There's Twice as Many Stars as Usual| L.S

48

Charlotte

It's officially Suzuka race weekend, and I'm finally back in the paddock after another long week of heartbreak. Mick and the girls have been my rock, consoling me through the worst of it. Walking into the paddock feels surreal, like stepping into a different world after being away for so long.

As I walk in with Mick, the press goes crazy, cameras flashing and reporters shouting questions. I can't really blame them, given everything that's happened. We walk down the paddock, smiling and chatting, trying to ignore the chaos around us. I glance over and see Logan looking at me, but I quickly look away and continue my conversation with Mick.
We make our way to the Mercedes garage, instantly met with the team hustling and bustling around, getting ready for qualifying. The energy is electric, and it feels good to be back in this environment.

Carmen spots me and makes her way over. "Weird to see his new girl isn't in the paddock this week," she says, giving me a sympathetic look.

"You know what else is weird? He was staring at me the entire time I was walking with Mick," I reply, shaking my head in disbelief.

Carmen sighs, and we turn our attention to qualifying. We watch as Lewis just outqualifies George, the tension palpable as the session comes to an end. We congratulate them and watch them head off to their media duties.

Carmen and I decide to meet Lily at the Williams hospitality. The walk there is filled with small talk, but my mind keeps drifting back to Logan.

As we sit at a table with Lily, she fills us in on the latest paddock gossip. "Apparently, they stopped talking, which is kind of weird if I'm being honest. How are you gonna cheat on your girlfriend and then end it within two weeks?" Lily says, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"That's so weird, that's not something he'd do normally," I say, concern evident in my voice.

"Well, I wouldn't look too much into it," Alex says, coming up behind Lily. "He did what he did." We watch as Logan books it past us into the motorhome, not even glancing our way.

"Yeah, I guess," I say, taking a sip of my water bottle. Mick comes up behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Hi Mick," I smile, grateful for his presence.

Lily and Alex exchange looks, clearly confused. Mick notices and quickly explains, "Oh, no, she's like my sister, and I usually do this." He reiterates quietly, his eyes softening.

They nod in understanding just as my phone starts blowing up in my pocket. I pull it out to see a flood of texts from Logan.

DNI
can we please talk
seen

Please char.
seen

I can explain
seen

Me
Explain what exactly?
You cheated on me
it's not that hard to understand??

DNI
That's not the whole story.
Seen

I put my phone back down, ignoring Logan's texts. Mick's breathing gets heavier, a clear sign he's pissed off.

"Let me guess, Logan?" Alex asks, his tone tinged with frustration. I nod, showing them the messages.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Lily asks, her voice soft and concerned.

I shake my head, the weight of my decision settling in. "I don't care to hear what he has to say right now. Maybe I'll speak to him at COTA, but I don't know." I put my phone back in my bag, feeling a small sense of relief at making the decision to ignore Logan for now.

They nod in understanding, and we continue our conversation, gradually shifting to lighter topics. It's a welcome distraction, and soon we're heading out to dinner with a few other drivers and their girlfriends. The restaurant is nice, the ambiance warm and inviting. The conversation flows easily, and for a while, I can almost forget about the chaos of the past few weeks.

As we settle into our seats, Mick leans over to me. "Hey love, Seb is asking if you're okay and if he can have your number. He realized he never asked you for it when he visited last and he didn't get a chance to see you today."

"Obviously you can give him my number," I say, a genuine smile spreading across my face. "He's like a second father to me. And yeah, tell him that if I don't see him before we leave Japan, I'm gonna be mad at him."

Mick nods, typing away on his phone. A moment later, he looks up with a smile. "He said he'll watch the Grand Prix with you tomorrow from the paddock club if you want."

I nod enthusiastically, feeling a warmth spread through me. "That sounds perfect," I say, my smile growing wider. Just then, my phone buzzes again.

I glance at it, half-expecting another message from Logan, but it's a text from Seb.

unknown
Hi Charlotte:)
Still upset I didn't catch you today

'Unknown' changed to Seb :)

Me
We'll have a long conversation tomorrow
during the race I promise

Seb:)
We better
I need details of everything
But I'll text you and mick later
Get back to dinner

I smile and put my phone away, turning my attention back to the conversation with Daniel. The restaurant's warm ambiance and the friendly chatter help me feel at ease, even if just for a little while.

Mick nudges my shoulder, breaking my focus. "What?" I ask, pulling myself out of the conversation.

"We have a stupid plan, but we think it'll work," Mick says, pointing between himself, Lance, and a few other drivers.

"Go on," I nod, curious.

"So, what if you were to hang around Lance and kind of do a fake dating thing?" he suggests.

I choke on my water, caught completely off guard. "Excuse me?"

"I know I'm not your favorite," Lance chimes in, looking a bit sheepish, "but it'll give you a reason to be in the Aston Martin garage with Seb, and it'll probably make Logan jealous."

I take a moment to process the idea, my mind racing. "Okay, fine. I'm down," I say, surprising even myself with my willingness. "Does Seb know about this?"

Mick shakes his head. "As far as he knows, he's just your friend, but he's definitely glad you'll be in the garage tomorrow."

I nod, considering the plan. "As long as we're just being close but not all lovey-dovey, it should be fine."

"Oh yeah, no worries," Lance assures me. "The farthest we'd go is hugging and maybe a few dates. Hopefully, that'll make Logan notice what he did."

"It's a deal then," I say, smiling as I hand him my phone to put his number in. Lance nods, entering his contact details and handing my phone back. I return to my conversation with Daniel, who has been listening in with a bemused expression.

Dinner eventually wraps up, and we all head back to the hotel. The cool night air is refreshing as we walk, the city's lights twinkling around us. As we walk into the lobby, I spot Logan walking out. Our eyes meet, and for a brief moment, the world seems to stand still. Mick gently tugs my arm, and we continue to our room.

"Wonder where he's going," I say, confused.

"Looked like he was going for a run, honestly," Mick replies.

"Wouldn't be surprised," I say, unlocking our room. The familiar comfort of the space wraps around me as I step inside.

I grab a pair of pajama pants and a shirt to sleep in, changing quickly. The events of the day whirl in my mind, but exhaustion soon takes over. I slip into bed, feeling the weight of everything finally start to lift, if only just a bit.