The Secret of Us // Oscar Piastri

49

"Why did I let Lando pick the place?" Casey asked, more to herself than anyone else as she walked into the loud and busy club that Casey could barley see in from all the flashing colour of the lights. "Because I can get us the VIP treatment." Lando gloated with a smug smile, making Casey roll her eyes as she followed him and everyone else up the stairs of the club and into the VIP section.

When Casey reached the top of the stairs, arms wrapped around her and lips pressed on her forehead. She was taken back for a second, confused as to who it was until the familiar scent filled her senses. "Oscar?"Casey questioned as she pulled back. "What are you doing here?" She asked, confused to his presence. "You think I'd miss my girlfriend's album release celebration? I also did just win for my first race so..." Oscar told her with a big smile and she cringed at his use of the word 'girlfriend'.

Casey wanted nothing more than to be his girlfriend, but she just wasn't cut out for his world. "I need to go and do something." Casey made up and excuse, moving to leave. "Oh, I'll come with you." Oscar said, making a move to follow her. "Uh, it's a private thing." Casey was quick to say, putting her arms up to stop his move forward. "Okay, I'll be at the booth over there then." Oscar said with a straight smile, pointing to the table in the far corner of the floor they were on.

Casey was quick to speed away from him and find Audrey and Rowan, pulling them into the bathroom with her. "What are you doing?" Audrey asked, not particularly happy about being pulled against her will into the toilets. "I can't even be in here, this is the girls'." Rowan said, looking around the bathroom like he had no idea what a women's restroom looked like.

"I didn't know that by sleeping with Oscar he'd think I was his girlfriend." Casey let out with a breath she didn't know she was holding, let herself rest against the fall with a pained look on her face. Both Audrey and Rowan's faces softened as they realised that their friend was upset. "But what he did at the race was super cute?" Audrey questioned and Casey sighed, looking down at her nails as she picked them. "All that did was reassure me that I am not cut out for his world." Casey said, looking up at her friends. "How am I supposed to tell him?" Casey asked, tears in her eyes.

"Casey, you and Oscar are meant to be together." Audrey said, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. Audrey was a little drunk so she maybe wasn't the best person for Casey to consult. "But we're not. We're too different. And I am just not enough for him or for his fans." Casey huffed out, running a hand through her hair.

"You don't really believe that do you?" Rowan scoffed. He hadn't had a drink yet, shockingly, so he was the most sober among them. "Do you really think people would be hating on me like they are if I was wrong?" Casey asked as thought back to all the comments on her social media, the looks when she walked through the paddock, and the 'slut' heckling.

"Casey, every wag gets hated on." Rowan said, closing the space between them to put his hands on either side of her arms. "It doesn't mean what they say is true." He added and Casey's head was a mess. It was spinning like crazy and the bathroom almost felt like it was closing in on her. "I need air." Casey said, speeding past her friends to leave the bathroom.

She was making her way down the stairs of the club when she bumped into someone. As she looked up, she saw a familiar face. "Jessie?" Casey asked, seeing the red hair and freckled face of Logan's younger sister. "Casey, right?" Jessie asked after nodding. "Yeah." Casey smiled. "Sorry for bumping into you." She said before pointing to the girls' bathroom behind her. "Rowan is in there." She added and Jessie scrunched her face up. "He's in the women's restroom?" She questioned and Casey chuckled as she realised how that looked. Casey nodded as she passed her, carrying on down the stairs.

Soon Casey felt the cool breath of Hungry's late night air on her face. She enjoying a moment to herself when her brother's voice filled her ears. "Case, why are you hanging around outside?" He asked with Carmen on his arm, having just arrived at the club. "Oscar's here."Casey said to Carmen and her face was quick to soften. "Am I missing something?" George asked, looking between the two of them. "I thought you and him were good now?" He added and Casey let out a sigh as she shook her head.