Breaking the Grid

Miss you

It had been two weeks since Blair left for Monaco, two weeks of calls, texts, and photos sent back and forth, but none of it felt like enough. After the party, she was supposed to come back, and I'd been counting down the hours. But then she decided to stay with Lando and follow him for the last two Grand Prix races of the season.

At first, I understood. It was her world, her passion, and Lando was her teammate. But after one day, I already missed her so much it physically ached. And now, two weeks later, that ache had settled into a constant, dull throb in my chest.

I was sitting in the Arsenal locker room, staring at my cleats as the buzz of my teammates filled the space around me. They were chatting, laughing, getting ready for our final game before the short break. But I felt disconnected, my mind elsewhere.

Blair had called, of course. She was sweet, sending me pictures of her and Lando goofing around, videos of the paddock, and voice notes that made me laugh. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was losing something—her, us, the closeness we'd built while she was recovering.

When she was at home, it was easy to ignore the distance her career would inevitably bring. She was always there, always within reach, and I didn't have to think about what life would be like when she returned to the track full-time. But now, with her gone, it was all I could think about.

She wasn't even driving yet, and I already felt the weight of what her return to racing would mean. Blair Becks wasn't just my girlfriend; she was an F1 driver—a global star. When she started driving again, she'd be gone more often than not, jetting from one country to the next.

I wasn't like the girlfriends of the other drivers. I couldn't just drop everything and travel with her. I had my own career, my own commitments. And as much as I loved her, the thought of being apart so often made my chest tighten.

"Kyra?" Alessia's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see her standing in front of me, her brow furrowed with concern. "You okay?"

I forced a small smile, nodding. "Yeah, just thinking."

"You've been doing that a lot lately," she said, sitting down next to me. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," I said again, though it sounded less convincing this time. "Just... tired, I guess."

Before Alessia could press further, Katie appeared, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Come on, Cooney-Cross. Snap out of it. We've got a game to win tonight."

I mustered another smile, nodding as I stood up and grabbed my bag. "You're right. Let's go."

The game was over, and the adrenaline of the win was starting to wear off as I sat in the locker room, staring at my phone. Blair hadn't messaged me all day, probably busy with the race preparations. I knew I shouldn't be upset—she had her own life, and I didn't expect her to drop everything for me.

But still... I missed her.

My fingers hovered over her name in my contacts, debating whether to call her. But before I could make a decision, Katie's voice rang out from across the room.

"Kyra! You coming to celebrate, or are you just gonna sit there all night?"

I shook my head, slipping my phone into my bag. "I'll catch up with you later," I said, standing up and slinging the strap over my shoulder.

As I left the locker room and headed out into the cool night air, my thoughts kept circling back to Blair. The ache in my chest felt heavier than ever, and I realized I couldn't keep ignoring it.