Lando's POV
I qualified P6, which wasn't that bad but it could've been better.
I got distracted, by Nova. They showed her on the big screen and instead of looking at the track, my eyes went up there.
Up to Nova's smile.
I couldn't help it.
She was going back to Australia on Monday, so I had nothing to lose. I had to explain what happened that night.
I was gonna tell her, she would be mad again and then she would fly back, to the other side of the world.
Everything would go back to normal again. Easy, always the same.
These past few days has been more exciting than the past year. I think I was numb until she came back.
She was looking so cute today but unfortunately she was standing in the wrong garage.
Charles invited her - I didn't even know they were still friends, or were they more?
He didn't have a girlfriend for over a year, which we all thought was weird, but I guess it made more sense now.
There was only one person who would knew what was going on between them two.
"Pipes" I smiled, putting my arm around her shoulder. "You know you're my best friend, right?"
"Max is your best friend" she pointed out.
"You're my best girl friend" I said. "Pretty sure that isn't true either but what do you want?"
"It's weird huh? Charles and Nova?"
She sighed, taking my hand off her shoulder. "Why is it weird, Lando?"
"I don't know" I shrugged. "He's single for over a year now and Nova telling everyone she's single"
"And why do you care?" She raised her eyebrow. "You have a girlfriend"
Okay - this wasn't gonna be as easy as I thought it would be.
She was Nova's friend, she wasn't gonna throw her business in my face. She was loyal to her.
Not like Billie.
"Is she dating Charles?" Straight to business it was then.
"No" she said and my heart - I can't describe what I felt.
Happy? Relieved? A combination of both.
But then the realization that she was going back to Australia soon, kicked back in.
"Why did you cheat on her?" She hit me with the million dollar question. The question everyone wanted an answer to, but no one ever got an answer.
"Because I thought I wasn't good enough" I looked at her. "I wasn't good enough for her"
"She would do anything for you. Everything she does, it's because of you" she shook her head in disbelief. "She loves you"
"Loves?" I tilted my head. She said loves, not loved. Present tense.
"Loves, loved" Piper rolled her eyes. "It's just a shit reason" she said as she walked away.
To her it was a shit reason, because she didn't get it. Nova would get it.
"Baby!" Sofia walked in the hospitality, arms around my neck, lips on my cheek. "I am so so proud"
"Thanks" I mumbled. She kissed me right next to my ear and whispered. "I love you"
It was so unexpected, especially because we never told each other that.
She chose this moment to tell me for the first time?
Was it because she saw Nova? Was it because she could feel that there was definitely still something there?
Probably not, we didn't really talk during our traditional dinner. We shared a few looks - maybe I looked at her a bit too much.
But she was looking beautiful that night. The way she took little sips from her martini - I guess that's her new signature drink - the way she threw her head back laughing at one of Max's stupid jokes.
The way our eyes met and how she immediately looked down, with a blush on her face.
"I-I lov-" I tried to get it out but I just couldn't. "Thanks" I just said.
Thanks? Really?
Sofia might help me forget, but loving her is something I could never do.
Because I had Nova.
