Sold out || A Lando Norris Fanfiction

TWENTY-FOUR

Lando's POV

"You look terrible, have you even slept this week?" Oscar asks as we're doing a track walk together. I didn't really feel like doing a track walk, but they've put new tarmac on some places and I do really need to check that out myself. 

"Wow, thanks." I chuckle lightly, wanting to keep the mood light. This whole week has felt way to heavy already. Oscar doesn't respond, instead just listening to what different engineers tell us as we're making our way around the Austrian circuit. 

If we're being honest, all just goes on autopilot. Not really registering what is being said to me, just saying yes and no on random times. Silently hoping that it actually answers what they have just told me. 

Once we reach the pit lane entry, I realise that my small efforts have been successful. Letting out a sigh of relief, I make my way to my drivers room. I should be able to get a small power nap in before all the media obligations start. 

"Where do you think you're going Lando?" Jona asks as I am about to enter my drivers room. 

"I was just gonna go and get a power nap. Don't know if you can tell, but I kinda need it." Without waiting for her answer, I close the door behind me, locking it in one swift movement. Jona tries to get me to come out for a few minutes before leaving. 

I lay myself on the small couch, knowing my neck will probably be hurting when I wake up, but I really need like twenty minutes to reload. Once my whole body is positioned on the couch, I can feel my eyes get heavy immediately. 

I am woken up by someone shaking me roughly. "Wake up Lando." Daniel voice sounds in my ears. He must be attending this race, as it's a special one for Red Bull. 

"What are you doing in here?" 

"Well, your team is worried, and they wanted someone from outside the team to go and check in. And as they all know that we were kinda good, they picked me. Now get your lazy ass out there." Daniel's voice is stern, but jokingly at the same time. 

"How long have I been in here?" I slowly get up from the couch, my body sore as I had expected. 

"Too long, Jona has already rescheduled some interviews. But you've got a press conference to attend, and you can't really skip that." I nod, going through my hair with my hand in an attempt to make it look somewhat presentable. 

I make sure I look presentable, following Daniel out of the drivers room and to the press conference. On the way there, Jona informs me that my interviews have been rescheduled to after the press conference. She also tell me that all the press have been briefed to keep my personal life just that. Personal. And if they obey, that would mean I wouldn't be bugged by questions about me and Aimee ending. 

Something I still didn't feel comfortable talking about. 

The amount of hurt I felt when she called it quits. I still feel the ache. It's very prominent. She had made it clear that the love was still there, and it was very much still there from my side too. But she didn't feel comfortable with having a relationship in the spotlights. Not the way ours was, we were just being followed and ambushed everywhere. Whether it were her fans or mine, or the media. 

The only place where we could really be ourselves was in our houses. And if we're being honest, that could feel suffocating at times. It wasn't really healthy, so I can have nothing but respect for the decision Aimee made. Even if it hurt me, even if it broke me like it did. 

I can say that I'd want us to try again, be private. But I don't think it'll last with the spotlight being on us. 

So for now all we do is try and be friends. 

And it's really fucking hard. 

Luckily for me, the press actually obeyed our requests for once. The interviews being strictly about racing related topics for all of Thursday. Getting to my hotel, I know better then to let myself get into my thoughts. So I am very happy to see Charles standing in front of my hotel door when I arrive. 

"We're going out for dinner. You, me, Daniel, Carlos and Max." I open the door to my room, grabbing another shirt from the pile of clothes on top of my suitcase. Making sure I'm not dressed in company clothing anymore. 

The night out went fairly easily, all boys staying far away from the topic of relationships. Heidi, Isa and Kelly went out together, so they weren't even with us too. It was good to have an all boys day and I could actually get rid of my sad feeling a bit. 

Although I couldn't really help but think about Aimee still. My heart racing when her name appeared on my screen, when we had finally arrived into the hotel's bar. 

'Hi Lan, I just wanted to wish you good luck for this weekend :)' 
- Aimee

I can feel a smile creeping on my face. Happy to see that she does seem to want to stay in touch. Before I can even type an answer to her, Charles is up in my face already. 

"Who's got you smiling like that?" 

"No one." I snap, returning my attention to my phone screen. 

'Hi Aims. Thank you :) Have fun in Prague, good luck on the concert. Please don't cry again okay?'

-Lando

I immediately press send. Doubting what I had written immediately, but it's not like I can do anything about it now. 

"No need to be that snappy. You can't have another girl already, right?" Daniel chimes in, defending Charles. 

"No, there's no one else." 

"So it's Aimee?" Max adds in, I can feel my cheeks flush red. These guys will be the end of me. 

"We're just being friendly." I check my screen to see if she's answered my text again, but she hasn't. 

"Just friends don't look at their screens like that when they read a text. I don't know what it is, but you're definitely not over her." Charles points out. 

"Is that so weird? We've been broken up for a few days, and you think I'm over her already? It was her fucking choice." I snap before grabbing my stuff and running up my room. 

That last comment from Charles hit hard. I can tears pricking in my eyes as I get to my room. 

The break up hurt, but I had been able to keep my emotions out of the public eye. Until now. 

I knew the break up wasn't mutual. Even with knowing that, I also know that it wouldn't have been healthy to keep Aimee in a relationship she didn't want to be in. I didn't pick up the small signs she was hurting, even if I knew the media was one of her biggest annoyances from being a singer. 

I should've realised, but I didn't. 

And I have to live with this. 

I grab my phone, scrolling through Aimee's Instagram. "I love you so much, it hurts." I whisper, as my eyes linger on one of the pictures of us together. At least she hasn't deleted those.