𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 ~ | 𝘔𝘢𝘹 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯

045 || Proud

It took longer for me to recover than I had expected. 

Three weeks, to be exact. I missed two races. Fortunately for me, Max didn't do well in these two races, so I wasn't that far behind him. I could still catch up.

I was getting sick of the questions. Reporters kept asking me if my crash had traumatized me and if I was scared to get in the car. I wasn't scared. I actually longed to get back in the car. I worked almost nonstop to get myself better over the past month.

There were ten races left in the season.

I would prove them all wrong. It was like something inside me had just snapped. I was sick of the comments and sick of the pityful looks people gave me. Even my friends kept asking if I was okay every two minutes.

The only one who didn't show me any pity was Max. I didn't want his pity. After the crash, he barley even looked in my direction. I had thought we were getting somewhere, but no. He was going back to the cold, hostile Max that I despised. He acted like nothing happened. He acted like he didn't even know me.

Good riddence.

I was done with him. I was so fucking done. Done with his stupid mood swings. He would act like I was the only person that mattered in the universe one second, and then the next, he wouldn't even know me. I was done crying over him. I wanted to go back to hating him the way I did at the beginning, but I just couldn't. Everything had changed. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Christian was pissed to see that we had gone back to our old habits. We fought on track, pushing each other to the very end. We fought off-track, yelling until our voices were hoarse. I hated it. I hated him. But it confused me. Our rivalry pushed me to achieve things I had never thought I could.

I won four races in a row.

I had never felt prouder. I was only one point behind him now. Everything I had hoped for all my life had built up to this moment. This was it.

Abu Dhabi.

"All you have to do is finish above him. It doesn't matter if it's P1 or P10. Just keep him behind you." Daniel held my shoulders firmly. We were standing on the grid, about to get in the car.

"I know, man." I chuckled. He frowned.

"You seem calm. Are you okay?" He looked me up and down. I sighed and nodded.

"I am, actually." I smiled. I was. For the first time ever, I felt relaxed. I had always felt even a little nervous before a race, but today I felt completely calm.

"That's good." He nodded with a small smile. We just looked at each other for a moment. "I'm so proud of you, Brina. You've been through so much, and to be where you are now is just incredible. I'm so proud." He said after a bit, his voice going quiet.

"Don't get emotional on me now, Riccardo." I chuckled, patting his chest. He chuckled with a quick sniff.

"I wasn't getting emotional." He cleared his throat. I laughed.

"Mhm." I gave him a playful nudge with my shoulder.

"I have to go now. But I'll be watching and cheering you on from inside." He told me, glancing over my shoulder to where Heidi was waiting for him. I smiled and nodded.

"See you at the podium." I winked. He laughed.

"A little cocky, don't you think?" He handed me my helmet. I smiled.

"Just the right amount." I told him. He grinned that radiant grin that I loved so dearly. With a quick movement, he dipped down to place a quick kiss on my cheek before walking away.