My Best Mates Sister

13

Rosie

This all feels like a surreal nightmare, like I will wake up any second. Jake keeps stroking my hair and telling me that everything is okay. I'm worried that George has done something rash but I can't imagine Lando telling him straight up what happened. There is a brief knock on the door and then I see George with Charles. I stretch my arms out towards my Monegasque and he scoops me up lifting me away from Jake and into his side "I'm so sorry" he tells me and I shake my head, he isn't the person who should be apologetic. I cuddle up into his side and the sobs start and I can't seem to calm down. He starts humming a song that my dad used to sing around the garage during George's F3 career and I start to feel calmer "oh Mon Ange" Charles mutters kissing my hair softly "I don't know what to do" I manage to get out and he grabs my hand "you don't have to make any decisions now" he reassures me and I nod my head against his chest "I just want to go home" I say but I realise I have no idea where home is anymore.

Lando

I've fucked up, I've fucked everything up. Why did I believe a word out of Ellas mouth? She told me that Rosie wouldn't come to check on me as she has her priorities and it isn't me. She told me that Rosie had said she didn't actually love me. That she doesn't care about me or my career. I know it isn't true, I should've known she was lying, how did I forget when she turned up at our house out of the blue. I was feeling furious about my DNF and I just wanted Rosie but she couldn't be there and Ella was telling me all of these things that I didn't want to hear. Why am I so stupid, I know I needed to let off some steam after not finishing the race but I should've never let it get as far as it did. Rosie will never look at me again let alone speak to me. What have I done?

Charles

She hasn't stopped crying and I know nothing I say will make anything better for her. "Let's get you back to mine" I say standing up to lift her "But Lando" she quietly says and I realise all of his stuff is at my apartment "I will bring his stuff back here, I'm sure he will have somewhere to stay but he isn't welcome in my home" she nods her head and stands up. I'm relieved that she has agreed to come back to mine "George do you want to stay? Jake?" I ask them both earning two nods of agreement "We will grab our stuff and meet you guys there" George let's me know and I grab a Williams cap to place on Rosies head to get her out of the paddock without too many people seeing the tears spilling down her cheeks. Just as I swing open the door I see Claire Williams looking less than impressed on the other side "I don't believe you are my driver?" She questions before her gaze falls on Rosie "oh my god, what's happened?" She quickly questions "it's a personal matter, I'm taking her home if that is okay?" I ask and she nods "whatever she needs" I'm grateful that she wasn't angry anymore that I had invaded her garage.

Her eyes were scanning the paddock, I assume she was trying to make sure she didn't have to see either of them. I rush her out of the paddock and back up one of the emptier streets towards my apartment. I was worried that Lando might be waiting outside but he wasn't there "take a seat on the sofa and I will run his stuff back to the paddock" I say and she shakes her head. She walks almost robotically into the bedroom and start folding his clothes and placing them neatly into his suitcase. I do notice she keeps one of his McLaren hoodies out and she throws in his charger along with some other items before zipping the case up "all ready" she tells me and I wrap her into a hug "will you be okay whilst I'm gone?" She nods into my chest and follows me out of the room.

I arrive back at the paddock and head straight to McLaren. I can't see Lando through the back of the garage so I wait till a familiar face appears "Oh Jarv" I call out and his eyes widen "Charles? Can I help?" I nod "I need to see Lando" I gesture at the suitcase beside me and he nods "I will just grab him for you" I nod politely feeling my anger bubbling under the surface. I try to calm myself but then his bruised face comes into view and it reminds me that he is no longer my friend "here's your stuff" I tell him bluntly passing the case over "thanks? I was going to collect it" he mumbles "well I thought this would be easier for Rosie" I say and he looks heartbroken "why did you do it?" I ask and he shakes his head "I got told some lies and then behaved like a horny teenager, there is no excuse" I can't believe this "you had the best girl and you threw all of that away like it was nothing" I tell him and I start walking away "I would like to see her" he calls after me "not going to happen"

Rosie

I'm sat curled up under a blanket on the sofa, Charles left about half an hour ago and I'm assuming George is on his way? I switched my phone off, I don't want to hear from him. I thought things were going well, I mean sure we didn't see each other as much as we would've liked but that's the same for everyone right? I did used to sit and do work when I was at home but surely that wasn't enough for him to completely give up on us? Is it that I'm busy on race weekends? I can't sit there and be his cheerleader in his garage? I don't know and I can't allow myself to care or it will rip me apart.

I hear the door open and lift my head from the arm of the sofa to see George and Jake come through the door with their belongings "RoRo" Jake calls out and my heart hurts thinking of how Lando called me that this morning. Jake lifts my legs up and places them on his lap "where is Charles?" He asks me "he took Lando's stuff to him" I mutter feeling the tears start to fall. George shifts me up and takes a seat between me and the arm of the sofa so I'm cuddled into his side "You're gonna be okay Rose we got you" he tells me rubbing my arm with his hand. I can't stop the tears now and I just allow them to fall.

I must have drifted off because I'm now lounging on Charles "Hey mon ange" he says when he sees me looking at him "George said you cried yourself off to sleep but his side went numb" I would usually giggle but I don't have it in me. I turn my head and see Jake before lifting myself up to give him a hug "thank you for being here" I say and he gives me a squeeze "you are my best mate, I wouldn't be anywhere else" I smile at him and feel beyond grateful to have the people I do have. "Shall we get to bed?" Charles asks and I realise I don't know where I'm sleeping? Charles only has one spare room and we have George and Jake here "can I stay with you" I ask him and he nods "of course mon ange" he grabs my hand "night Jake, night George" I say as both of them look up "night guys"

Once I'm curled up in bed I feel the crushing weight of the implications of today. My once safe place in the paddock is now gone, I don't want to go back. I can't move back in with George as Alex now lives there, my parents live the opposite side of the country to Williams and I obviously can't go to Lando's, what am I going to do? "Ange? You look like you are over thinking" I look over at Charles "just realising that I have nowhere to go" he frowns "what do you mean?" I frown "well I don't have a home anymore, Alex lives with George now, I can't stay at Lando's now for obvious reasons, I don't have anywhere to go" I start crying "oh you, I was going to wait to talk to you tomorrow as I had already considered this" my eyebrows furrow "what?" He gives me a soft smile "I already thought about you not going home, do you want to stay here?" I'm confused "for how long?" I ask "forever? Live here? With me?" I'm struggling to comprehend "you would want that?" He smiles again "I loved it every time you stayed, it also is somewhere you can be left as alone as you want to be" I nod my head "I would love that" he gives me a hug "you had better not be annoying" he warns me and I giggle for the first time this evening.

Monday

"Are you sure you want to stay?" I nod my head "I am George, I know we won't see each other as much but you can't kick Alex out" he laughs "well I could" he jokes but I know he understands "I will get your stuff from Lando's and get it sent out here" I nod "please don't let him know I'm staying here?" He nods "of course, do mum and dad know you are staying in Monaco?" I spoke to mum this morning "yeah I called them earlier" I explain "cool, what are you doing about work?" I haven't figured that out yet "I'm not sure, I can't face the idea of going into the paddock but I thought I would call Claire later" he frowns "I don't want you to leave" I don't want to either but I don't see another way. A wave of nausea washes over be and I jump up running to the bathroom "you okay?" George calls through the door as I empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I flush and wash my hands before opening the door to see the concerned face of my brother "I haven't been able to keep anything down since yesterday"