Qualifying was done and our drivers both qualified in the top 5. Oscar was even on P2 so it couldn't have gone any better.
"Didn't Lando come?" Max asked as he walked next to me. We were both going back to our hotel room.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, no"
"You're on edge lately, are you fine?" He asked. It was the first time someone actually asked how I was doing instead of asking how Lando was.
No Max, I wasn't fine. I felt my phone buzz a couple of times and I knew exactly who it was.
Lando was blowing up my phone lately, he was bored out of his mind and he would blame me for putting Oscar on P2.
"I am fine, thanks for asking though" I lied. "How are you? Still frustrated?" I tried to change the subject to him.
"I will be frustrated until you come back to us" he laughed.
"Keep dreaming" I nudged his shoulder. "Oh I will" he mumbled under his breath.
"Did Lando turn into himself again?" He asked. "What do you mean?"
"He's like the Hulk lately and it doesn't really suit him" he shrugged his shoulders.
I rolled my eyes. "It only suits you?"
"Exactly" he laughed.
Mad Max was only there on track and maybe a little bit after the race but I was sure he wouldn't stay mad and arrogant all the time.
Max wouldn't constantly blame me for messing up his strategy or favoring someone else.
"He's just going through a difficult time"
I was starting to believe my own lies.
—————————
It felt weird to walk in my hotel room alone. I was always accompanied by Lando lately.
That's when I remembered he texted me, I quickly grabbed my phone and looked at the messages.
Lando ❤️
Congratulations lol
Putting Oscar on P2.
👏🏼
I sighed as I put my phone away. I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.
Was I the one to blame? Should I be more supportive? Was I wrong for concentrating on Oscar instead of going to him?
He used to be so supportive, always kissed my worries away but lately he wasn't any of that.
Maybe I was holding on to what I thought he was.
There was a soft knock on my door so I brushed it off and wore a fake smile again.
"Hi Athena" I looked at her, my smile actually turned into a genuine one. "River"
She didn't say anything else, she just wrapped her arms around me and hugged me.
So tightly.
And I broke down, I started crying. I couldn't take it anymore.
She didn't say a word, she just walked in the room and looked at me. I didn't need to explain how I felt, I didn't need to explain how bad I was treated lately.
"How much of his shit are you gonna take?" She asked.
I wiped my tears away. "It's not his fault, he's just frustrated. He just wants to win"
Here I was, making an excuse for him again.
"Everyone wants to win"
She was right, everyone on that grid wanted to win but no one treated everyone like shit.
"I used to look up to you River, because you were a badass bitch and everyone loved that about you" she looked me straight in the eyes. "But I hate to see you like this"
"Like what?"
"Like this. You think it's your fault that he crashed, you think it's your fault that he treats you like shit because you're doing an extremely good job by putting Oscar and Mick on top"
She took a step closer to me, her voice getting more soft.
"You're making excuses. But he'll always say that you're the problem. You always get the blame"
She pointed at my gloves, who were laying on the floor.
"It's time to put those on and be the badass bitch we know, even if that means to cut the negativity out of you life"
And with negativity she meant Lando, but I didn't know if I wanted that.
He needed me the most right now.
He'll change, he will turn into the guy I fell in love with again.
I just had to be patient.
