"We need to go" I cautioned, fumbling with my things as I try to stuff it all into my bag.
"B, oh my gosh, B, calm down" Jade comforts, placing a supportive hand on my shoulder.
"We need to, we have to get out of here" I stutter.
"Baylee" Jade boasts, stopping my frantic motions by securing my shoulders, "Stop. Calm down."
"He knows I'm here, Jade. We, I can't. I. We. I have to go" I shake my head.
"Okay" she mutters, "We're going. Just take a breath"
We make our way out of the grandstands and begin to follow the crowds around to the exit gates.
With the amount of people, I feel almost hidden, yet subconscious that a thousand pairs of eyes are on me.
"You're okay" Jade chuckles, excusing herself as I storm through the crowds.
"How do we get out of here?" I ask in frantic panic as we seem to just be walking around in circles.
"I think it's this way" Jade informs, pointing off into the distance where we can see a mass of people queuing near some gates.
"Yeah, okay" I agree.
But as we make our way over and through the gates, it becomes obvious that we've entered a part of the paddock that we aren't meant to be in, although we just seemed to be following the crowds.
"Okay, now I'm lost" Jade chuckles.
"Jade?" I groan, looking around to where we just came from and seeing the gates being secured behind us.
"It's okay. I'll ring Carmen" she suggests.
"Yeah, okay. Ring her" I agree.
"Oh shit, my phone is dead" she puled.
"Here, I have mine" I inform, fumbling with my things to try and find my phone.
"Move over to the side, we're in the middle of the walk way" Jade offers, linking her arm with mine and leading me toward the side.
Dropping down to the floor, I put my bag out in front of me as I begin to pull everything out to try and find my phone.
"Oh" I chuckle, standing up, moving my hand around to my back pocket and pulling the phone from there. "I'm an idiot"
"Thanks" she offers, taking the phone from me and finding Carmen on social media.
As the afternoon air begins to pick up, I wrap my hands around me, turning away from Jade as almost to survey our surroundings.
Then everything just freezes.
My eyes become hostage to a pair gazing right back at me, a look that evidently wasn't expecting to see me either.
Frozen mid interview, Lando's lips part in shock as he takes me in fully before offering his apologies to the lady in front of him, holding the microphone.
My first initial reaction is relief, followed by an overwhelming power of fight or flight, and next minute all I wanted to do was run out of there.
"She said she'll meet us... B?" Jade mumbles beside me.
I can't even acknowledge her, afraid that if I break the eye contact first, he'll just disappear from my view completely.
I watch as Lando excuses himself, keeping me locked in his view as he makes his way around the side of the barrier, his hands moving people out of the way.
I don't even recognise my feet mimicking his movement as I move closer to the edge of the barrier.
Next minute we are standing right in front of each other, neither one of our expression changing as we just stand in complete shock.
"Lando!"
"Lando!"
"Can I get a picture?"
"Lando could you please sign this?"
Dedicated fans come from all around us, yet he doesn't make a movement to acknowledge any of them.
"Lando?" a child beside us, holds his cap out to Lando with a pen.
Without breaking the eye contact, he grabs hold of the pen and scribbles on the cap, handing it back to the child as they yell their appreciation.
"Hi" he finally breaths out.
My lips part, yet no words form.
"You're here?" Lando beams, although it comes out like a question.
"I live here" I answer, feeling like a complete condescending idiot.
Thankfully he finds it amusing, letting out a shy chuckle, "Yeah"
I don't even know what to say to him, so I continue to just stare at him awkwardly.
"Can we..." he begins to ask before we are interrupted by another group of fans.
"Lando?"
"Lando over here"
They continue to call and I can see him feeling conflicted.
"Bye" I whisper, turning my back to him but coming face first into Jade who grabs my shoulders and spins me back around to face him.
"Baylee, I just.."
"Congratulations on your win. That was, you were really good" I offer.
"Thanks" he appreciates shyly.
I nod my head, feeling how tense the atmosphere is around us.
"Oh, you two are frustrating" Jade gushes, stepping up beside me. "Why didn't you show up to the restaurant?" She accuses Lando.
His eyes widen and then return back to me.
"You went?" He asks, unconvinced.
"Of course I went" I breath out.
"You should have called" he pleads.
I shake my head, "It's fine. It was a stupid idea anyway" I brush off, trying my best to come off unbothered.
"Baylee, I didn't know you went... I didn't think you remembered me"
His statement makes me laugh, but it comes out so sarcastically.
"Do you two have passes?" An offical comes up next to us, a look on her face that slightly scares me.
"They're with me" Lando pipes up.
"That's nice" she deadpans before returning her attention to Jade and I. "But you don't have the authority. No pass, no entry"
"Come on, it's the end of the night" Jade defends.
The officials gaze comes down hard and heavy on us.
"Okay, we're leaving" Jade offers.
I turn to look at Lando, waiting to see what he does. But when he makes no effort to defend the order, or a plan to meet up, I feel defeated.
"It was good to see you" I offer, my best attempt at a goodbye.
"Baylee. Wait" he boasts.
When I turn to acknowledge him, he just stands there looking torn.
I take the hint. "Bye Lando."
YOU ARE READING
For Now, For Good
FanfictionA year ago, their paths crossed unexpectedly and whilst timing and circumstances were completely against them, Lando and Baylee couldn't deny the connection between them. They vowed to meet up again, a year from now, when they hoped the world offer...
