"I've got an idea!" Lando said, bounding into the room clutching his phone.
Aimee looked up at him from where she was sat on his living room floor, trying to practice bending her ankle on her leg which had been newly freed from its cast.
"Why do I feel like I should be worried?" She asked. She could practically feel the excitement radiating off Lando which meant this plan was probably something utterly ridiculous.
"You're coming to the race with me!" He grinned, bounding over like a kid on Christmas morning.
He left out the part where he'd actually hatched this plan with Tracey. The two of them were fairly sure if they could get Aimee back amongst the excitement of a race weekend she'd realise she didn't actually want to leave her job.
It had been something of a contentious issue up until now. Every time Lando tried to ask what she was thinking of doing she'd change the subject.
She was still living with him in Monaco, and hadn't made any mention of heading back to Woking, which suggested she wasn't going back. He wasn't complaining about that part. He'd be more than happy if she just stayed in Monaco with him permanently.
She'd finally managed to sort out giving up the lease on her house she'd shared with Tom after they'd been to collect her things. The rest of the furniture and his things that were left had been put in to storage. He still hadn't answered any of Aimee's messages asking what he wanted her to do with all his stuff.
She'd taken some of her clothes back to Monaco with them, and the rest of her stuff was in storage too. Just waiting for her to make some kind of decision on her future.
"What?" She looked up at him, gritting her teeth in frustration as she carried on trying to get her ankle to flex. She'd assumed the second the cast came off she could get back to normal, but that had been far from the truth.
"I've sorted you out a pass, as a guest." He explained. "It'll be nice, we can go out and explore a bit. You'll get to see everyone. I love having you there to cheer me on."
Aimee was quiet for a minute. "I don't know, Lando... what would I even do all weekend?"
"Watch the race? Cheer me on?" He offered.
"You know what I mean." Aimee rolled her eyes at him. "It would be weird me being there and not working."
"I'm sure if you want to join in and do some work Tracey wouldn't complain." Lando joked. He knew full well Tracey wouldn't, they'd discussed it.
Aimee looked at him for a long moment. "You're not going to let me get out of this, are you?"
Lando laughed quietly, knowing he was already winning the battle. "Is it really such a chore to spend the weekend with me and enjoy the hospitality?"
"Point taken." Aimee laughed, taking the hand he offered to help her up. "When are we leaving?"
"Wednesday." Lando grinned at her, clearly pleased with the outcome.
"You'd already got it all arranged, hadn't you?" She rolled her eyes again.
"Don't blame me entirely, Tracey had exactly the same thought." Lando laughed, wrapping his arms around her. "Jon wanted to make sure you were coming too. Even Zak was asking after you. Everyone misses you."
"I don't know why the idea of going back is so scary." She admitted. "I think..." she trailed off.
Talking about Tom with Lando was a touchy subject. She tended to avoid as much as she could because it would wind him up without fail.
"You think what?"
"It doesn't matter." She shook her head.
"Aimee." He sighed. "What is it? You know you can tell me, whatever it is."
And she could, he'd always listen. But every time she slipped up and accidentally revealed another detail of what had gone on between her and Tom over the years she'd see the look on Lando's face. She was never quite sure if he was contemplating tracking Tom down to kill him or just beating himself up for not putting a stop to it somehow. Either way, she didn't like it.
"It's fine." She ran a hand down his chest, averting her eyes from his gaze as she tried to work out how to distract him and change the subject.
"It's not fine." He shook his head. "Tell me."
Aimee took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. She wasn't getting out of this, if Lando was one thing then it was annoyingly persistent when it came to things like this.
"I just... the whole place, the team, MTC... it's all so full of memories." She said quietly. "When we went back everywhere I look there's just memories of him and I know it sounds so stupid but I just don't know if I can move past it. I don't want to be walking into work every day and having that constant reminder of him."
She didn't like to tell him that she still couldn't bring herself to go past the hotel she'd been staying in with Tom in Monaco.
She didn't want to go past that spot on the street outside where she'd called Lando to come and rescue her. She didn't want to relive the way she'd stood there wondering if Lando was going to get there before Tom caught up with her.
He didn't seem to have noticed that every time they went for a walk or had to go anywhere she'd take a diversion that avoided that particular street.
And MTC felt like that street to her all over again.
Yes, the team were her family, and she loved her job. But it was also a never ending reminder of what had happened.
"Just come to the race, spend the weekend with the team... with your friends... then you can make a decision, and whatever it is, I'll support it." Lando said softly, pulling her from her thoughts.
"I love you." She said quietly, pressing her lips to his. She didn't doubt for a second that whatever she ended up doing, he'd be behind her all the way.
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.
