Charlotte
I wake up to Mick shaking me gently. "Come on, Char, we gotta go meet Lance for breakfast," he says, pulling me out of bed.
"Fine," I whine, reluctantly getting up.
"He came up and gave me one of his Aston jackets for you to borrow for as long as this goes on," Mick adds, pointing to the counter where the jacket lies.
I nod, getting up and changing into a sleek black pantsuit, throwing the jacket on over it. We head down to the hotel cafe, the morning light filtering in through the large windows, casting a warm glow over everything.
Mick goes over to order food, and I sit down with Lance, who is already waiting.
"Good morning," I say, yawning and stretching.
"Morning to you too, Char," Lance smiles.
"Just so you know, I don't hate you, contrary to popular belief," I say, grabbing the coffee Mick has just put in front of me. "Thank you," I add, looking up at Mick.
"Oh, I'm surprised. You've kinda just ignored me at outings," Lance replies, looking a bit relieved.
"I don't try to, I just keep getting pulled into different conversations. I never try to ignore anyone. I'm a full-on people pleaser," I explain, sipping my coffee.
Lance nods and eats the last of his breakfast. I scarf down mine, and we all head to the track together. The atmosphere is electric, the buzz of race day in the air.
As we walk towards the paddock, Lance turns to me, looking slightly awkward. "Do you wanna hold hands or just walk together?"
"Whatever is better for you," I say, and he holds out his hand. I take it, and we continue walking.
We chat along the way, Mick heading to the Mercedes garage as we pass it. Lance and I make our way to Aston Martin, noticing Logan glaring at us as we walk past the Williams garage. His intense gaze sends a shiver down my spine, but I shake it off, focusing on the task at hand.
As we walk into the Aston Martin garage, I'm greeted by Seb and Alonso. "Hi, Nando. Hi, Seb," I smile, going over to hug them both.
"Hi, love," Seb says, hugging me tightly. "We have a LOT to talk about."
I nod, and we go sit on Lance's side of the garage, finding a quiet corner.
"Sooo, tell me everything," Seb says, getting straight to the point.
"Ok, straight to the point then, Seb," I laugh. "Well, I reunited with Logan, and you know that story. We were going strong, everything was fine, and then I go home and suddenly find out he cheated on me. I don't understand it because we were doing just fine, but I guess he didn't think so. Then, I find out my mom is dating a new guy already, and suddenly everything is shit. Now I'm 'dating' Lance to make Logan jealous," I ramble, throwing air quotes here and there.
Seb nods, absorbing everything. "Well, if you want, I can talk to Logan. I'm so sorry about your mom, love. I know it's hard, and I know you're not ready for this. As for Lance, spite isn't going to help, but I like the idea." He hugs me again.
"I know. It just feels like I should play the 'two can play at that game' game," I say, my voice trembling slightly.
Seb chuckles, ruffling my hair. "Well, I guess that makes sense, but just remember, if this backfires, I was against it the whole time," he says, letting the hug go as the race starts.
My phone buzzes in one of the many pockets I have. I glance at it to see a bunch of news headlines about Lance and me. I snicker and put my phone away, focusing back on the race.
Unfortunately, Lance has to DNF after 20 laps due to a mechanical failure. Shortly after, Logan crashes, and I feel a wave of fear wash over me, but I resist the urge to text him.
A few minutes later, Lance comes back from his media duties and sits with Seb and me. "Tough race," he says, sighing heavily.
"Yeah, it was," I agree, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me.
The race comes to a close, and we all head to Aston Martin hospitality. We grab some coffee, the rich aroma filling the air, and then go meet up with Mick to head out to dinner.
As the weekend winds down, I decide to make an Instagram post. I select the music feature and choose 'Hurts Like Hell' by Madison Beer, which feels fitting. The post quickly gains attention, and my phone starts blowing up with notifications.
DNI
Lance?
Really?
Also that music choice seems
A little immature
I know what you're doing char
you're an author
The fake dating scenario is obvious
Me
I was gonna text asking if you're ok after that crash
But it seems as though you're just fine clearly
also not everything's about you???
also whatever you think love🥱
DNI
Can we please just talk
and not be immature about this
like hear my side of the story
Me
We'll see how I'm feeling at COTA
TTYL
I sigh, handing my phone to Mick to show him. He rolls his eyes in response.
"Please tell me you're not actually gonna talk to him," he says, his tone filled with concern.
"I might, but I don't know," I reply, taking my fork and stabbing it into a leaf in my salad with a bit more force than necessary.
"Logan?" Lance asks, looking up from his plate. I nod as Mick passes him my phone. Lance laughs, handing it back to me.
"I think you should talk to him honestly," Seb says, his voice calm and steady.
I nod slowly. "Yeah, but like, I need to have my brain clear and in check in order to do that, Seb. Both of these situations have me messed up," I say, my frustration evident.
Seb nods understandingly, and we continue our conversation. The support from my friends offers some solace, but the underlying tension remains. As dinner comes to an end, we all head back to our hotel.
"Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye and hopefully see you soon," I say, sniffling into Seb's shoulder, trying to hold back the tears.
"Trust me, I'll be over during the winter break hopefully," he says, hugging me tight, his embrace warm and comforting.
"You better be," I say, letting go of the hug so Mick could say goodbye.
Seb moves to Mick, and they exchange a few words and a firm handshake before embracing. The bond between them is evident, and I feel a pang of sadness knowing this moment is ending.
Once we say our final goodbyes, Mick and I head up to our room. The weight of the day's events and the emotional toll of the past weeks are heavy on my shoulders. I change into my pajamas, the familiar fabric providing a small measure of comfort. Mick and I exchange a few quiet words before turning off the lights.
YOU ARE READING
There's Twice as Many Stars as Usual| L.S
Fanfiction"There's twice as many stars as usual my love."
