𝐁 𝐑 𝐄 𝐀 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 [lando norris x oc]

𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

"No."

Max groaned. "Come on! It's three weeks in multiple tropical destinations and never-ending bar. This is literally everything you've ever want, why are you saying no?"

"You know why I'm saying no." Lando shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on his PC. He'd been rotting in his apartment for the past four days, passing the time after the 2024 season ended by playing Halo and Sim Racing. 

"What if I told you she's not coming?"

Lando's head snapped to Max at that. Not coming? 

He hadn't spoken to Gabi since that night--she'd never returned his messages or his phone calls, nor even spoken to his friends or anyone else about them. Any paparazzi photos or instagram photos that could've linked them together were removed from all platforms. It was like they'd never met. Lando guessed he deserved it--what he did was horrible. But part of him was angry that he never got the chance to explain himself. She was just gone, with a snap of his fingers and she was out of his life. That didn't seem fair to him. But then again, what would he even say to her if he saw her after all this time? So many months had gone bye, being around her only instilled fear in his heart that he would never be able to explain everything to her and she would never understand. 

Six months went bye without anything, he hadn't even seen her in person, only heard her voice faintly over a facetime call that Max was having with Lilly. Lando finished out his season and did pretty well, but he felt empty and void inside. All he wanted was to talk to her again, even just see her in person, but he knew that it would never happen and if it did, nothing would change. So going on this trip with her would only end in disaster, he didn't want to cause either of them any more pain. 

Sometimes, at night, Lando would lay awake and think about the look on her face when they stood outside the restaurant. He'd never seen anyone so hurt, so upset. It made him want to rip his own heart out and torch it to a crisp. He wondered if Gabi ever did the same--laid awake thinking about everything. A voice in his head hoped she did, even if it just meant that she thought of him. No girl was like her. The women that had approached Lando after that night were nothing to him now that he'd been with Gabi. He couldn't even bring himself to touch them. Memories of their moments together--dates, laying in bed, partying in clubs--played over and over in his mind, relentlessly reminding him of his mistakes. Even the other racers on the track had questioned him about what happened, Carlos had practically ripped his mouth open to get him to speak. Lando couldn't though, he couldn't bring himself to talk about her, or think about her because thinking about her was a reminding of what he'd lost and what he'd never get back. 

"I doubt that. Lilly and Bridget would never leave her home if they went." Lando found it hard to believe Max. "Besides, I would still have to be around those two and I'm not quite sure I'm ready for more dirty looks."

Max crossed his arms. "First of all, you'll be getting dirty looks from Bridget no matter what and Lilly is more forgiving than her--she already told me to talk to you and get you to come. Second of all, Lilly told me Gabi was pretty set on staying home for work."

"Really?" Lando winced. Maybe she wouldn't go? Lando wouldn't see her. "I guess...if she's really not going then I don't see a huge problem with it."

"Yes!" Max cheered. "Let's fucking go, I'm texting Lilly right now. You're not going to regret this."

"I hope not."

a/n: im writing so much rn so ill give u guys another chapter bc im feeling nice tdy