Darkness is creeping up on us, and as much as I'm trying to remain silently positive, I'm losing confidence in Lando's directional skills. This could be the right way back for all I know, I had no clue where we were going - it all looked the same to me, and even more so now that it was getting so dark, so quickly.
But Lando had barely spoken a word in the last fifteen minutes, that's how I know somethings wrong. If there's one thing I've learnt about him - it's that he shuts down and becomes quiet if he's worried or if anything is playing on his mind, just like how he acted the night I turned up to his hotel after the stream of blunt closed off text messages he'd sent me.
Leaving our phones at the hotel maybe wasn't our best decision to date, but at the same time - we're in England. It's not as if it's remotely dangerous in this woodland in terms of wildlife, the scariest thing in this forest is definitely us - but it's beginning to get seriously getting cold.
"Lando, are you sure this is the way back? We've been walking for a while now." I say to him reluctantly - not wanting to place doubt on him but also making sure he was aware how I was feeling at the moment, which was pretty worried.
"Don't worry it's about ten more minutes up this way, do you remember that wall we passed on the way down?" This time he sounds confident, pointing towards the remains of what looked like the outer wall of an old well - which I do actually remember passing on our way down not long after leaving the car.
Up until catching sight of this wall I'm sure we were definitely lost, the relief I saw in his face as he he spotted the bricks was a picture. Either way it's at least seeming more hopeful we're going to make it back to the car, but let's not speak too soon.
It's freezing cold and for the second day in a row we've ended up damp and covered in mud - I strongly think tomorrows plan should be a day spent in bed in the hotel room - which I'm more than ok with.
"There she is!!!" He shouts.
She?! Oh... he's talking about the car, of course he is.
I'd never felt so happy at the sight of a car, already thinking about the warm air I was going to have blasting through it in the next minute. However the real issue here was our clothes, we'd already made a mess of the inside of the car yesterday but today was a whole new level of filth, the pair of us completely soiled in mud - but there's little we can do.
"Take them off" Lando says, smirking as he begins taking off his clothes at the side of the car. He had a point, we'd definitely warm up quicker this way but what if someone saw us?! On the other hand, we hadn't seen anyone all day so the chances of it happening now were seeming pretty slim.
"Look who's trying to get who's clothes off this time." I joke back to him, peeling off my trousers that were practically stuck to me.
"Trying? Or succeeding?" He smirks again throwing his muddy trousers at me over the top of the car. I can't help but laugh at him. Both down to our underwear we get into the car, even without the engine running or the heat on yet - it was a welcome escape from the temperature and wind chill outside.
"So Mr Grylls, you got us back to the car out of the oh so brutal wilderness - but do you remember how to get back to the hotel?"
"Ahhh you underestimate me again?"
Somehow, he actually did know the way back. Winding along these dark country roads, I had the strange sense and just a moment of things almost coming full circle. In the dark most of these English countryside roads were so similar to those I travelled along leaving Monaco and to the storage unit. Except last time I was racing Lando and didn't even know it - this time I'm sat by his side with his hand in mine.
Smiling to myself as I look at him, then back out the window. It was just a perfect moment and I wasn't sure why, things just felt right. Before I knew it we were back outside the hotel. Valet approaching...
"LANDO drive now!!" I burst out laughing, but also panicked. Why did he pull up directly outside the hotel when we were both in nothing but underwear, the moment he realises he joins me laughing and quickly puts his foot down to take us around the corner out of view.
It was a struggle but we managed to get our clothes back on pretty quickly and thankfully without being seen by anyone. We'd have probably been arrested for public indecency - and I don't fancy being back in a police station quite so soon. All I wanted right now was to be back out of these clothes, get warm, and continue where Lando and I left off...
Arriving back at the hotel, for a second time - we make it out of the car and back up to our room, and this time no one was there to bombard or take pictures. I assume after we were seen leaving today, the crowd must have thought Lando would no longer be here.
Finally I can shower, and we're going to have to get these same clothes washed again, why didn't either of us think shopping would be a good idea today? We're so stupid. That surely would have been the most logical thing to do. Then again, when did I ever work on logic?
Standing in the warmth of the shower, water trickling over my face and through my hair, glancing down as I see the mud run from my skin. Hands on my hips is all I feel next, as a shiver runs through my body. His lips softly press against the back of my shoulder kissing me from behind as he moves my wet hair out of the way.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
I almost fall over jumping from the noise, every part of me thought it was gun shots before I turned to see the fire works outside. Completely forgetting it was bonfire night, my heart is racing. They were huge! Lando laughs while comforting me as he wraps a towel around me, I wasn't even properly clean yet but it seemed like the display over the city was beginning, and we had the most incredible view from the floor to ceiling windows of our room.
He turns off all the lights in the room so we can see outside without any reflections, then grabs the duvet, wrapping it around us both as we sit on the bed looking out across the city, my head on his shoulder watching the fireworks fly up and explode one after another, its so loud but somehow peacefully beautiful.
The moment was interrupted, not so much there and then - but I noticed Lando checking his phone after the fireworks had ended and panic completely took over his facial expression.
"Lando what's wrong?"
"Give me two minutes I need to make a call."
He sounded so serious, wrapping his robe around his body with such speed before dashing out of the hotel room. What was it that he couldn't have discussed in front of me? I don't understand.
I check my own phone... one missed call from Aiden - Rodin Carlin and one missed call from Arthur Leclerc.
What was going on now?
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YOU ARE READING
DNS 2
Fanfiction*MUST READ BOOK 1 FIRST* Book 2 of DNS, as we follow Lilly's journey throughout the next year of her life she must face tough decisions. Hurt, loss, betrayal and love. Will anything end up how she thought - or hoped it would?
