Lifeline (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 40: In Secret

Author's note: This chapter runs alongside @__highflying's chapter 18.

Tully stirred the next morning curled up with her back pressed against Jacob's chest, feeling warm and rested. Sleeping tangled up in the arms of a gorgeous boy will have that effect.

She noted with a vague frown that she was still wearing all the same clothes as yesterday. They'd literally got back to the hotel, put the movie on and then promptly fallen asleep from built-up exhaustion not even half way through.

A small, bitter little voice in her head was congratulating her sarcastically for at least not sleeping with him. 'Yet...', it added mercilessly.

"You should call your brother." Jake murmured sleepily as he sighed against her neck, "Before you're on the news or something."

"Just one more hour alone with you." she negotiated with a yawn, tilting her head back towards him to give him better access to her neck.

"Mmkay." he smiled sheepishly, running his lips down her jawline.

"Go back to sleep." she breathed, tilting her head even further until she found his lips. Jacob chuckled quietly as she tugged his bottom lip through her teeth playfully before rolling over to face him and tucking her head under his chin. Completely content, he sighed as he pulled her in close and stroked her hair until he felt his mind falling back into a sleepy haze.

---

Suffice to say, Heikki was not amused at Tully's overnight disappearance.

In fact, after she'd returned home around lunch time and their screaming match escalated to the attention of the neighbours, their father Otto had had to step in and separate them.

If it wasn't for the sorry sight of her exhausted, teary mother, Tully would have high-tailed it straight back to the city to be with Jake.

Jake.

To say he was filling up her every waking thought since... well, since she woke up, would be an understatement. It was torturous to know he was within touching distance but she could hardly go back to the city again that day without arousing some serious suspicion.

Jake was only set to stay in Finland for two nights as he had to get back in time to attend a memorial that Red Bull were hosting to commemorate all of their fallen teammates. It was lucky he'd told Tully about it, as it completely changed her attitude towards the subject when Heikki bought it up later that day.

She'd agreed to go immediately, to the complete bafflement of her brother. All Tully could see was another chance to be around Jacob.

And so it was that two days later, she found herself striding through Heathrow customs with Heikki in tow. Jacob had flown back the day before and the memorial was due to be held the following day in Milton Keynes, she hadn't been able to see him again before he'd had to leave.

"I need to go shopping in London for something to wear tomorrow." Tully stated casually as she and Heikki hailed a taxi at the airport cab rank and piled their luggage into the boot.

"You didn't bring anything you can wear?" Heikki replied dubiously.

"I lost a lot of my clothes in the crash it seems." she replied stiffly.

"Oh..."

Yeah, that'll shut you up.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked as they piled into the cab and the driver pulled away from the curb.

Tully scoffed and shook her head, "Get a grip, Heikki."

"Fine. Just for the love of god, please don't run away."