Right On Track

Chapter 44

Kiara drove out of the pit-lane,trying to gain her speed as soon as she did.She had just made her last stop,the race so far pressurising.
"Kiara,we're only giving two more laps."Santiago said on the radio.
"But why?"Kiara snapped."I'm doing just fine."
"Two more laps to set a faster time,Kiara."He said again."I'm sorry,but it's the team's orders."
Kiara frowned,already trying to speed up.She had to set a time faster than Max's by the next two laps.Or else she would have to let him through to take the lead.
There were only twelve laps left.And Kiara didn't feel the actions to be necessary.But,of course,it was team orders after all.
She sped through the next lap.But Santiago reported back that it was half a second too late.
She only had one more lap to set a faster time.
But as she finished the next lap,Santiago came back on the radio."Okay,Kiara.You've got to hand over the position to Max."
Kiara sighed.It was unbelievable.It didn't even make sense.The part that bothered her the most was that it was all happening now at her home race.
She checked her mirrors,seeing Max right behind.
Having no option but to follow the team's instructions,she slightly pulled to the right,letting Max pass her and take the lead of the Austrian Grand Prix.Her home race.A win at her home race...Just simply handed over to her teammate instead.
Yes,it was still a one-two for the team.But Kiara wasn't the one at P1.
And as the checkered flag was raised,Kiara crossed the line at P2.

Carlos Sainz

"P6,Carlos."Riccardo said on the radio."And Charles P3."
"The clutch is bad."Carlos muttered."And what was that pit-stop?"
"Apologies."He replied."We'll discuss it later in the meeting."
Carlos shook his head with a sigh.He had no more words for whatever just happened.The race had been going fine.He was going in for P3.
But then there was a problem with the clutch.As well as a bad pit stop.And that all eventually led to Carlos finishing at sixth.

At the garage,he didn't really feel like talking to anyone either.He didn't go for podium celebration to watch Charles either,as much as something told him to go for other reasons.
And apparently,Max had been the one to win the race.Carlos had thought that Kiara would take this one,especially since it was her home race.But they chose to let Max take it.
He could just think about how frustrated Kiara must have been.
Carlos set his helmet and balaclava aside,loosing a long breath.He didn't know what to do anymore.
He walked over to his drivers room and shut the door,sitting down on a chair and crossing his arms.
He immediately started to think about everything that happened in the past few weeks.How he had screwed up so badly.
It hurt like hell to now see Kiara have this new,burning hate for him.The look in her eyes...That anger and hurt when she looked up at him...He fucked up.
Seeing Elijah today only brought back more thoughts.And Carlos couldn't help but think about how he had probably disappointed that boy during the race.
He closed his eyes for a moment,pinching the bridge of his nose.He couldn't even describe how bad he was currently feeling.
There was a knock at the door.
He sighed,not caring anymore."Come in."
The door opened and he heard someone step in,saying."Are you okay?"
Carlos slowly opened his eyes,knowing that voice."Yes.Now,what is it?"
He turned around to face Amber,crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair.
"I came to see if you were okay?"She arched a brow,stepping closer.
"Why?"He asked,giving her a flat look.This was the woman who had just ruined so many things for him.Someone who was once a childhood friend was now someone he wanted nothing to do with at all.
"Carlos,"She said."I'm just-"
"Just because you're working for Charles now doesn't mean that you have to check up on me,Amber."
She looked at him for a long moment,a frown almost forming.
"Carlos,you're my friend."She sighed."I can't just stand aside and watch you like this."
"Yes,you can."He told her.That sweet tone in her voice...No,that was completely fake.He knew her long enough to know.
"Just go."He said,looking away.
"Did Kiara say something?"She frowned,coming closer.
He looked at her again,narrowing his eyes."I don't see how that's any of your concern."
"It is because I care about you."She said,walking up to him as he still sat in his chair.
He watched her,holding back the urge to be any ruder as she put a hand on the backrest of the chair.
He looked up at her beside him,shaking his head."If you had cared about me,you wouldn't have ruined my relationship with the woman I-"
"I didn't ruin it."She said,putting on an innocent face."Didn't I tell you?She's the one who cheated first?"
"And I don't know why I bothered to believe you in that moment."He snapped,showing his anger as he looked up at her.
"You believed me because you knew that something was going on."She moved her hand and rested it on his shoulder."You believed me because I've known you longer than that-"
"She wouldn't have."Carlos said,shaking his head."She wouldn't have cheated and I know it."
He swallowed,looking away from Amber and to his helmet nearby.
"Carlos,how do you know that?"She said."Tell me,then."
"Because..."He trailed off,not knowing what to say."Because she didn't care about Esteban.And she cared about-"
"She didn't care about you."Amber said,taking his chin and turning his face to look at her again."If she cared,she would have heard you out first.And if she cared,she wouldn't have moved on so fast."
"But..."
"I told you that she moved on."She said,looking down at him with a soft gaze."You didn't believe me at first.But did you at least see it today?"
Carlos went silent,thinking about what happened earlier as he was walking back to the garage.He had seen Kiara nearby,seeming angry and going towards the his garage herself.He had been on his way to approach her when Esteban moved past him and got there first,stopping her and eventually calming her down.Carlos remembered it clearly.The way he met Esteban's gaze as he pulled Kiara into a hug.
"I know it's hard to believe."Amber said,trailing her hand down his arm."But that's just how it happened.And you just have to accept it,Carlos."
He sat there in silence for a second,not knowing how to respond.Whatever Amber was saying,it was starting to make sense...
In Monaco,she had told him that Kiara cheated with Esteban.He couldn't believe anything at first.He didn't want to.He knew that Kiara would never do such a thing.And everything had been going perfectly fine...
But as he thought about all recent interactions,he somehow found himself slowly starting to believe it.Amber could have been right.
"Now,do you believe me?"She asked.
He looked up at her as she slightly leaned down.
And when he gave her an answer,she smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek,leaving his drivers room soon after.

