Formula One - One-Shots Collection - Complete

7(PC) - Daniel Ricciardo

'This tainted love you've given'

"Daniel! We need to be quiet." 

I closed my eyes as I leaned against the wall of the hotel corridor as my worst fears were confirmed. My vision became blurry when I opened my eyes as tears welled in my eyes as the realisation of my reality set in. 

"Riley cannot find out about this," the woman's voice spoke again. "Why did you even bring her here?"

There was no sound, I didn't hear the reply. Biting my lip, I checked my mobile phone looking at the time before I turned back in the direction I had come from. 

Daniel had told me he was going to the gym, this time I had grown suspicious since the rest of the lads had said they were going to the bar. Following him, I should have known when I saw him enter the room that belonged to one of the female mechanics on his team, Shawna. 

At first I thought I was being stupid, Daniel wouldn't do that to me, I was sure of it. But then the niggling doubt came into my mind. The late nights, the missed phone calls and the extra time he reckoned he was spending in the gym or with the lads. Going to the gym the night before the race wasn't unusual, but when he left his headphones behind, that's what got me thinking the most. Even something as stupid as headphones can catch you out.

In the hotel room, I shared with Daniel, I changed into my favourite little black dress and heels. Chucking all my stuff into my suitcase, I felt the tears fall from my eyes. I would do anything for Daniel and unfortunately, he knew that. Now I was here, in a foreign country and my partner was on the next floor with another woman. 

Leaving the room, I took my bag to my car quickly before I returned to the hotel. I wiped my face, clearing any trace of tears that had fallen as I had my way to the room Daniel had been in. 

Once I got back to the door, I listened again as the woman spoke. "You have to break up with her," she sounded insistent, almost desperate. 

"Shawna," his voice was quiet. "It's not that easy. Riley and I have been through so much, breaking up with her would just break her."

My hands were shaking as I thought of him telling her personal things about the two of us. It was bad enough that he was with her. 

"I'm pregnant!" 

Swallowing back the bile that rose in my throat. There was no mistaking what was really happening between them now. 

The door handle started to move, I leaned against the wall slightly opposite the door with my arms crossed over my chest. When the door opened, I watched on as Daniel left the room, his head down as he pulled the door shut behind him. 

When he finally looked up, he was surprised as he jumped back. "Riley?"

Raising my eyebrows, I watched him as sheepishly looked at me as he stepped away from the door. "How was the gym?" My voice came out in a spiteful tone. 

Daniel opened his mouth, it looked like he was about to say something but he closed it quickly as I watched him thinking about it. 

"Daniel!" The door opened before Shawna's head appeared. She didn't notice me as she stared at Daniel. "We need to talk about this." 

I watched her as she turned to look in the direction Daniel was before her eyes landed on me. Tilting my head as we made eye contact, I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at her a little. "Sounds like you two have loads to talk about."

Daniel stepped towards me, my hands staying in the same position, only my eyes shifted to him. "Don't touch me," I warned him in a sharp voice. 

"Riley, it's not what it looks like," he tried to tell me. Of course, men were all the same spitting the same lies. I'd experienced this before, I thought Daniel was different though. 

I let out a small laugh, "It's always what it looks like," I shook my head at him as Shawna smirked at my hostility towards Daniel. "So, how long then?"

"Riley..." Daniel's voice trailed off as his voice was quiet. "Please."

Shawna rolled her eyes before she spoke gaining my attention. "Four months." Oh, her voice sounded smug and I definitely noticed her right hand fall to her flat stomach. 

Turning back to Daniel, he bowed his head before he looked at Shawna, "Just go back inside."

My eyes looked between the two of them trying to gauge the situation before she huffed and returned into her hotel room. Then it was just the two of us. 

"You deserve better than this."

"Damn right I deserve better than this!" I snapped at him as I stood up straight and put my hands on my hips, the anger inside me was rising as I looked at him. 

This man in front of me was supposed to be my one and only. I was head over heels in love with him but he'd done this, he'd destroyed me. Inside my heart was breaking but I wasn't going to show him how much I was hurting. Being angry was the best thing for me right now, if I cried I would look weak. 

Daniel tried to touch my arm but I stepped back from him. He looked desperate as he stared at me. "Riley, I can't lose you. I love you."

Pouting at him, I shook my head in disbelief at his words. "You are standing here telling me you can't lose me. You've not even tried to deny anything." I sighed as I thought about the truth, about Shawna being pregnant, about the fact that the two of them had been sneaking around for four months behind my back. "Four months," I muttered as I stared up at him through my lashes. "And she's pregnant, Daniel. She's fucking pregnant!" I had started to raise my voice, as I stepped back again. "You're disgusting, absolutely vile!"

Around us, a few of the hotel doors had opened. When I scanned my eyes around at them I realised they were other people Daniel worked with. Daniel turned his head and looked at his coworkers who were all looking at him, he hung his head as he returned to the direction I was standing. "I'm so sorry, Riley."