GRIDLOCK - Lando Norris [BOOK 1 Gridlock Series]

18

Max won in Japan and then again in Qatar.

I followed the RedBull racing team from Singapore to Japan to Asia on autopilot.

I did my duties by sitting in the RedBull garage, listening in through the team radio, taking pictures of Max on podium and posting them as a proud sister on social media. The words LANDO, NORRIS were not spoken by my mother, by Christian or by me.

The word may not have been spoken, but it's written in every pair of eyes that look in my direction.

As I settle down onto the pool deck chair at the Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel, I flick through the old messages between Lando and I. All of the tell me something he used to send. Never for any purpose.

But as I make it down to the string of unanswered messages I've sent recently, I feel like there's two eras in these messages. That the girl I was back then sending funny messages back and forth, is completely different from the one begging for a reply.

I need to speak with him, I want to at least if this is all over, have it said in good terms. It's been just over 2 weeks and as we fly out to the US tomorrow, I'd like to have a clean slate.

"Hello?" - Lando

"Hey" - Evelyn

"Hey, you alright?" - Lando

"Yeah, how are you feeling?" - Evelyn

"Yeah I'm alright" - Lando

I don't even know what to say to him. I think I didn't even expect him to answer the call so I didn't prepare myself.

"Evelyn?" - Lando

"Sorry, I just.. I just wanted to see if you're alright?" - Evelyn

His deep exhale through the phone displays both exhaustion and frustration.

"I don't like seeing your brother out there winning all of my races"

I swallow intensely.

"It's not a real championship win if you're not competing against the best you know?" - Lando

I know his pain, but it's also not Max's fault what happened.

"I know" - Evelyn

All I can do is agree with him at this point.

"Evelyn?" - Lando

"Lando?" - Evelyn

"Can I see you?" - Lando

His question breaks me down. Completely. And I don't really have a solid reason why.

"Okay" - Evelyn

I agree with a shakey breath.

We hang up after this and I immediately book a flight to the UK for the following morning.

***********

The only person at RedBull who knows my current whereabouts is Johan, and I've made him promise me that he won't out me to the rest of them. Including mother.

As I touch down at the Heathrow airport and walk out to find the car waiting for me, I have this gut feeling that this isn't going to be a positive visit. 

Pulling up to the Royal Brompton Hospital, I exhale a deep breath before exiting the car. 

"Thanks" I announce to my driver before closing the door behind me. 

Walking through the automatic doors, I feel as though I shouldn't be here. It's against everything my family would be standing for right now, and I feel like nothing is going to come from it.