Racing for her heart

26

This has not been edited.

Lana's point of view

As I'm leaving the restaurant, I hear a female voice calling my name, "Lana!!" I turn around, being met with Katalina, "Lina, hi."

She looks around, before pulling me back inside, and dragging me to the Ladies' room. "You need to watch out," She says cold and seriously. I widen my eyes, offendedly, "Excuse me?"

Her eyes widen, "No, No, Not like that," She pauses, sitting on the tile of the bathroom floor, "I'm not the woman you need to be aware of." I give her a confused look, "Katalina, What are you talking about?" She stands back up, glancing around the restroom, confirming no one else is there with us. She locks the door to the room, sits back down, and then looks at me, "I don't know what you and Charles are exactly, but I do know that you're more than friends. And, as someone who wants to be your friend, I need you to pull out your phone, and go to Google."

I nod, sitting down, doing the task she asked of me, "Okay, done. Now what, what do you want me to do?" She sighs softly, then holds her hand out, signaling me to give her my phone.

I quickly give it to her, and she starts typing, then stops. She passes the phone back to me, "Here, read this." I take the phone in my hands, and read the search bar, " 'Who is Charles Leclerc's Girlfriend?' Lina, did someone take photos of me and Charles at the hospital, I'm so confused."

She frowns at me, "Just keep reading, if you read what pops up, you'll understand why I told you to watch out." I nod, then read the shocking news report that Google gave me, " 'Charles Leclerc does it again! He's moved on from his, (Now ex) girlfriend, Charlotte Sine! And He's now dating one of her very close friends, and model Alexandra. Alexandra puts on a pretty face in front of the cameras, but does she really want to be at the paddock? Click here to find out!' " I gasp, my eyes getting full of tears, as Lina pulls me in for a hug, "It's okay, You can let it out. I'm sorry I had to be the one who told you, Lana."

Only a single tear escaped.

I haven't cried in front of many people, I try not to cry in front of people. I thought it made me look weak, and one thing I know is, I am not weak. "That must be why she was shooting glares at me the entire lunch, isn't it? Does she know that Charles and I talked," I ask, pulling away from Lina's embrace.

"No, she just sees you as a threat, really any new woman in the paddock. But, if she finds out that you and Charles were, are, or ever could be a 'thing,' " She pauses, "She will try to ruin you. She'll come for your family, friends, your career. Everything."

I bite my bottom lip and let out a deep breath. "Thank you," I pause, as she furrows her eyebrows in confusion, "thank you for telling me." She then, gives me a weak smile, "I know we haven't known each other for very long, but, No one deserves to be the other woman. Trust me, I know how it feels, I've been one."

I let out a small chuckle to myself,  then ask her, "Can I tell you a secret, and you promise not to tell?" She smiles at me, then holds her pinky out, "I pinky swear."

"I'm going to skip my whole life story, we would need to be somewhere else for that, but anyways," I pause, as she listens, "Out of everything I've ever done in my life, I've only found a few things therapeutic." She gives me a confused look, silently asking me, 'What?'

"I used to race and sing. I've written a couple, no, scratch that, like a million, and one of them is called 'The Other Woman.' So, I guess we have something in common then, huh?"

She gives me a sad smile, "Unfortunately So," She pauses, taking in a deep breath, "How about a secret for a secret, If you promise not to tell." I nod my head, and do the same actions she had done earlier, "I pinky swear."

"Me and Carlos aren't dating."

I give her a confused look, "What do you mean, You introduced yourself as Carlos' girlfriend. Everyone who sat at the table knows that you two are dating." She closes her eyes, blinking back tears, "It's not real. I wish it was, but it's not."

I return the same sad smile she gave me earlier, "Oh, Lina, come here." I pull her into a tight hug, similar to the one she had also given me earlier. She starts to silently cry, pulling around me tighter.

She looks up at me, "How- Why-"She stutters, not being able to get the words out. I run my fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down, "Take three deep breaths, then try to talk."

As she does the task, she slowly stops crying. She gives me another hug, "I have so many questions, first, how do you know how to do that? And don't say something like you just do. Lana, look at me," She pauses, as we make eye contact, "Look, whether you like it or not, you are now my friend. I care about you, and I want to learn about you."

I nod my head, signaling her to continue. She starts to speak, but her phone rings, interrupting her. She answers the phone, saying, "Give me just a second." She then mutes the phone, and turns back to me, "Lana, We are having dinner tonight. I will message you on Instagram with the details. But for now, stay away from Charles. That will get you off Alex's back. And also, you will be telling me where you learned to calm people down."

I nod my head, and then  she unlocks the bathroom door, "Bye Lana, I will see you later today." I smile at her, "I'll see you later, Lina." and with that, she left me alone in the bathroom."