10 Years Later Ago - Lando Norris

29

"I can't go, right?" I'm sat on top of Kasey's desk as she sorts through client files and stores them away in the filing cabinet.

"Why not?" she asks, saying it like it's no big deal.

"Kasey" I sigh, hating myself for even contemplating leaving her.

"We agreed you would handle the McLaren case, you can do that whilst following them around the world" she smiles, teasingly.

I throw the rubber band ball on the desk at her, "It's not around world, it'd be one race"

She looks at me like she knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"I don't know Kase" I push myself off the counter and pace the length of the room. "I'm worried" I confess.

Her expression changes, softening and placing down her files she takes a seat in the sofa in the corner of the room and pats the spare space next to her.

Flopping down, it's almost humorous how all of my problems the last 10 years whether they involved Lando or not, all revolves around Lando, and never, until now, have I ever thought about talking to anyone about it.

"What is it babe?" Her hand rests on my knee, "What are you afraid of?"

Inhaling a deep breath, I run my hands down my face, "I've subconsciously let that man control my emotions for the past 10 years" I confess, looking at her for any hint of told you so, but it doesn't come, "I don't know whether I should be just up and following him around now, when this company is at its peak, I worry that giving that up for him, would place a hold on my life"

She nods understandingly.

I shrug my shoulders, emotions threatening to overtake, "It starts off as one race," I continue, "but the hold that Lando has over me will make it quickly turn into more. And the stupid thing is, I won't care. I'll do it, I'd happily follow him around and be with him finally and it'll be great"

Kaseys face turns confused, "and the problem is?"

I chuckle, "everything I ever worked for, I can't give it up now. I shouldn't have too"

She breaths out a held in breath, "wow, you've thought a lot about this" her eyebrows raising slightly.

"Ten years worth" I amuse.

"Look, Bray, can I say something, and you probably don't want to hear it?" She tests the waters.

I shift slightly in my chair, anxious for what's to come. "Go on" I push.

"You love Lando" she begins.

I cut in, "Kasey, I"

She shakes her head at me and holds up her hand, "it wasn't a question, it was an observation. You've been in love with the same man for over a decade." 

"Go on" I sit back in the chair, arms crossed waiting for the punchline. 

"You love Lando, you have for majority of your life, and judging from how I've seen you these last few days, you're always going too. You lost Lando once and you didn't fight to keep him" she holds her hands up in defence as she can see my rebuttal, "you let him walk away and you've spent the last decade waiting for his return, he's back, Bray he's back in your life now babes. If you let him walk away now, are you going to spend the rest of your life waiting for him? And if you do, what happens if he doesn't come back?" 

"I have to go" I mutter in shock, her words settling in deep. 

"You have to go" she repeats, noticeably proud of her work. 

"Kasey, I can't lose Lando" I agree with her, "But I don't want to lose this company either. I need to find a way to make both work" I admit to her. 

"We'll make it work" she reassures me, gesturing for me to get out of this office. 

Grabbing my handbag, I rush out of the room and down the hallway, not really sure what my next move is, or what I even say when I get there, but I just know that I need to get to Lando. I quickly realise and double back, back towards our office. "Kasey" I gasp once I get there, rushing into her arms. She hugs me back tightly, a thousand things said silently between us, however a small "thankyou" leaving them which cover multiple topics. 

"Go" she urges and I rush back out the office.