When it Rains | Daniel Ricciardo

Chapter 12 - Instigations

This next chapter gets abit hectic, so please be warned...

After free practice Daniel offered to come with me to the airport and wait for Ryan's arrival. I was thankful for the company since the plane had been delayed for so long and the Shanghai Pudong Airport has no aircon and it was super humid outside. It's the middle of winter in China , but for some reason there's a heat wave. Must have something to do with all the hurricanes. I chose a black t-shirt dress with long tan boots and my Renault yellow handbag - very fitting. We were so caught up laughing and playing around that I hadn't heard the announcement for new arrivals, further than that I hadn't noticed Ryan standing in front of us. shit.

Immediately I run towards him and plant a fat kiss on his..cheek. He had turned his face when I approached. Great the cold shoulder. This should be fun. "Hey baby, how was your flight?"

"Long." was all he said eyeing me up and down. It was taking him everything he had not to say what was bothering him and I knew it was my choice of outfit. I thought we were working on this..

"Ryan, bud. Good to see you! Welcome to China." Daniel kindly cut the tension and went in for a handshake.

Ryan gingerly accepted it, "Thanks bud. Great to be here". Mocking Daniel's words. What the fuck is wrong with him Daniel hasn't done anything to deserve this kind of behaviour.

"Don't mind him Dan, Ryan's never been a good flyer. He gets motion sickness, quite badly and I'm sure the humidity isn't helping the case." I scoop my arm around Ryan's waist to which he shakes me off. I try to ignore his coldness and carry on trying to defuse the heat. "I bet you could use a good shower and a nap before the team dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, as would most people Alexia." I can't handle this shit, I did not go through all that effort to bring him here for him to act like a complete asshole.

We climb into the car that Cyril let me take for this purpose and there's dead silence. Daniel tries to lighten the mood by chatting to Ryan about some or other baseball match and it seems to be working for the meantime. Every now and then I'll get the meanest glare from Ryan and I feel like a naughty child under his stare. I distract myself with emails until we reach the hotel Dan politely excused himself to go for some training session - I had him running late. I apologise and thank him profusely for coming along and staying. At this stage, Ryan had already started to enter the elevator without me, didn't bother saying goodbye to Daniel. There were other people from another team in the elevator with us so we remained silent until we reached the room. He walked ahead the whole way. Not tolerating me at all.

He walked to the bedroom area of our room and said nothing. Unpacked his suitcase and said nothing, I made coffee for the two of us while he was busy in the bathroom. When he came out I handed him his coffee. "Why would you say those things Al? I'm trying very hard right now not to strip my shit at you, but you've made it really hard for me!"

"What do you mean? What things babe?"

"In front of Daniel, telling him how weak I am on flights and shit, it's not cool. I'm really trying with you! Why was he at the airport with you in the first place?"

He turns and walks to the other side of the bed, to get changed. Putting his coffee down he drops his towel from around his waist and stares at me waiting for a good explanation.

"He offered to come with me before his training session, which was very nice of him since your plane was so delayed. Why are you being so weird about this?" Getting frustrated with his attitude now, I sit down on the bed and take a sip of my coffee.

"Well, that's a very nice thing for him to do, especially when you look like that." and there it is...

"Like what exactly? What could possibly be wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"You look like a fucking whore in those boots and that tiny excuse for a dress, Is that one of my shirts?"

"No, Ryan it's not yours? It's a dress and it covers everything that needs to be. You know I'm so sick of you always examining every inch of my wardrobe and accusing me of shit. I've done nothing but be nice to you after everything you've done, I mean for fuck sakes have you noticed the fact that you're in China... for free!"

He has sweatpants on and he's coming around the bed to my side talking in a low and eerie tone as he approaches. "And I'm sick of you acting like a complete slut in front of men you don't even know! I'm tired of needed to constantly defend my actions to you and your brother."

"What does Jamie have to do with this?" I sit further back against the pillows, subconsciously trying to get away from him. He gets closer, standing at the edge of the bed.

"Nothing, he's been asking questions. You better not have said anything Alexia, you'll regret it!" He walks away from the bed and back into the bathroom.

"You'll fucking regret it," I say softly

Not softly enough, he spins on the heels of his feet and charges at me. "What the fuck did you just say!?" Furious

SLAP!

He slapped me right across the face with an open hand. The pain surges through my cheeks and the fresh air stings what I assume is a now open wound. Shocked I lift my hand to my cheek and look at it, I'm bleeding. "Let that be a fucking reminder of who you think you talking to. You keep testing my patience Alexia, I will not have you ruining this trip with your antics. Why won't you just listen to me?"

He's back in the bathroom brushing his teeth. I go in after him to get a tissue to clean my face, still in shock, my body moves without my brain. "I wanted to fucking relax before you force me to go to this damn dinner tonight, but you've now made that impossible. Get dressed in something sensible please and clean your face."

I just nod in reply, unable to speak. "You're pathetic, are you seriously crying? It wasn't even that hard." I hadn't realised the tears that had escaped my eyes, quickly drying them at his words. He had a sinister grin on his face when he cornered me in between the bath and the toilet. "Answer me when I'm talking to you, Fuck!" His hands were around my neck. He's pushed me against the wall. "Answer me!"

"I'm sorry Ryan, I'm going to get dress- get dressed. now.." I manage to rasp out. He lets me go and I fall to the floor, the heels of my boots no longer providing stable support.

"Get up, stop being such a goddamn drama queen please."

I get up and walk to the cupboard, I feel his presence right be hid me. My body stiffens "Find anything?" His voice calm and sickening. A knock at the door interrupts us.