INVISIBLE STRING ☆ DANIEL RICCIARDO

twenty-seven

LONDON, UK; AUGUST 9th 2022

Isla had found it increasingly difficult to leave the sanctuary of her bed ever since her return from Budapest. Unless it was to walk Milo or feed him, she felt completely numb and helpless as she lie in bed for the seventh day in a row, trying oh so desperately to figure out what in the world was wrong with her. Why she still couldn't let herself admit that she loved someone.

On her eighth day in bed, Amani had had enough. She was supposed to be in New York on a work trip, as far as Isla knew, but as soon as her job was done she got the first flight back to London and marched her way from the airport to Islas apartment.

"What the fuck is going on with you?" she had demanded as she burst into Islas apartment, nearly giving the part Filipina a heart attack and then instant regret that she had given her friend a copy of her keys.

Isla was stood at the kitchen island when she had burst in, making herself a mug of coffee before she would head back to sulk in bed. "What do you want, Amani?"

"Wh-what do I want?" the curly haired woman comes to stand on the other side of the kitchen island, slamming her hands down onto the table. "You've been ignoring everyone for days now. You won't answer your calls or your texts, Mr. Philips said you haven't left your apartment since you came back."

Isla silently cursed at the old mailman for selling her out. Still ignoring Amanis gaze, she starts walking back towards her bedroom with her mug in her hands. "What's wrong with wanting a little me time?"

"This isn't me time, Isla. This is you shutting down again because you're scared!" Amani had raised her voice, growing increasingly tired with her friends antics. Isla froze in her steps, turning around slowly to look at her friend. "What? You think we don't know what happened in Budapest? That Daniel wouldn't tell Lando?"

"It's none of your business." Isla speaks through gritted teeth. She couldn't blame Daniel for telling his friend, she had no control over him. She could however blame Lando for not keeping his mouth shut about it to her two best friends.

"No, it is my business! You made it my business when you locked yourself away for a whole week and won't speak to anyone."

"Amani-"

"Have you even been eating? Have you had anything other than coffee and those sad apples on your island?"

Islas gaze flickers to the fruit bowl decorating her kitchen, there was obviously a couple of them missing which is how Amani had noticed her lack of nutrients, along with the empty sink. Now Isla wasn't exactly a messy person, but she definitely didn't do her dishes regularly.

Letting out a rough sigh, Isla sets down the steaming mug in her hands on the nearby bookshelf. She puts up her hands as if to say 'now what?', her expression falling even further as her body became more and more exhausted the longer she stayed out of bed.

"Are you gonna sit me down and shove a whole damn meal down my throat?" Isla retorts, she was growing hostile now, and it definitely wasn't an intentional act. "You don't control me, Amani."

"What?" Amani's eyebrows furrow in immense confusion. "What are you even saying right now? I didn't even— oh my God. Isla, you're not okay."