FOR HIM [Lando Norris] ~ Gridlock Series Stand Alone ~

New Beginnings, Treasured Pasts

CHARLES

"So, I don't get it. You've bought all this stuff and you're still not going to tell her she's your girlfriend yet?" Landon questions beside me. 

I chuckle, "I can't just tell her she's my girlfriend mate. I have to ask her" 

"Lucy didn't ask me. She just told me" he informs me with an eye roll. 

I can barely see him with the flowers seated in front of him, I keep hearing little sniffles when the leaves must tickle his nose. 

"We'll it's a little different with adults. I have to let your mum know I'm interested first, then give her a chance to work out how she feels too. It's a little more complicated than just telling her" I inform him with a chuckle. 

"I think she likes you" he admits. 

"Do you?" I'm finding myself becoming increasingly nervous as we make our way back to their apartment. 

He nods excitedly, "You're the only boy she's ever been around where she smiles" 

"That's not true" I explain, "You have you're Uncle Johan" 

This makes him chuckle, "But Uncle Johan already has a boyfriend. And Mum isn't a boy. He wouldn't like her like that" 

I knew the relationship between Johan and Evelyn had gotten a little complicated over the past few years. Ev didn't necessarily agree with the new partner Johan had gotten involved with. Truth is, I wasn't too fond of him either. 

An arrogant Australian with more money than sense, Johan met him about 3 years ago on a vacation trip he took looking for his rebound when things went south with Gabriel. Turns out, that rebound has been stuck for over 3 years now. 

As far as I was concerned, they wrote to each other and exchanged vague FaceTime calls when Johan wanted to catch up with Landon, but other than that, it was tainted at best.  

"That's true, I guess" I laugh. 

"So, whats the plan?" he claps his hands together. 

"Well, Mum will be home about 5:30pm, I was thinking we could have a nice dinner cooked for her and then surprise her with all these gifts?"  I glance in the back seat at the mountains of chocolate, really thinking we went a little overboard with it all. 

"What are you thinking for dinner? What can you make?" he asks. 

"Uhhhh" I hesitate. "Pasta?" I shrug. 

Landon nods his head as he thinks it over, "Pasta" he repeats, considering the option, but it's literally all I've got. "Yeah, okay. Pasta is good. We have bacon and chicken at home too, we can put those in" 

"Yeah, that sounds nice" I accept. 

As we pull up into the driveway, Landon collects the flowers whilst I get the bags of chocolate out of the back and we head up the stairs to the apartment. 

"Did you bring the spare key?" he asks me. 

"What?" I gush, "I thought you had it?" I exclaim as we both stand at the door. 

"Are you kidding me, Charles?" he chuckles. 

I shrug my shoulders, placing the bags down at the entry and patting down all my pockets. "I honestly don't have it" I explain. 

"Great" Landon groans, turning around and sitting down, throwing his back up against the wall in a huff. 

"My key is at my house, we could go get it?" I offer.