Book 2: Beginning Again -Carlos Sainz

Chapter 46

Marie knew there was a reason that Carlos was keeping his distance for the past week. She had seen him around in Qatar, but he usually just gave her a smile and kept moving. As much as she didn't blame him for being embarrassed that he was in a vulnerable state, she wished more than anything that he would just give her a chance to talk to him. And so, she had spent the better part of the past week thinking about him and piecing together his past. The Ferrari social media team had worked very swiftly in deactivating Isabella's account, which in turn caused a lot of confusion by fans. Both Marie's and the Ferrari team countered by showering them with cute old photos of the drivers, and soon everyone was happy. Marie kept coming back to the story he told and the words he had said- "never let anyone in. Never trust anyone. Never give anyone the power to hurt you."

Marie felt chills run over her body as she thought about those words and how difficult it must have been for him to even let her in-partly. Marie felt a sudden gratefulness for all the little things he did share, and the ways that she got to know him. He didn't even have to say it for her to know what he meant, but she knew that this was the first girl that he said "I love you" to. And as much as Marie tried not to think of it, she wondered if that had any effect on his reaction to her declaration.

"No. There is no justification for that. He dumped you out of the blue and was in bed with someone else within weeks. Just because he's got some emotional baggage, it doesn't excuse him from shitty behavior," she thought as her plane was descending quickly towards the US. She decided to take a different flight than everyone else and stop in the UK for a few days to see Erin. Marie had been wondering for days if she should tell Erin what she found out about Carlos, but opted instead to keep it to herself. She decided that it was his story to tell, not hers. Marie's mind was still on Carlos as the plane landed and then continued well into her departure from the airport. She couldn't stop wondering if this new information changed nothing or everything. The rain was coming down and streaming off the windows as she walked through the terminal, reflecting her mood over the past few days. It all was so complicated and messy, something that Marie thought she left behind when she dumped Chad and grew up. Even more complicated was how Marie felt about leaving all of it behind when she moved back to the UK. About only seeing Carlos once every few months at a gala or special event. She shook off the sinking feeling that the idea brought on. Bumping into him at the bar, playing awkward catchup with awkward small talk, politely excusing herself from the event early to avoid another interaction, it all felt wrong. Someone who once was her best friend, the person she knew best both inside and out, smiling politely at her as he talked about work. She kept walking, blinking away the tears that had pooled. Eventually, she found the car that her dad had sent to her and made her way to the hotel. The sights of Austin, Texas passed by her, reminding her that she was a long way from home.

**

"Vegas?"

"Yes. Vegas."

Carlos bit his lip with anxiety as he leaned back on the chair.

"I mean why though? That's so far out."

"Carlos, these things take time to plan out. I also have a full time job, and so do you. Plus having a Saturday race makes it so you can do this before she leaves," Caroline said with slight annoyance in her tone. She reminded him of a mother explaining to their child.

"Okay, okay, jeez I get it. But she's actually done coming to races in Mexico so how can I guarantee that she's gonna be there?"

"I'll make sure of it. Just let me plan all of it, and I'll just tell you where to stand and look pretty. Your only job is to write your little speech and plan out what you want to say to her, I think you should start now so I can proofread it."