Double Sided Tracks

Burning candles

All good things must come to an end, eventually– Nora decided.

"I bet Netflix wants to know that Hamilton and Verstappen are vacationing together in Amsterdam." he said, and laughed. Nora was going to hum in agreement (she's guilty of not giving him her full attention) when she realized what he had said.

She laughed, "Baba, what do you mean?" she asked, still laughing softly, "Lewis isn't here." she added.

Then the line went quiet, "what are you and Ayesha doing with Verstappen?" he asked.

Nora felt like she's being cornered, even though she's not. "Well, Brad is here too, " she said, then when he didn't say anything. "Max invited me, I told you this." she added.

"I know that– but, I- I thought it's because of Hamilton. I mean, I didn't realise you know Verstappen." Sultan said.

Nora scrunched her eyebrows, sitting down on the bed now, abandoning the paper bags. "Well, we're friends. Right?" she asked, realising she has never talked to Sultan over this.

"You tell me, ya umri."

"No, baba–" she started, looking around the room. "Baba, I'm asking you if— are, were we friends before the accident?" she asked, voice stuttering.

Sultan stayed quiet for a few minutes, to Nora that felt like forever. "Well, I remember you told me you met an F3 driver." he said and Nora held her breath, "but, Habibti, Silverstone was the last race we went together before the accident and afterwards you never come with me to work anymore." he said.

"And Max– Verstappen, was he.." was he my friend? Did I know him? Did he know me? "Was Verstappen my friend?" she asked.

Sultan sighed, "I don't think so.'' He said it so casually, not knowing the impact of what he just said. The weight of it all.

She stood up from the bed abruptly like it's on fire, "Baba– I have to go. Can I call you later?" she asked, and without waiting for his response, she hung up.

She looked around the room, like she's trying to gather her thoughts and that's when Max decided to knock on the door. "Yeah?" she answered, and answered another yes when Max asked if he could come in.

"Hey, are you finished? Brad thought we should go on a walk, that dinner was so heavy." he said with a smile. Nora stood there, staring at him like she'd seen ghost. Face full of unreadable expressions, his smile is fading when Nora isn't saying anything back to him.

__

"You lied to me." Nora has said, and Max stood there by the door, cold washing over him. He's waiting for her to continue. "You lied to me." she repeated.

"Nora," he started, walking closely towards her. Slightly closing the door behind him, he's not interested in having this conversation in front of Nora's friend and his physio, thank you very much.

Nora shook her head quickly, "you lied to me, you said we were friends." she said and oh– oh. "You said we knew each other." she added, voice slightly wavered.

Max's head turn, damage control, trying to control a spinning car, how to not get stuck in gravels. "I didn't lie to you," he said.

Nora scoffed, "you made me think I knew you– you made me think you know me!" she said, betrayed expression on her face.

Box, box Max. Box this lap. "Why does it matter, don't I make you happy?" Max asked. Don't I make you happy? Have I made you cry like Hamilton have done? "Don't I know you now?" he asked and Nora's face turned into something that he can't describe, though betrayal have gone from her face.