I KNOW PLACES | George Russell

14. burning red

Australia
Sunday

George's pov

All the drivers decided to go to a bar after the race. Ariella is here too. She's sitting at another table chatting with Parker, and I can tell by her demeanor that she's more than a couple of drinks in. She laughs loudly when Parker says something.

She seems to be plaguing my every thought lately. I feel myself longing for the feeling of her pressed up against me again, like she was that one night in my hotel room while watching the show she seemed to be completely immersed in. I don't even remember what the show was about, I couldn't stop looking at her.

I can't stop looking at her. Even now in this room full of people, I just can't seem to pull my eyes away from her. Her in that black dress, her smile impossibly bright, her eyes ignited with the shine of the stars.

That is until someone places a firm grip on my shoulder, and forces my gaze away from her by turning my body towards them. "What's up with the two of you anyways?" A slightly intoxicated Max quizzes me.

"What are you-" I try defending myself but he cuts me off before I can even finish my sentence. "Don't lie to me. I heard you two last week. My room was right next to hers, you know." He point a finger at my face, which I carefully bring back down to his side. I sigh, look up at the ceiling of the dark bar, contemplating. I look back at him, he's still looking at me with the same quizzical expression. I motion for him to follow me and take him to a section of the bar, away from anyone who knows us.

"Ariella and I are just friends. No one can know because we are supposed to look like we don't like each other." His questioning look is replaced my a smirk. "Awe you like my teammate." He laughs, his pointer finger once again in my face. The accusation makes me slightly irritated and I'm not sure why. I knock his hand out of my view. "No I don't like her, we are friends, I just said that. Do you need to clean your ears out or something?" My words are harsh. I didn't intend them to be.

He brings a hand to his mouth, for sure covering a smile and holding back a laugh. He fails to do both, a very loud burst of laughter erupting from him. I roll my eyes, I didn't expect to have this interaction today.

"Dude you were just staring at her for the past five minutes! Don't hit me with that 'just friends' bullshit!" He throws a hand out in her direction, laughing even through the words. "Okay, first it's not that funny. And second, we are just friends." I reassure him again, and pat his arm twice before leaving pushing past him to rejoin our other friends. I can hear his laughter following closely behind me.

Ariella had joined the group of guys.

"What's he laughing about?" Daniel point to the Dutch man who is somehow still laughing his head off. I shake my head. "He's gone insane, I think." Max looks offended at this. Ariella appears next to me to study his face, after a moment she turns to the group shaking her head.

"He doesn't have the crazy look." She brings one of her arms around his shoulders, drunkenly smiling at him. "Just slightly drunk." She transfers her drink to the hand that's around his shoulders, now using her newly freed hand to hit his chest, before walking back over to Parker and striking a conversation between the two of them.

She seems to look up at me moments later. "Oh my- Hey guys! What are you doing here?" She walks right past me to the door.

My gaze follows her steps to see the same four guys she's been seen around all week. Something inside me ignites and I'm not entirely sure what it is.

I force my eyes away from the group in hopes the ugly feeling will subside.

It doesn't.

For the next half hour I've been doing anything and everything to get rid of that burning emotion. Downing multiple drinks in that time hoping it will help.

"You're doing it again." Max sings into my ear, making me roll my eyes. "I wasn't even looking at her." I lie in an attempt to defend myself. Obviously it's no use. I've been looking at her every other minute. Just long enough to take in her features, but not long enough to look like I'm staring.

She's been dancing with the blonde one with the curls for the past 10 minutes. The image making me want to throw something or cry or yell at the top of my lungs or hit my head repeatedly into a wall.

"Biggest lie of the century right there." Max laughs loudly next to me, as if he just said the funniest joke in the world. Once again, his finger finds it's way in front of my face.

"Yeah, I'm going to the bathroom." I ignore his comment, swatting his hand away for the second time tonight before getting up to find my way to the restrooms.

The door closes loudly and the once clear music becomes muffled, matching my thoughts. I turn the water cold, splashing it on my face. The droplets cooling my skin and clearing up some of the haze in my mind. The foggy thoughts become more comprehensible.

Before the thoughts become too much, I walk back out the door, enveloping the loud music and letting it consume me instead.

Rounding the corner to make my way back to my friends, someone unexpected was standing there.

"You never congratulated me on my win." Her eyebrows are furrowed, but she's smiling at me. "Yeah, congrats." I didn't mean them to be, but the words are cold as I brush past her. "Hey!" She yells after me over the loud music and I turn to face her. "What's your problem?" Her face turns disgusted.

I shake my head, leaving her question unanswered as I revert back to my original route, away from her.

Why did I do that? What was I thinking? Clearly I wasn't. Seeing her made me think about her dancing with that guy, it made me think about that burning red emotion when I saw him walk in.

I realize then what the emotion was. I realize why I reacted like that when she approached me just then. Everything snapped into place.

I was jealous.

(1122 words)
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A/N - another short chapter. Not sure I like it.

No one talk about sundays race. I'm still recovering from George's DNF😔 but at least Lewis got p3 and the Ferraris got p4 and p5🙏 ALSO ALEX P7!!!!