"He questioned.
"Because I don't have men blindly walking into the room when I'm getting out of the shower."
He was quiet for a moment,then paused before leaving properly the next time.
"Kiara?"
"What?!"
"Where did you get those marks?"He asked,his tone lowering.
"Were you peeking?"She scoffed.
"No!"He quickly replied,his back still to her."I just saw it before I could cover my eyes."
Kiara was suddenly grateful that her back was towards him as well.But she also felt a sensation in her gut that made her blush.
"Tell me,Kiara."He said,respectfully still turned away from her.
She was quiet for a second as she thought about that race weekend.It was technically him.It was his fault.His fault that she had the damn bruises in the first place.
When the silence extended,he must have assumed that she wasn't going to talk at all,because she could hear his hand move to the door handle.
But just as he pulled the handle down,she decided to reply."You did it."
He immediately stopped.And he slightly looked over his shoulder as he realized that she just didn't care anymore to make a grab for any nearby piece of clothing during this conversation.
She found herself feeling stuck in place,holding the towel to herself while pushing aside the wet strands of dark hair from her face.
"When you collided with me on Sunday."She said."That's when it happened."
She heard him take a few steps towards her,but stopping in hesitation,as if to ask permission to come closer.To be honest,she wasn't really feeling uncomfortable with him seeing her like this anymore.She only felt a slight feeling in her gut as he sat down behind her on the bed.
"You know I didn't mean it,right?"He spoke.
She looked over her shoulder."Till this  point in time I wasn't sure."
"Kiara..."He said,his tone assuring."I would never intentionally do that.Not to you,nor anyone else.Why think that?"
She swallowed,wiping her hand across her brow."Because of the fight we had before the race."
She felt his gaze on her back,on her shoulder.He soon said."I never meant any of my words or actions,Kiara."
She sniffled,only realizing then that she was tearing up a little.As much as it didn't seem that he would intentionally tell her what he had during the arguments on Sunday,it still hurt.Those words hurt her every time she thought about them.
He raised a hand,causing her breath to catch as he brought it up to her shoulder,gently running it along the first bruise,then doing the same to the one on her back.
He hesitated again at first,but when she didn't object,he leaned down and softly said against her skin."I'm sorry."
She felt his warmth against her back,his breath against her skin.Her breath caught once again as he placed his lips on her shoulder,the first bruise,his hand smoothing up and down her forearm.
"I'm sorry."He said,pausing the kiss on her to apologise yet again.
His other hand travelled to her hip,staying there as he inhaled and layed another kiss on her shoulder.As soon as he stopped again,she felt the need for more,feeling a cold spot where his lips once were.
He nuzzled his nose against the back of her neck,his fingers tracing one bruise,then moving to the next along with his lips.
"And,believe me,I'll never stop being sorry for it."He said,seeming to linger on the larger bruise on her back with his fingers running along it.It didn't hurt at all,as he was so gentle.
Kiara turned around to face him.She met his gaze and dropped the towel,raising her hands to his face.
"I'm sorry,too."She said,then pulled him towards her,their lips finally meeting.