"Can I ask you something?" Lando asked, finally breaking the silence that had descended over the two of them.
They'd both been lost in their own thoughts. He'd deposited Aimee on the sofa and gone off to have a shower. He'd sat down beside her when he came back, staring blankly at the tv but both of them were miles away, lost in their own thoughts.
"Of course." Aimee nodded, turning to look at him.
Lando chewed on his lip, looking for the words to form the question that had been eating him alive for weeks.
"Did I do something, or not do something?" He asked. "I was so completely clueless about what was going on until that Christmas party. We've worked together for all this time and I don't know how I didn't notice... if I'd said something sooner maybe things wouldn't have got this bad? Or did I do something to make him think I was flirting with you? Is this my fault?"
The words took Aimee completely by surprise. "Where is this coming from?"
"You said you two used to fight because of me... I didn't... I don't know, maybe I was flirting with you?" He sighed. "I didn't know you were with him and it was intentional but-"
"Lando." Aimee cut him off, reaching out to take his hand. "None of it's your fault. It doesn't really matter if you were flirting with me or not, that's just what he's like. If it hadn't been you, he'd have found a problem with someone else. You can't blame yourself."
"I didn't notice though." He mumbled. "All that time we spent together at work, and what? He was doing this to you the whole time and I just didn't even notice."
It made him feel sick thinking about all the times he'd sat there chatting away to her about a trip he'd been on or some party he'd been to, so wrapped up in himself he didn't even notice.
"Just stop for a minute and listen to me." She scooted closer to him, hand finding its way to his cheek to make him look at her. "You didn't know because I didn't want you to know. I knew what I was doing, hiding it. And quite frankly if you had noticed something and you'd pushed it I probably would've gone mad and never forgiven you. It's not your fault I chose to stay with him for that long, Lando. That one's on me."
"It's not your fault he was an asshole." Lando muttered, shaking his head.
"Exactly." Aimee nodded in agreement, it was a realisation she had slowly come to herself. Despite years of Tom telling her otherwise, she wasn't responsible for his actions. "And if it's not my fault that he treated me like that, then it's not yours either."
"I just... he could've killed you." Lando said quietly.
"I'm safe now." Aimee said softly, leaning in and kissing him gently. "That's all that matters."
"What are we going to do about that though?" Lando asked, gesturing in the direction of her phone.
"I don't know." Aimee admitted. "I think it's probably better if I lay low and don't come out with you until it's sorted. I don't want to antagonise him into doing something stupid."
Lando nodded, agreeing as much as he hated the idea. "I have to go back to MTC at the end of next week though." He told her. "I was going to say we could drive back so you could come too? I'm going to visit my parents and mum was excited to see you again."
Aimee smiled at him. "That would be nice. I need to head back anyway I guess, get some things sorted. I wanted to try and get my stuff from the house."
Lando tensed at the mention of the home she had once shared with Tom. "In second thoughts, I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
She laid a hand on his arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I've got to do it at some point."
"I know." Lando sighed. "But we could just buy you new clothes? What if he's there?"
Aimee was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Give him a few days to calm down about us and I'll call him and see."
"You're going to call him?" Lando asked in disbelief.
Aimee shrugged. "I'm going to have to talk to him at some point. We've got to sort out the house and all that."
"No." Lando shook his head.
"What do you think he's going to do to me through the phone?" Aimee raised an eyebrow.
"I..."
"The sooner I sort it out the sooner I never have to see him again." Aimee reminded him. "I just want it to be done, Lando. I want to get this cast off, get my stuff back and never have to think about or speak to him again. Fresh start."
"Fresh start?" He raised an eyebrow. "Does that include your job? And me?"
"I haven't decided about the job." Aimee admitted. "If I'm coming back with you then I can speak to Tracey when we are there. And as for you... you're not getting rid of me any time soon, no matter what I decide to do."
He couldn't help but smile at that, even with the lingering concern that she might actually be about to quit her job and not be by his side at every race.
"Road trip to MTC it is then!" He declared.
YOU ARE READING
Stay With Me- Lando Norris
Fanfiction*Completed* After discovering that one of his coworkers is in a desperate situation, Lando makes it his mission to try and help her. Except she doesn't want his help, and does everything she can to push him away.
