Forbidden

33. Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Max and Olivia had been nice to each other the rest of the day. Olivia continued to do her work at Red Bull, and sometimes they would smile to each other or make small comments in casual conversation. But for Olivia there was a pain in her chest to know they both felt a certain way for each other and couldn't show it, couldn't be together. The fact that they were stuck in the world of co-working politeness was killing her.

After she got back to the hotel she went straight for a run. It just helped her to stop thinking about Max, it was the best way to clear her head. After a few weeks of running everyday she was getting better. This time she was able to run the entire time instead of having to walk on her way back. Once she was back at the hotel, while she was having a shower she thought about everything that had been said that morning. Max loved her, that should've made her feel over-the-moon happy but instead it only made her feel more frustrated. Why was all of this so unfair?

Saturday was the first sprint race of the season and to Olivia's surprise, Ashley was in the paddock once again. Was she there to support Max or to keep an eye on Olivia and him? Liv tried to stay as far away from Ashley as possible, but Ashley always seemed to find a way to seek her out.

"Liv! Hey!" she said with a smile as she walked over to her on the paddock, Liv kept walking but she caught up to her.

"Hey" said Liv a little too coldly. She knew she had to pretend like she knew nothing about what was going on between Ashley and Max, she also had to pretend like she didn't care about Max; but looking at Ashley she had the intense need to knock some sense into her head. With a wall. She had to remind herself that Ashley was pregnant and that she would probably get fired if she did something like that.. and be sent to jail. So now was the time for her to act like she didn't know anything at all.

Ashley walked quickly next to her "I know why you have been avoiding me Liv" she said calmly. This caught Olivia's attention, she was more alert now.

"I am not avoiding you Ashley, I'm just working" she said still in a cold tone of voice, she just couldn't help herself.

"This is about Max" said Ashley. Liv stopped walking and turned to Ashley with an expressionless face. She wasn't going to let Ashley win. She was baiting.

"What about Max?" said Liv like she couldn't care less about anything related to him.

Ashley was trying to read her face for a moment, then she said "About when he yelled at you. We all heard it. You have been avoiding me since then".

"Listen Ashley if Max was an asshole to me that really has nothing to do with you; but when I'm in the paddock and the garage I am working, so I'm sorry if I can't really hang out and 'be a WAG' with you" said Liv, her stare was cold and there was not an ounce of amicability in her tone of voice. Ashley's face was slightly offended but she tried brushing it off.

From outside the Mercedes motor home, Lewis saw Liv talking to Ashley and decided to interfere; because he knew no one could turn people to stone just by looking at them, but it sured seemed like Olivia was trying.

"Liv I didn't mean you had to be a WAG, I just meant that's usually the women that hang out at the paddock" said Ashley rolling her eyes and acting like it had all been a joke.

"I.." Liv started saying, about to blow up when Lewis got there and put his arm around her, starting to walk with her.

"Sorry, I'm gonna have to steal her for a moment" Lewis called out to Ashley.

Ashley smiled at him brightly "No worries, we'll catch up later Liv!" she said like they were just having a friendly conversation.

Lewis whispered into her ear as they walked with his arm around her "Liv you cannot shoot lasers from your eyes, so stop trying" he said with a chuckle, Olivia felt her body ease up. She didn't realize she looked so tense that Lewis had to come to her rescue, she let out a small laugh.