Hate You - LN

18

I rip out of Arthur's grip and lunge for Charles. Arthur tries to hold me back but I get the feeling if it wasn't me that was jumping in front of Charles it would've been him. 

Lando who was caught off guard by the punch had fallen to the cement floor of the narrow pathway that goes behind the numerous hospitality buildings. I sent out a silent thank you to whoever designed the media-free tunnels at the racetracks. And another thank you to whoever made it that we are alone back here right now.

Charles tries to swing at Lando again from where he is on the ground. Lando doesn't make any moves to block him either and I step in between the two men thankfully before Charles' fist can come in contact with anything or anyone else.

"What the fuck Charles!" I swear, my face is still wet from tears and I wipe my face. I take both my hands and shove him backwards. He takes one step back but I'm sure it's for my sake, not because I threw him off balance.

"What do you mean what the fuck Dev?" He yells angrily at me. "You show up crying and you say his Fucking name? He's done something to you!"

"Char! Lando's done nothing wrong if you'd just let me explain," I plead, trying to calm him down.

Charles cuts me off. "Explain what Devin? I know he calls you names, calls you a whore, a liar, I know he hates you and now you show up here crying. What do you want me to do? This is exactly how things started with your-"

"Char," Arthur warns, stepping to stand beside me. Behind us, I hear Lando get up but I don't look at him, my eyes are on my brother whose face is twisted in an anger I haven't seen since those days in court at my dad's trial.

"No, Arthur. Don't you dare Char me." Charles spits. "I told her, I fucking promised Devin I wouldn't let anything happen to her again. She's finally recovering and now Lando-"

"Charles!" I yell. Finally, Charles looks at me and the anger in his eyes ebbs and guilt replaces it. "I'm fine, please, just go back inside before this becomes more of a mess."

"No- Dev he," Charles motions to Lando but his protest dies in his throat when he looks at me. he must be realizing now all the things he almost said.

"Did nothing to hurt me so back off," I emphasize the last two words and Charles' anger dissipates completely.

"Dev I'm sorry I just," he tries to apologize but I just raise my hand to stop him. He doesn't try to talk again.

I turn my back on Charles and Arthur to look at Lando. I assess his face like I've been trained to do and push aside anything else for the minute. Right now I had to be Lando's physiotherapist, not Charles' sister. Lando's nose is bleeding but it doesn't feel or look broken. However, Lando had to be on track in less than two hours and couldn't be racing or doing media with blood running down his face.

I look back at Charles and the anger is gone from his face. I can practically see all of the apologies brewing under his skin. Not apologies to Lando, to me. If Arthur hadn't 'Char'ed him Charles might've said something that he'd regretted even more. Little did he know that was the reason I was crying in the first place.

Lando hadn't insulted me or been any kind of mean. But he's touched a sore spot on me. And like I always did when I got scared, I ran.

Faced with talking it out with my brother or fixing Lando's nose I chose the latter and grabbed Lando's arm. The one attached to his uninjured shoulder. I could talk to Charles later, he needed to cool the fuck off. Right now I had to deal with Lando's face.

I don't look back to see if Charles is back inside the Ferrari hospitality or not. Instead, I release Lando's arm and we walk wordlessly beside each other back to McLaren. My badge unlocks the back door and we walk inside, Lando keeps his head down as we walk back to this driver's room but thankfully nobody is around to see his bloodied face. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have texted Charles, shouldn't have run to that door.