Off the Tracks

Chapter 35- I'll wait for your love.

Riley walked into Friday's practice session with Daniel. They showed up fairly early and watched together when Max was getting ready and having conversation's with the crew surrounding his car. Riley's breath hitched subtly in her throat when Max's eyes found her. He put the conversation that he was having on hold to walk over to Riley.

"Hey," He said when he reached her, he gave Daniel a subtle nod while he walked away, giving him and Riley a moment alone before he had to get in the car. "You look good" he said when his eye's scanned her body quickly.

"Thank you" Riley said quietly feeling her cheeks heat up slightly.

"Let's go for a walk" He said putting his hand on her arm, motioning for her to follow him. Riley's hand wrapped arm his arm when they walked down a long hallway, passing a couple drivers in the process. Max takes them down a small and empty hallway away from the commotion, getting a little quiet for the first time all day.

"I'm sorry about last night" he whispered when they stopped walking. But Riley saw his jaw clench when he forced those words out of his mouth. "I don't want to pressure you into saying it" he told her.

"There's just a lot going on between us right now Max" Riley said looking down that the edge of the hallway. Seeing people pass the entrance while they talked to each other.

"I think we should talk about it after this weekend" He suggested, "Then we can clean up the gray area's between us" he said quietly looking in the direction that Riley was. Max felt Riley's hand find his, and she gently intertwined their finger's.

"That sound's like the best idea so far" She said. Max took the hand that he was holding and brought it up to his shoulder when he was leaning down to press a soft peck on Riley's lips. In the kiss he could feel how fragile their state of being has turned to be.

~~~

Riley and Daniel were sitting in a restaurant around the corner from the race circuit on Saturday to get lunch before qualifying started. They were sitting at a table on a patio outside of the restaurant both picking at their meals while they conversed with each other.

"Have you met Julia yet?" Daniel asked her. Riley thought for a moment before shaking her head. "She must have moved in after you left Monaco"

"Is she a new neighbor?"

"Yeah she invited me over for dinner on Tuesday, she's really nice you'll love her" He said before shoving a couple fries into his mouth.

"Well next time i'm in Monaco I'll have to meet her" Rye says with a smile, moving her fork around the salad that's in front of her.

"Yeah maybe when we land Monday you can come with me instead of Max" he said noticing that Riley stiffened when he said that. "You're not coming back Monday are you" he asked.

"I haven't decided yet" She said quietly, a sense of sadness and despair took over her body for a moment. "I'm just a little homesick right now I think," Riley said, not wanting to give away any details about where her and Max stood in their relationship currently.

"Well I'll tell her all about you in the meantime" Daniel said, resting back fully in his chair trying to move out of the sun's ray of light that was shinning into his eye's.

~~~

Riley and Max's relationship turned to a very delicate state over the next few days. They were treaded on thin ice, and they both knew it. Small pecks here and there, sadness in both of their eyes every time they were together, even more when they were apart. 

They walked into the paddocks together, trying to to avoid eye contact with the cameras that were pointed on them. Riley followed Max back to the drivers room before he was going to be swept away. Tension was light between the both of them. Sitting down on the small bed in the room, Riley watched as Max was moving things around the room.