𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞; oscar piastri ✔

PART THIRTY FOUR

Felt generous so have another chapter <3

Word count; 2,474

Tomás

After dinner, we separated to our own devices. Magui and Alex headed upstairs, with Kelly preparing P for bed, the rest of us finding our way to the pool - apart from Oscar, whose whereabouts I wasn't sure of. Leaning against the parapet, I lit a cigarette, not bothering to offer Max as I knew he'd refuse; each of us had a bizarre connection of trust, but even that he preferred to keep hidden - even in front of Charles, who had been his closest friend from the beginning.

"Well I would, but someone just had to bring his kid," Lando told Charles, a response to a former conversation.

"What, just like how you brought along a girl we'd never heard of until now?" Liam piped up, dunking his head beneath the water. "What's that about?"

"What's it to you?" I countered, saving Lando from a response.

The McLaren driver regarded me sympathetically; I knew he didn't want to talk about it, and even if he did, Liam was the last person on the list.

Charles prevailed, "It took a lot of convincing for Alex to come. She kept thinking she'd be a nuisance."

I took a drag from my cigarette, pondering over the statement - was it that she thought she'd be a nuisance, or that she didn't want to face how we'd left things before?

"It must be odd," Max swam up to the parapet beside me. "Hosting everyone on your own."

"I've always wondered," Liam added.

"Wondered what?" I replied non-chalantly.

"Why there's no photos on the walls. You're always going on about family and yet there's not one picture of them."

This time, Lando stood up for me as I had for him, "If his family couldn't afford to repair their own roof, what makes you think they could afford a camera?"

"Yeah, but-" Liam began, only to be interrupted as P screamed down from the balcony above.

"Maxie! Maxie! Look at me! I'm above you!"

"Awe, she calls you Maxie, too," I chimed.

The RedBull driver looked up, dismissing me, "You should be in bed, P!"

We all laughed, watching as Kelly appeared, dragging her daughter back inside.

"Is she just permanently pissed off?" I raised.

"Only at you." Max grinned. "I was surprised she even agreed to come here."

I shrugged, gaze drifting back to the balcony, to the windows on that floor. More specifically, the third from the left, where a light flickered over a shadow. Oscar's shadow.

I sucked on the last of my cigarette, "I'm going to bed."

Immediately, the drivers erupted into complaint, and I waved my hand in dismissal.

"My house, my rules, I'm going to bed when I like." I hoisted myself out of the pool. "Make sure you lock up when you're done."

"Yes, boss." Lando groaned - the one the statement was directed towards.

Sauntering towards the porch, I sourced a towel from one of the sunbeds, wiping the chlorine off of my skin before Annamaria complained. Inside, Magui and Alex - as opposed to earlier - were on the couch, watching TV and sipping on wine.

"Surprised you found something in English." I grinned, heading towards the stairs.

"It's quite good, actually." Magui beamed, cheeks red from the wine.