Always By Your Side

brazil

"what movie" i shout to charles as he brushes his teeth

"can we just watch modern family" he asks

"but its movie night" i complain

"please" he says giving me puppy eyes as he gets into bed

"ugh fine" i say as i put it on my laptop

"what time did your meetings finish" he asks as we watch

"uhm im not sure i left before the rest of the team" i say

"so max is still there" he asks his shoulders tensing up

"Probably not why" i ask

"nothing, jusy wondering" he says

"are you sure, you seem tense" i say placing my hands on his shoulders and pushing him back to sit comfortably

"im fine"

"no you're not"

"yes i am, now let me enjoy the movie in peace" he says

"its a show, and you're not fine you keep asking stupid questions that i dont know the answers to" i say staring at him

"what's wrong" i ask

"its the race, im worried about it. If i win then i win my first championship and that would be a big thing but if max wins then i have to win abu dhabi or i lose the championship to him" he say

"that's why you asked if he was still in meetings you were stressed about him having a better outcome tomorrow" i say and he nods

"look charles as much as i love max and he's my teammate and all at the end of the day i will always be your biggest supporter no matter what and of course it would be nice for max to win but i know how much it would mean to you and how it's your biggest dream. its a fight charles, but i know you and i know you're a fighter. Now tomorrow all you need to focus on is the finish line, well and max and i biting your ass from behind too. But still focus on the finish line" i say and he smiles

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you could sense the tense air in the paddock interviewers kept asking questions about the race and the strategy. It felt wrong for me to be wishing charles luck when max was watching but if i didn't it would feel like i was stabbing charles in the back. Christian tried to lift maxes mood by giving him a pep talk i guess but it didn't really work he was still looking nervous and a bit angry

Usually a joke would lift his mood but he was really tense. I tried my best but nothing seemed to work with him.

"max come with me" i say

"what lynn i'm not in the mood" he says

"just follow me" i say as i walk out behind the garage and sit on the floor while he stares at me with his arms crossed

"well are you just going to stand there or sit next to me" i say and he sits

"did you bring any candy" he asks and i hand him some gummy bears making him laugh

"there you go, finally a laugh out of you" i say

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" leclerc 1 second ahead" i hear over the radio

"and max" i ask

"he has a 0.5 second gap to max he is going for the overtake now" Hannah says

i watch ahead as i see max take the lead knowing he was in the lead of the race was exciting and good. Then i saw the red car in front of me knowing that was charles and how he's probably losing hope of his dreams. It's like im having an internal conflict i don't know weather to be happy for max or feel bad for charles.

But the feeling worsens when charles overtakes max again a few laps ahead. It's like i could almost hear him swearing from the car ahead. Then he had to pit so the gap to charles increased even more and it was impossible for him to take back the lead of the race. Seeing charles cross the finish line first but feeling only guilty and shitty for max was probably one of the worst feelings i have ever felt. Pulling into parc ferme and seeing charles jump out and celebrate while max sat in his car not moving.

"I won lynn, i won" charles says as he hugs me and spins me around

"you did i'm so proud of you charlie" i say loudly through my helmet

i quickly walk over to max and rub his shoulder in comfort and he shoves me off walking to do his interview and then straight to the cooldown room.

"well don't max it was a good fight" charles says to him offering his hand to shake and max accepts it

"congratulations charles you deserve it" max says standing up and hugging charles all of this while i sat in the corner drinking my water hoping a fight wouldn't erupt.

"we are ready to have you guys on the podium" an FIA official says to us and we walk out the room and up the stairs to the podium. I give max a reassuring smile and a quick hug before his name get called out and he walks out onto the podium. I turn to charles before i walk out and smile at him as i see his big cheesy grin. I watch as charles lightly sways his shoulders while they play his anthem and he throws his trophy up in the air before catching it again and he picks up the champagne bottle and aims it at me and i laugh as i get sprayed. We walk off the podium drenched in champagne with big grins on our faces. He holds me by my waist as we walk around the paddock with cheesy smiles on our faces while people congratulate him. This has been our dream since we were kids and he finally achieved it. I can't help but get pulled away from all the happiness for a moment when i spot max sitting on the floor head in his hands and christian sat beside him comforting. It felt like everything was going in slow motion when i stopped walking to stare at the moment everyone celebrating around the paddock but my eyes were stuck to them.

"whats wrong lynnie" charles asks me as he stops walking 

"i have... i have  to go charles" i say to him

"why what's wrong" he says looking at me confused

"i'm so extremely proud and happy for you, but he just lost the championship, he needs his best friend right now. I promise we can celebrate later" i say before giving him a quick kiss and running off to max

"max..."

"i'll leave you two to it" christian says rubbing maxs shoulder before getting up and walking away 

"whats wrong max" i ask him as i place my head on his shoulder, I jump back when he tosses his helmet across the floor 

"calm down max, calm down" i say as i take his hands into mine and feel them shaking 

"let go of my lynn, leave me alone, everyone leave me alone" He says with an angry tone trying to free his hands from mine

"no max, i'm staying now tell me whats wrong" i say and his hands relax 

"i..i... i lost...and... and my dad.... he... he isnt going to be happy... lynn...please help me" he says stuttering looking like he's about to cry and i hug him tightly and feel his arms wrap around me tightly

"your dad wont hurt you max, that was a long time ago. Im sure he is proud of you okay. No one is going to hurt you, i will protect you" i say to him 

"lets go now, theres a lot of photographers" i say getting up and giving him a hand to get up and he holds onto it tightly as we walk back to the hospitality photographers following us and journalists asking questions. Stupid questions that don't matter.