Double Sided Tracks

Open House

Off season is for sure his favourite time of the year, it's like Christmas for three months straight. He's been travelling around in the beginning of the break, spending weeks doing nothing and just (well deserved and well needed) resting.

He asked Nora to join him in Monaco for the last week of his break, before he's needed back at the factory, back to the sim, back preparing himself to be beaten by Red Bull again. He is exhausted, not physically, but mentally-which is worse. Having Nora's presence helped, but at some point he needs to have a conversation with himself. Admitting that maybe this isn't something he wants to do anymore, racing is not forever, he knows that. Thinking about it is scary, as scary as admitting that maybe he needs Nora.

Angela was right, and he can hear her voice in his head. Nothing new, she's been his moral compass' voice for the past 8 months.

Nora has a room in a hotel 2 minutes away from his penthouse, she also rents a car (she refused to borrow Lewis' car) so she and Angela can have a girls day trip tomorrow. She rarely spends time in her hotel room, mostly at his penthouse then they would walk back so she can sleep there. They both just came from doing grocery shopping, Angela somewhere in Monte-Carlo doing god knows what. Nora seemed to know what she's doing, the way they were giggling and whispering. He couldn't even be annoyed about it, he loves seeing Angela and Nora being friends.

They were talking about the new season in the car, and how she couldn't come to a lot of his races this year. "You didn't come to a lot last year, either." He had said and Nora scrunched her eyebrows at that, "I know, I know. School." He said, and he didn't mean it in an unkind way, truth be told he was feeling slightly insecure and maybe needing reassurance from her.

"Well, school and the fact that it's a lot of travelling. Qatar is far from everywhere," she joked and Lewis nodded, leaving it at that.

They got in his penthouse, and Angela is still not here. They were supposed to train together, that's why she's also here, though Lewis knows she's here because of Nora as well. Nora thanked him softly when he set all the groceries bags on the counter, "no problem, sweetheart." He smiled watching her opening the bags and immediately sorting the stuff out, she looks so comfortable and at home.

He wants this, he wants her to be here, he wants her to stay in this house and he knows he's selfish. But, he wants to come home to her being here.

"Move to Monaco." He said abruptly before he could stop himself, Nora who was rummaging through the bags stopped and stared at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You said that travelling from Qatar is too difficult, so move to Monaco." He said. "I want to come home to you," 

please?

Nora stared at the onion that she had in her palm, he could see her gulping. Taking her time to think of an answer, "I'm not going to give up everything for you, that's crazy." Nora said, and oh that hurts. "not without clear intention. You're stringing me along, don't think I don't know what you're doing." she continued, and oh– she looks angry and upset. She has a point but Lewis wasn't expecting this. He was expecting her to be excited and maybe agreeing immediately, he should've known better.

"Stringing you along— what, I'm not stringing you along." Lewis said, and really today is really a bad day to have this conversation. He's not ready. You're never ready, you have an issue. His brain supplied unhelpfully.

"Okay, so tell me exactly what you want from me." Nora said, walking from the kitchen island to where he's been leaning on, standing in front of him with arms crossed. "Tell me exactly where this is going." She gestures to the space where they're standing apart.