Kiara Wolff

"Hey,you got second,Kiara."Alora said,putting a hand in Kiara's shoulder.
Kiara stood up from her bed,shaking her head."I know,I know..."
"At least you're in the top three here at home."Alora sighed.
Kiara looked at her sister,slowly feeling grateful for her posing at second as Alora mention being fifth.Apparently there was something wrong with her rear wing near the last few laps.
Kiara looked at the the trophy she had gotten for second place.She would put that in her trophy room later on.
"It's okay,Ki."Elijah smiled,coming into her room.
He gave her a hug,saying."You'll get it next year."
She smiled at that,hugging him back."Well,I sure didn't teach you motivation like that."
"I'm clearly the better mentor."Alora winked.
"Get out."Kiara waved her off.
Alora started to leave the room,laughing on her way out.
Elijah moved over to the desk nearby to look at the trophy.It wasn't as big as Max's,obviously.But it was something.Something that showed that she was at least on a podium at her home race.Her last year self would have been proud.
As Elijah looked at the trophy,Kiara pulled out her phone and scrolled through it a little.She smiled at some of the support in the media.
But then she frowned as she came upon one of Max's posts.

Liked by charlesleclerc and 765 354 others

@maxverstappen1 Letting him have some because apparently @kiarawolff wouldn't even let him taste it.
@kiarawolff  Max!!! 😠

Kiara looked up from her phone,her gaze drifting to Elijah nearby.
"Hey,Elijah."She said."Did you do anything today without my permission?"
He put the trophy down,slowly turning around."No...?"
"Hmm."Kiara nodded."I wonder who is this little boy in this picture.He's way too young to be drinking Red Bull."
Elijah lifted an eyebrow,walking over to her.He looked at the phone,seeing the post.
His eyes widened at that."Uhh..."
Kiara sighed."If only they weren't wearing my helmet...Maybe I could tell who this is."
A guilty look came up on his face and he said."I'm going to play outside."
He started to walk off and Kiara smiled,shaking her head.As soon as he left,she laughed a little.