Invulnerable - A Bearman and Bustamante Story

8.

Bianca watched the whole fiasco unfold on the screen of her phone. She was lost for words, but was sure that she felt one thing. Rage. She stormed through the paddock, her heart pounding with a mix of anger, betrayal, and disbelief. Spotting Lando in the distance, she couldn't contain the surge of emotions within her. Without a second thought, she closed the gap, her hand connecting with a resounding slap against Lando's cheek.

"Lando Norris, what the fuck did you think you're doing?" Bianca seethed, her eyes ablaze with fury. "You had no right to throw Ollie under the bus like that! What kind of friend are you?"

Lando, taken aback by the unexpected assault, stammered to find words. "Bianca, I—"

"No, don't 'Bianca, I-' me," she retorted. "You ruined Ollie's reputation without even considering the consequences. Me and Ollie were teammates, friends, and it may hurt that he cheated but I can live with that! He clearly didn't love me anymore."

The gravity of his actions sank in as Lando met Bianca's eyes. The fallout was immediate — his decision had consequences far beyond the paddock.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Lando whispered, regret tainting his voice.

"Right thing?" Bianca scoffed. "This is not your story to tell. You had no right to air our dirty laundry in public. You've lost my trust, Lando."

The air hung heavy with the weight of the shattered friendship as Bianca walked away, leaving Lando to contemplate the repercussions of his impulsive revelation.

But amidst the tumult that had engulfed the paddock, Ollie Bearman found himself alone behind the Ferrari hospitality area, a solitary figure contemplating the ruins of his personal and public lives. The echoes of Lando's truth-bomb wouldn't leave his mind, casting a shadow on his sugarcoated view of his current relationship with Bianca.

As Ollie wrestled with his emotions, the unexpected sound of footsteps approached. He jerked his head in the direction of the movement to find Bianca, her expression a mix of empathy and concern. Without a word, she embraced him. This warm embrace from the girl he had caused so much pain to, caused him to crack. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

"I never meant for this to happen," Bianca admitted. "I didn't think Lando would tell anyone. I saw you and her and I broke. I ran to Lando and I spilled everything. He thought you deserved to be publicly shamed."

"I do." was the silent mutter that returned. "I shouldn't have cheated, Bianca. I let you down, and I can't even explain why."

Bianca, now holding his arms, responded with a gentleness that momentarily soothed Ollie's pain. "Ollie, we both made mistakes. Maybe it's time to own our truths."

Ollie began to unravel the tangled reasons behind his actions. "I felt lost, Bianca. The pressure of the championship, the expectations—I thought it would be an escape, a way to take racing out of my life for that brief moment. A reset before I dove back into the chaos. But I see now that it only pushed us further apart."

Bianca listened, her heart heavy with the weight of understanding. "Ollie, cheating was never the solution. And to be honest... you did deserve better than me. I am glad you moved on and that you found someone." She smiled and got up.

"But I don't want someone better. I want you back, Bia." Ollie whispered, just as Bianca walked out of earshot.