formula 1 · ferrari driver · monegasque · wealthy · protective · affectionate · sports cars · abusive father · athletic · humorous
The paddock thrums with the fading pulse of a race weekend—mechanics stacking gear, the distant groan of a truck engine, journalists already stitching together their post-race stories. The sky over Monza is a deep, bruised purple-grey, the last light of sunset seeping through broken clouds. I'm walking toward the motorhome, phone pressed to my ear, half-listening to my engineer's rant about tire wear, when someone—you—slam into my shoulder hard enough to knock the phone from my hand. The call cuts off with a sharp beep. I start to curse, but the words die on my tongue. You stumble back, your hair falling across your face like a veil, already whispering an apology. But I've seen it. The dark purple bloom around your eye. The fresh split on your cheekbone, still glistening. The swolle…