i love you • formula one

32

i'm sorry for the wait, but this story is very nearly almost finished. hope you enjoy the final few chapters and engage as much as you can. i look forward to replying to all of your comments.

first person

~***~

monday, 14/09/2020

Even when the police had locked the handcuffs around Michael Parker's wrists, I did not feel safe. I hated giving him the power of having this impact on me when he couldn't physically reach me. Michael was arrested shortly after the police arrived at my house, being found in his car only a few streets away from my own, and swiftly taken into custody. He wasn't even trying to hide. It was impossible to know how long he was going to be staying there because the police didn't have the knowledge to confirm any specific length of time, however they were confident that he would have to spend some time behind bars due to the damage inflicted to my property. The situation was complicated because there wasn't any specific threat to me other than emotional trauma. As far as the evidence suggests, Michael had no intentions to hurt me. He also had no previous criminal record other than the previous break-in to my house, and it was implied by the police that whatever sentence or conclusion they come to could be reduced due to mental illness.

An emergency repair to the back door meant that we (mum, Rosie, and I) were allowed to stay at the house. I didn't want to. If I could have it my way, I would have returned to Glastonbury until Lando and Nicky return from Italy. They were due on the first flight back, which unfortunately wasn't until Monday morning because of the restrictions in place.

I couldn't wait for Lando to come home so that we could talk things through. I hated it when we argued. At the end of the day, he's my best friend and always will be. He knew me better than anyone else. For him to just hold me and let me know that we'll be okay would be enough to make me feel safer. Unfortunately, this house no longer made me feel safe. The security and alarm system was set to be installed in a couple of weeks so, until then, I had agreed to stay at my boyfriend's house. I had yet to inform Lando of my decision and made Nicky promise not to spill anything to Lando until I can explain it to him. My suggestion to have Lando stay at Nicky's house with us quickly fell through.

My stomach was still twisting after watching the Tuscan Grand Prix, where Nicky crashed out heavily with multiple cars at the safety car restart, but Lando miraculously finished in sixth. It was yet another reiteration of the dangers of the sport and it was hard to watch something like that happen to those close to you. I fully supported Lando and Nicky in their careers, but that doesn't mean I didn't have my reservations. Apparently the dangers weren't only on track, either, because if Lando hadn't pursued his career in Formula One, I would never have had to deal with the sick, disgusting Michael Parker. I shouldn't blame him. This is all on Michael.

Sunday night, I barely slept a wink. Instead of retreating to my room when my mum did, Rosie and I stayed on the sofa. She hadn't left my side after the second break-in incident and I couldn't blame her. We may squabble and argue but she's my sister at the end of the day - no-one messes with my family. Words can't describe the anger I feel towards Michael that left not only me feeling unsafe, but also my innocent little sister. She was supposed to be returning to school soon, however she refused to go back home without knowing that I'd be with someone. I hoped that the arrival of Nicky and Lando would put her mind at ease so that she can go back to Glastonbury without worrying about me.

I received a text a little before ten o'clock on Monday morning from Nicky letting me know that his and Lando's flight had finally touched down and they would be at my house within the hour. Although I would greet Nicky initially, he was aware that he'd have to give Lando and I space so that we can talk things through. I hated the idea of saying goodbye to him again on bad terms. It would put my mind and racing heart at ease to know that we were okay again.