She's back ~ L. Hamilton

74. | Trouble

I wake up the next morning to my phone ringing.

Annoyed, I pick it up and answer it.

It's Tasha

"Wilson are pulling out" she says straight away, which wakes me up straight away, making me sit up in the bed "I thought you'd want to know sooner rather than seeing it online when you woke up"

I want to scream, or to throw the phone or to bury my head in my pillow, but I don't "okay, i understand. Is there anyone left sponsoring me?"

"Nike. And they're not going anywhere. Trust me. They called to say that. They have full faith in you. They know for a fact you're going to win a title, and they said they want to be your sponsor when you do"

"Great. Well, after I win a title, and all these brands that have pulled out in the last few months come crawling back, make sure you tell them to fuck off. From now on Nike will be my one and only sponsor, I will be their ambassador and it's the only brand I'll recommend from now on"

"Sounds good. But remember Delaney, I warned you that this could happen. And you told me it was worth a shot"

"Yes" I say "yes I did"

"It's all going to work out"

"Yeah" I say, but neither of us sound too convinced

A few hours later, I do my best to put it behind me as we all get on the plane to Australia.

I switch seats with my uncle, who was sitting next to Lewis. He doesn't tease me or raise an eyebrow-which I appreciate and he takes my spot on the armchair I was sitting in near the front.

"Dam" Lewis mumbles as I sit down in my uncles seat next to him and I look up at him in response "who knew Delaney Ricciardo would be desperate to sit beside me"

"I've never been desperate for a person in my life" I say, letting out a small laugh the end

"Except for me apparently, the unfasten your seatbelts sign was on for what, like thirty seconds before you and your uncle switched" A smug smile was firmly on his face as he looked down at me "I think it's time to admit, you're obsessed with me"

"In your dreams" I scoff

"No need hiding your feeling Darling, you can't get enough of me"

"The day that happens, is the day a meteor hits the earth"

He leaned towards me slightly, leaning on the large armrest between us, but leaning slightly over it as his smile grew "I read somewhere once that rocks from space hit the earth on average once every two weeks. And rocks like that would be classified - technically - as meteorites"

"Oh yeah" I say, mirroring his movements and leaning into him "where did you read that, let me guess, a comic book?"

"Do I look like the type of guy to read a comic book?" He whispers, he didn't need to talk any louder, we were sitting so closely, only centimetres separating our faces in this game of chicken

"Yes" I say, laughing as I did "yes you do"

"Wow" he says, grinning "and what type of books do you read? Other than your uncles tennis book"

"Oh I read loads of romance books actually"

"Loads?"

"Hundreds" I said, sarcasm lacing my words and I couldn't help but smile as I spoke

"What type of romance books"

"Oh wouldn't you love to know" I say, and with that, I bring my hand up to his shoulder and push him back into his seat and I sit back into mine

"I'm wounded" he says, holding his heart almost like he's been shot

"I'm sure you'll survive - unfortunately"

"Whatever" he jokes, moving around in his seat to get comfortable and linking his fingers over his chest "I've waited long enough, guess I can wait another two weeks for a meteor to hit"

"You're such an idiot"

Wait.....

He said, he's waited long enough

"You've waited long enough?" I say, glancing over at him and turning my head to the side "meaning?"

"It's a figure of speech" he responds, but his usual smug smile that I've grown to love had faltered as he said it, his eyes darting away from mine

"Mhmm" I murmur, turning back to look at my phone

"Mhmm yourself, I'm busy here working on a strategy to destroy your brother in the last race before the summer break"

"Not going to happen" I respond in a slight sing song voice

"Oh yeah, I've already bet him more times than he's bet me so far this season"

"Yeah? And who's ahead in the championship?"

"We'll see who has the last laugh at the end of the season"

"We certainly will"

****

The plane lands a few hours later, waking us all up from our sleeping positions.

As we stand up, Lewis reaches into the luggage compartment at the front of the plane and hands my uncle his suitcase

"Here you go, Marco" he says

"Marco?" I say "You're on a first name basis now?"

"Of course we are," Marco says. Even though he's joking around, he seems tired "Thanks, Lew"

"Please never say that again" I mumble,

My uncle waves me off. "Mind your own business, Dew" he says and the two men burst out into laughter, and I throw up my hands

The three of us walk down the steps and onto the tarmac, where a car was parked a little far away, waiting for us

"Whats the next meal?" Lewis says "Is it dinner, or lunch?"

"I's eleven in the morning, so... no" I tell him

"No need for the attitude, Dew" Lewis says "Just say lunch"

I turn back to look at my uncle "Are you hungry Marco?" ask, but before I even finish the sentence, I can see he's stopped walking.

He's lost all the color in his face.

"Delaney......" he says

"Marco?" I take a step to where he's standing.

He collapses onto the tarmac just before I can catch him.