All of Me (Sebastian Vettel)

40. Sneaking Around: France(3)

Seb didn't remember where he was when he first woke up the following morning.  He stretched his arm out, reaching for Alyssa.  When he failed to find her the events of the previous day returned.  He shot up in bed, grabbing for his phone to see what time it was.  It was 6.30.  Too early to go and see her. Too late to bother going back to sleep.  He was training with Antti in a couple of hours. He decided to have a shower and get ready for his day. 

By 7 o'clock he was dressed and on his way down to get some breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  He saw Antti was already there, and headed to join him. 

"You're early, didn't expect to see you for at least another half an hour."

"I woke early, figured I might as well get up."

"Heard from Alyssa?"  Antti knew exactly what had happened the previous day.  Seb had told him about it on their way back from the beach.  "Christ, you're going to be asked a lot of questions about that bruise!"

"I had one text from her last night. Shannon was with her.  She needed space.  Hoping to talk to her today.  Joel came round last night.  We sorted things out.  Training accident ok? Or just let them speculate?"

"Yeah whatever.  I guess you can't tell the truth."

"Yeah, can't exactly say oh my number two mechanic decked me because he found out I'm screwing his sister."

Antti snorted. "It's not funny!" Seb hissed.

"I'm sorry, it's just...you are the least likely driver to cause a scandal, yet if this got out..."

Seb put his face in his hands. "This is such a fucking mess. I need to talk to Aly but I don't know if she will talk to me, even though I've done nothing wrong. And even if she will talk to me it's finding the time. She's working all day."

"Have you tried calling her this morning?"

"No, I'm being a pussy. I'm scared she'll tell me where to go."

"Well, after our session why don't you go to the track? You might be able to talk to her on her break?"

"I just might. I can't stand this. I'm scared she might just decide we're not worth the trouble. "

"Don't be so pessimistic. She adores you!"

Seb didn't reply.  He felt nervous as hell.  He thought through his plan.   He had decided he was going to book the holiday he'd been thinking of for a while.  He was going to take Alyssa away after he got back from Greece.  Then he was going to declare his love to her.    He was going to start looking today for the perfect place to take her.  That's if she didn't call it quits before that.   If she did he knew he'd have to just tell her outright.  He wanted it to be special though, not just a case of saying the words. 

"Are you going to order breakfast or just sit there all day?" Antti said.  Seb nodded.  He put his hand up to signal the waiter.  Time to eat, then train, then speak to Alyssa.  Time to see whether he still had a relationship.

                                    ***
Alyssa got into the mini bus that was transporting some of them to the circuit.  She slid into a seat and stared out of the window.  Shannon wasn't working today so she was sat alone.  She'd been thinking about what had happened the previous day.  In fact she hadn't stopped thinking about it since she'd woke up.  Did it change how she felt about Seb? No.  If it came down to it, who would she choose? Seb or her family?   She knew the answer, knowing that if it did come down to it it would break her heart.  Losing her family would shatter her but she'd lived through it before.  Losing Seb, she didn't know if she could ever get over that.   So if it came down to it there would only be one choice.  Seb.   It would always be him.  Since she'd finally admitted to herself that she was in love with him, she hadn't been able to think of anything else.