COMPLETED: The Kiwi to my Heart // Liam Lawson

Chapter 27

I sat on the chair feeling myself dissociate listening to the hustle and bustle of the garage as everyone prepared for the race to start. My mind took me back to last night and me and Liam. I couldn't help but think about what he said to me after we slept together and the way his face looked, realizing now that he wanted to probably cuddle and take care of me and I hadn't let him. I pushed him away. I can't help but think what would have happened if I didn't. Would he have confessed to me then? Would I be with him right now giving him a good luck kiss? Would I have heard Lando's drunk love confession? The more I thought to myself the more I realized what I wanted.

I got out of the chair and walked out of the garage. I couldn't do anything now, but once the race was over I would make my decision. Right now I need to work. I returned to the media pen and found Martin. "Where have you been Y/N?! I expect you here at all times. And why do you look like this?! Your face is all red and puffy. This is unprofessional!" I felt myself snap."You can't keep talking to me like this!" I blurted out. I was tired of letting people walk all over me and if that meant I lost my job so be it. I couldn't be working in an environment that made me feel like shit all the time. Despite my new found confidence, I was still worried as to what Martin's reaction would be until I saw his shock turn into a smile. "I was wondering when you were going to say something." I looked at him dumbfounded, unable to mask the emotion on my face. "What?" I asked. "I was only so hard on you so that you would become a better journalist because no one is going to be nice to you in this industry, but part of learning to survive is learning to stand up for yourself." He said. "So this was all a test?" I was still a bit confused. "Not a test. A learning experience." He said with a calmness I had never heard before from. "Is that why you sent me to interview Danny? You wanted me to stand up for myself?" I thought maybe somehow he knew about that and it was another part of the learning experience, but based on the confusion painting his face I knew I messed up. "What are you talking about?" Fuck I thought. I said too much. "Nothing. I just thought you knew I didn't want to interview Danny and you wanted me to stand up for myself back then too, that's all." I tried my best to mitigate, but his journalism instincts could sniff out a story from a mile away and this story was hanging right in front of his nose. "Y/N, why wouldn't you want to interview Danny?" He pressed. I felt obligated to say something, but I couldn't find the right words. "It's personal. I'm working on something right now though regarding it and I'll show you when it's done." I said very matter of fact. I realized Martin was right. In this industry, especially as a woman, people were going to walk all over me and I had to make sure Danny knew that he couldn't do that. Not to me, or anyone else. That article would be written and he would go down for the things he thought he could get away with. "Ok Y/N. I want to be the first to see it. I want you to know that I am here for you. Treat me like your mentor, ok? Any help you need with this project I'm available." "I didn't know you were capable of being nice." I said almost laughing. "I guess I'm a great actor!" He said laughing back. "If you get tired of this I guess we know what you can fall back on." I said. "Yes, most definitely. But, for now we have a race to cover! I want you down at turn 1." I felt my job drop. "You're giving me turn 1?!" I say with shock in my voice. "You've earned it." He says. "Thank you! Oh my god thank you!" I grabbed the mic and a safety vest and headed to turn 1. This was huge. Turn 1 was the most covered turn of the race where all the action was. After the race was over I'd also be right near the pit lane and could cover that as well. I couldn't hold back the smile at the thought of Kravitz and Crofty asking me what was going on during the race. And after that I couldn't help but smile some more about the thought of what I was also going to do...