Turbulence [𝗠.𝗩.]

Spain, Free Day, June

Max and Jessica DATING??? #Maxica? #Jessax? #Maci? - @Kelly33

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SPAIN
7TH RACE WEEKEND OF THE SEASON TOMORROW
JUNE

It's not looking good for the race weekend. The rain has been pouring for hours, leaving Mick and I reluctant to leave the hotel.

I've no idea what Mick's up to, but I'm lying on the bed, huddled up in an oodie that makes me look shorter than I already am. The TV is on something, some channel, I don't really care what. It's background noise so that I don't go insane with only my thoughts for company.

But eventually, things get to me. And I have to find someone to talk to. Normally, I'd pick James, but I have a feeling he might not keep his mouth shut over this. I could ask Cassandra, but something in me thinks I should choose a guy friend. I throw a text out to someone that I think might be the best person to go to over all this.

Jess the Loser (Me);
Need advice. Don't tell anyone.

Liam the Loser;
Who did you kill?

I start to type a reply, but I don't send it. How do I begin to explain myself without sounding like a total idiot?

Liam the Loser;
If you killed Gunther, I'll get Yuki to help hide the body :)

I stare at my unsent text, sighing. I know why I don't want to send it: I'm secretly afraid he'll show someone. I delete it, writing something else instead:

Jess the Loser (Me);
Room 206. Get over here quickly.
Don't let anyone see you.

Liam the Loser;
I'll bring flowers and wine ;)

It takes Liam less than half an hour to show up. I let him into the hotel room, and he does have a red rose to give to me, cackling at my dead stare. I shut the door behind him, sighing because I don't want to argue with Liam. He has no idea what I'm about to dump on him. I put the rose on the pale wooden bedside table as he sits himself down on the king-size white bed, leaning back on his hands, totally unaware of what's going on.

"Have you uh... has Daniel been saying anything weird to you lately? About me?"

That was not the best way to start this. I'm already regretting it. Christ. Liam's relaxed posture vanishes; he leans forward, elbows on his knees, brows furrowed. Fuck.

"Is this about him trying to set you up with Max?"

I can't hide my shock. Liam knows.

"Yeah... yeah it is. How do you know?"

"He told me. Tried to get me in on it from your side. I told him to knock it off, 'cause it's a bit weird to try and make your friends date, even weirder when one of them is someone you've not known that long."

I feel the tension leave me instantly. Liam gets it. He understands how weird it is. I sit down next to him and sigh at the reality of it all. It's just so... weird. I came to Formula 1 to race, not to be caught up in this kind of insanity.

"Charles is helping him, I think. He made Max drive me to the airport."

"Fuck's sake." Liam mumbles through his sigh, nostrils flaring as he rolls his eyes. Without warning, he turns, pulling one leg up onto the bed, ankle resting on the opposite knee. "Right. Jess. Do you like Max?"

"What?"

What????

"You heard me. Do you like him like that? 'Cause if you don't, I'm gonna make those two knock it the fuck off right now."

"I... I don't know. We get on well, and besides, he's not interested anyway. I'm just trying to make it through my goddamn rookie season, I don't even know where Daniel got this idea from or why Charles joined in or, hell, why Max is letting them do this—"

"Holy fuck, Jess. You're blind." Liam's rolling his eyes at me, pinching the bridge of his nose, and all I can do is stare dumbly at him. I thought I had it figured out: Daniel and Charles are being bloody weird, probably because I'm the only woman on the grid and they think they know what's best for their friend.

"What? What am I missing?"

"Right." He puts his hands on my forearms, locking me into place with a serious stare. "How many times have you hung out with him?"

"A few?"

"What did you two talk about?"

"Uh, just stuff. Why?"

"What did you talk about?" He says slowly, his stare hardening. I feel anxiety creep up and make me start to panic.

"Uh, his cats, Esteban being my sort-of-friend but not really, how I race, that half the internet thinking George is cheating on his girlfriend with me, my car, uh..."

"Jess. You are my best friend and I love you but you are so stupid." His grip on my arms tightens a little and I'm only now realising I've lost complete control of this conversation. I'd wanted his advice on how to deal with Daniel and Charles being unwanted wingmen, but now it's gone to the other thing, the thing that's been rattling around my head here and there. "Do you know why Daniel and Charles are doing this?"

"Because they're fascinated by a woman on the grid for the first time in forever. I'm a shiny new toy to them—"

"Okay, scratch that. When did you and Max first hang out? What were you doing?"

"He took me out to lunch— oh. Oh no."

Oh fucking hell.

My mind has finally allowed it all to click. And I don't know how to react. I feel stupid, mostly. It's not like I'm utterly devoid of any understanding of relationships: I've had a few. I'm no wilting flower. It's just that I've always been given clear signals, and only now am I realising Max's confusing friendly-but-maybe-something-more signals might have been him trying to see if I was interested in him.

"Right. Jess, do you like him? At all?" Liam's repeating the earlier question, and I don't have an answer.

"I—... I dunno. We get on well, I think. He's been nothing but nice to me. But he said he was just trying to make me feel welcomed—"

"Jess. Stop getting in your own head. Do you like spending time with him? More than you do with anyone else?"

"Yeah, kinda." My admission is slow, I feel guilty in a way for saying it. And I don't know why. "He doesn't even poke fun at me for things you guys would, and that's not because I think you're being mean, it's just he doesn't do it at all and it's kinda nice because I'm so insecure all the time whenever I'm not racing—"

Liam's hands move to my shoulders, cutting my words short. He shakes me gently, heaving out a sigh through a smile. "Here's what we're gonna do: I'm gonna tell Daniel and Charles to quit it. They're making your little anxiety brain go into overdrive. You are going to focus on the race, and nothing else."

"What about all this?"

"Well, you can either go and talk to him or you can just let it play out. You've got nothing to lose here."

I let out a slow breath, only now realising my anxiety was making me stop breathing normally. I try to gather my thoughts as Liam stares at me with determination, but I really don't know what to do.

"I think... I think I have some ideas." I'm lying, I have none. None at all. "But first, you're right, we have a race weekend to get through."