Hollow River

38.

Lando didn't have a good race at all, I was happy I was there to cheer him up a little bit.

We arrived back in Monaco and I signed my contract with Mercedes. I was officially their strategist now.

"Oh babe, your phone is about to blow up" Lando walked in the living room where I was laying on the couch. "Why baby?" I looked up at him.

He put his phone in my face and I saw that Mercedes released a statement, as if I was some important person, I knew it was just to bother Red Bull.

"Oh no" I said at the same time my phone went off. It was Christian, guess he already saw it.

And not much later there was a knock on the door, followed by a few other, louder knocks.

We looked at each other, both knowing who it was.

"What do you wanna do baby?" Lando whispered. "Just open it, I'll have to face him sometime" I sighed.

Lando nodded and walked to the door. It was no surprise who was standing behind it. It was obviously Max.

His eyes were filled with anger. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

He rolled his eyes. "River, where is she mate?"

I walked up to the door, looking straight in his eyes. He was part of the reason why I left and I was sure he knew that.
I was sure he regretted it.

"Are you for real? You joined Mercedes?" Max said surprisingly calm.

Lando was standing next to me, brushing his fingers against my hand. I noticed he always stood beside me during these kind of things.

He knew I could fight my own battles, but he was still ready to tap in if necessary.

"I did" I nodded.

He was still standing in the door opening, but took a few steps closer. "Why River? We were a good team"

"We were a terrible team, we were no team at all. You or Christian never listened to me and he used me" I frowned. How could he actually think that we were a team when he made the decisions on his own?

"So you just fuck off and join our rival? You wanna make Lewis win?"

"And George" I added. Lando chuckled a little which caused Max to look at him. "And you're just fine with that?"

"Yes and even if I wasn't, River can make her own decisions, she doesn't need my approval" Lando said as he intertwined our fingers.

That was my baby.

Max was speechless for a while, he was just looking at us. "You guys are unbelievable" he shook his head and walked away.

"That went quite well" Lando laughed as he closed the door.

But there was something bothering him, I could see it on his face. I followed him to the kitchen, sat down on the counter and tilted my head.

"What's wrong?"

He looked back at me, leaning against the kitchen counter in front of me. "Nothing, why?"

"There is something bothering you"

He looked down and bit the inside of his cheek. "Christian offered me a seat if I keep my performance up"

"Really? Why didn't you tell me?" It would've changed everything. I would've stayed for him.

"Because I didn't want you to make a decision because of me" he said as he looked up at me. "And besides, it doesn't really matter because I am shit lately, he's never gonna offer me a seat"

I gestured him to come closer and opened my legs for him to stand in between. "You're not shit, you are amazing and you're gonna prove yourself in Austria"

"So are you" he smiled, brushing his fingers against my skin. "And then you come to Mclaren and we'll be the power couple who beats everyone"

"That would be the dream, wouldn't it?" I smiled. But I don't think it was gonna happen. Zak wasn't really fond of me, but I wasn't gonna burst his little bubble.

"It would be so amazing" he put his lips against mine and kissed me so passionately the entire world stopped spinning for a while.

Austria was definitely gonna be challenging for the both of us. I would have my first day with Mercedes, Christian was gonna do everything to make me leave and Lando, he had to perform the best he could.

But no matter what, we were gonna be there for each other.