Sitting In Traffic | Formula 1

Chapter 145- Delusional

November 18, 2019,
4 days before she finds out.

Riley was standing next to Colby in the middle of Noah's frat house. Every now and then a brother would weave in and out of the kitchen. Riley was going on about the race that had just happened in Brazil. Colby wasn't necessarily interested in racing, but he was letting Riley talk. It wasn't often that she did speak without Noah around. She was starting to loosen up around everyone, Colby didn't know why she was guarded in the first place. He assumed social anxiety.

"Yeah- and then it was Gasly's first podium" Riley told him, watching him dump another spoon of pancake batter into a hot pan.

"Who won?" He asked, putting the spoon back into a bowl.

"Ugh-" Riley rolled her eyes, "Don't even get me started- I don't fuck with him."

"I won't force it out of you" He laughed, glancing over at her every now and then. "But what's the point in watching all of these cars drive around in circles repeatedly?"

"It's just interesting" She shrugged, looking at the pancake. "You should probably flip that, before it burns."

"It's not ready yet" Colby claimed, letting it continue cooking on one side. "You said your friend races?"

"Yes!" Riley said, "Logan, he's in Formula 3" She told him, "It's like his dream to drive in F1, one of these years it'll happen- I swear"

"You'll have to bring me to one of the races" He looked at her, "So I can see what it's about"

"Maybe" She whispered softly, feeling a smile creep up on her. "Oh- you make me really nervous"

"I make you nervous?" Colby was shocked, "I guess all of those free drinks and burgers downtown were for nothing"

"That's all you were good for" She joked, trying her best not to blush, "I'm a broke college student, I take what I can get"

"So you're using me?" He asked her, hearing a soft laugh escape her mouth as footsteps could be heard from upstairs. "Just admit it Riley, me and you, we're friends"

"I don't know what you're talking about" She smiled widely, keeping her eyes on his.

"So you can be friends with Noah but you can't be friends with me?" Colby asked her, at first there wasn't an underlying meaning, but deep down he knew there was something off about Noah the past semester.

"I like Noah" She mumbled, taking in a deep breath as his eyes wouldn't divert from hers. "I've known him for a while"

"That doesn't mean you know everything" Colby unknowingly warned her while he was getting nudged out of the way of the stove.

"You're eating this one" Riley said, taking the pancake out of the pan.

"We can just put it at the bottom of the pile" He suggested, seeing the completely blacked out pancake while she flipped it. "One of the brothers will eat it"

"Oh so you're going to lie to everyone" Riley managed a quiet giggle, "See that's just not a quality I'm looking for in friends"

"I think we're friends already" He noticed her small glances, "But you can deny it"

"We can be friends" She mumbled, smiling when he leaned in, cupping behind his ear as he asked her to repeat what she said. "I said we're friends"

"What the fuck are you guys burning" Noah's voice boomed as he walked downstairs. Riley got startled and jumped away from Colby, passing him the spatula while Noah walked in the room.