THE END | Oscar Piastri

46. who's nash?

Sav's pov

I really tried, I did.

I responded to his texts with short sentences, sometimes only one word. I would make a lame excuse as to why I couldn't answer his call. And all yesterday I avoided him like he was a contagious disease. Every time I caught sight of him I would either advert my gaze toward something else until he passed, or I would walk in the complete opposite direction.

He sneaks up on me while I was trying to pass some time by getting a snack in the paddock club. "Are you avoiding me?" He slides into the empty chair across from me. I contemplate pretending to not hear him, but I look up at him anyway.

Yes, that's the real answer, but not the one I give. "No? I'm just spending some time with Logan." A half lie. "I called after you yesterday, and you ducked around a corner." He laughs shortly, like the memory humored him, but he looked more confused than anything.

This time, my reply isn't a lie. "I didn't hear you. Sorry about that." I don't even recall ducking around a corner. "Maybe you mistook me for another blonde."

Another short laugh sounds from him, his features softening up. "You don't exactly blend into a crowd." God damn, is this guy just going to shut down every excuse I come up with? "I can't tell if you mean that in a bad way." I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You know I don't." His words are smooth when he speaks them, flirtatious in a way. The corner of his mouth pulls upward slightly. That paired with it's the slight tilt of his head creates a lopsided smile on his face.

His gaze lingers on me for a moment. Neither of us speak. In a second, he leans half his body across the table. His smile drops, a friendly vibe about him replacing the flirty one. "Are you going to the next race?" His change of topic is sudden and unexpected. I shrug. "I'm not sure yet, maybe." I was, but if he didn't know that, maybe then he wouldn't try to seek me out.

"If you end up deciding to, let me know so I can get you passes." His smile resurfaces, this time reaching out on both sides of his face, his smile lines making an appearance.

I wave his proposal off. "Oh, it's no bother, I can just ask Logan." I try to utilize my words to make my rejection light, like I'm not trying to avoid him. He was suspicious enough as it was.

My phone, which is placed face down on the table, starts to vibrate. The thin table causes the vibrations to sound even louder, making it impossible to ignore.

A glance at my watch tells me exactly who it is, and flipping the phone over, I see that my assumption was correct. "Who's Nash?" Oscar asks, his voice sharp as he glares down at the phone.

I thought I had picked it up in a way that hid the contact from his view, but apparently I had not. But I didn't care about him seeing it now, all I was focused on is how he said it. Like the call had personally offended him.

"No one." I excuse myself before he can have the chance to say anything else. I answer the phone, speeding back to Logan's driver room, and privacy.

"Hey Savannah! How's everything going?" His cheery voice makes me feel a little guilty for not following his advice. At the same time, I feel guilty when I do follow it. I lose either way.

I give two short knocks on the door before opening it, waving to Logan who lays on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

He knows what the call is about. I told him about everything yesterday after he wouldn't stop bothering me about 'obviously avoiding Oscar'—his words, not mine.

I throw his feet off the end of it and take up the spot I've made. He throws his legs over my lap. "Good, I guess. I feel bad about ignoring him." I pull on the material of Logan's race suit. I pull it back and let it snap back against his leg. He uses his foot to nudge my arm, making me look up at him.

He pretends to cry his eyes out, his hands covering his face as he makes his shoulders dramatically shake. He's mocking me. I shove his feet off my lap and choose to pace the small room instead.

"Care to share any more?" His voice isn't pushy, only a simple suggestion that holds the slightest sound of interest. "Well, he's still my friend. So it guess it feels kind of cold for me to be ignoring him like this. I mean, he probably just thinks I've woke up one day and decided I hate him. That's not fair to him."

From the couch, Logan eyes narrow at me, as if trying to see through me. I shoot him a look, one that asks him what he wants from me. He shakes his head and turns back to his phone.

"It's entirely normal to feel like that, and I didn't expect this to be easy for you. But it will help you in the long term, and if at any point you no longer want to do this, then just tell me and we can figure something else out." I contemplate whether or not to put an end to this, but ultimately decide against it. "No, I want to try."

"If that is what you want, we can continue trying." I don't speak up, and he starts up again. "Give me some updates. Has anything changed, your feelings towards him or that time at the beach?" My legs grow tired of the pacing and I decide to sit on the floor.

I cross my legs over each other, or criss-cross applesauce as my kindergarten teacher would call it. The carpet is scratchy but I don't care. It distracts my thoughts and pulls them from Oscar.

"Mmm, not really. I think they're all the same." I push my cuticles back with my nail. I need to get my nails redone sometime soon, they've grown out and are starting to look ugly.

"Interesting." The faint sound of a pen scratching to notepad travels through the phone. "Have you seen him at all this week?" The question causes panic to shoot through me.

Had some cameras managed to catch our short interaction? I know there's a mass of people capturing my every move at the Grand Prix's, but was Nash tracking socials that intensely?

"No, I've just been with Logan." I tried to sound casual, but Logan's reaction tells me I wasn't very successful. He holds a hand against his mouth, concealing his laughter that's puffed his cheeks out.

Nash hums from the other end of the phone. "I would've thought you'd pass him at least once, but you're taking this more serious than I thought." Oh. He had meant seen in passing, not seen like seen.

I start laughing, the palm of my hand connecting with my forehead in a loud slap. "You meant like that! No, yes I have seen him in passing." I answer, still laughing at myself.
"That's my fault, I should've clarified." Nash laughs too, though not as hysterically as I do.

Three consecutive knocks are heard at the door, and soon after follows Alex in the doorway. He takes note of me on the phone, and makes steering motions toward Logan.

"Hey Nash, sorry to cut this so short but qualifying is starting soon and I'd hate to miss it." Logan hops from the couch, offering a hand to me. I take it and he pulls me up off the ground. "No worries, I actually have an opening later. Can I call you then and we can finish this session?" I nod, then remember he can't actually see me. "Sounds perfect!" I answer, a short goodbye following, and a dead line after that.

"That didn't sound perfect." Logan laughs, holding the door open for me. Alex, who's standing against the doorframe, cackles at Logan's words.

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A/N - sorry this chapter is lowkey mid😭