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“I was gone by then.” Her laugh was without humour. “You’re missing the point.”
“Sorry.” Beatrice shook her head. “I just can’t believe how well you guys hid it from everyone.”
“I know.”
“Okay, racing is dangerous.” She put an arm on her friend’s shoulder. “I hate it too. If things go wrong, they can go really, badly wrong.” She shrugged. “But they don’t go wrong often. The chances of Leo being in another accident like that are… slim.”
“I can’t help it. I just keeping seeing that crash. I can’t forget it. And it makes me sick.”
Beatrice frowned. “I don’t know what to suggest, Rors. He’ll never give up driving, so if you want to be with him, you’re going to have to find a way to deal with what he does. That’s it. You’ve already tried walking away, and it didn’t work. So?”
“So I have to try this. I know. I am trying.” She swallowed. “I am.”
Beatrice exhaled a long slow breath. “I’m not sure you should have to try so hard though.”
Aurora nodded. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll work it out. Go back to Peter; I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’re going to the race?”
Aurora nodded, though her stomach was in knots. “I promised Leo I would.”
“Good. I think the more times you see him race, the more you’ll realise that he’s incredibly good at what he does. And I’ll be there to hold your hand.”
Aurora spontaneously wrapped her arms around her friend’s shoulders. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too. And Aurora? Don’t worry about it. Germany was a freak accident. Leo’s the best. He’ll be fine.”
* * *
The morning of the race began with a rumbling of distant thunder and a flash of lightning. The clouds were dark, threatening rain, and the air was dense with humid moisture. Aurora tried not to think of it as ominous, but the word kept coming to mind.
“Morning.” Leonardo seemed like his usual self, perhaps a little tension had crept in, but that was to be expected on the mornings he had to front up and try to win something as important as an F1 event.
She nodded. “Morning.” Her fingers fidgeted in her lap; the buffet that had been brought up no longer had any appeal. “How are you?”
He looked at her with drawn brows. “Fine.”
“It looks like it might rain?”
He sighed, and took up the seat opposite her. “And so it might.”
The last thing he needed was to worry about her. She knew that. He needed to be completely focussed on the race. She imitated a smile and cupped her hand over his. “What shall we do tomorrow?”
He didn’t react at first. He continued to stare into her eyes, his expression thoughtful. Then a grin cracked across his face, and he reached for a piece of toast. “Something wonderful.” He kissed her, then stood, chewing on his toast as he went. “I have to go. I’ll see you after.” He grabbed his cap from behind the door. “Baby? I love you.”
She nodded. “I know.”
Her sense of unease grew as the morning progressed. By the time she had arrived, with Beatrice and Peter, at Sepang, her stomach was in knots. She slid her over-sized Chanel sunglasses in place, and ruffled her hair, as she stepped out of the car. In a matter of days, the fact that she was dating Leo had spread like wildfire. A small pack of photographers were huddled at the secure e
ntrance, waiting to get her picture. She stepped out, mindful of the fact, keeping her eyes averted, her head tilted down, her body posed. Nothing the press loved so much as unflattering angles.
Despite her anxiety, it was impossible not to get a little caught up in the excitement. The team box was beneath them, the walls glassed and containing a fevered hive of activity. Aurora, Beatrice and Peter sat just above, in a section with perhaps ten other people, who were all special invitees of the team. Tens of thousands of people were crammed into the stands opposite, beneath the bright yellow sunshades.
It was an hour into the race when the rain began to fall. Enormous black clouds moved overhead, and as though someone had run a knife along their underbellies, water gushed down. Torrentially, it drenched the track.
Aurora gripped the railing even tighter.
Seasoned viewers simply reached for their ponchos and continued watching, but Aurora felt as though her body was about to fall apart. The anxiety was enormous.
