"You sure you want to do this?" Sophie asked, wrapping Aimee in a tight hug as they stood in the doorway of her parents house.
"Sophie." Aimee rolled her eyes. "You were the one who dragged Lando here and told me to give him another chance. Now you don't want me to go with him?"
"I want you to go, he makes you happy and that's what you deserve." Sophie squeezed her a little tighter. "Just please done take three years to come back this time, okay?"
"What she said." Her parents chimed in behind her.
Aimee turned to face them, wrapping them in another hug as Sophie finally released her. "You guys are coming to Monza though, no? That's only a couple of weeks away."
"Of course!" Sophie grinned. "I'm not missing that!"
"Well then, I'll see you in a couple of weeks." Aimee smiled. "Mum, you have to let go of me, Lando is waiting."
"Right." Her mum eventually released her.
"Please stop crying." Aimee choked out. "You're going to start me off again."
The decision to go back to Monaco with Lando had been a fairly easy one in the end. The way she'd missed him in the three days they'd been separated when he went back to his parents was all the confirmation she needed that she didn't want to spend another day without him.
Sophie had offered to drive her to the airport to meet Lando for the flight back to Nice, but Lando had insisted on coming to pick her up. She wondered if he was now regretting his choice stuck hanging around waiting for her parents to let her go.
"Mum." Aimee sighed, taking another step towards the door. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks, you can call me... if all else fails it's a couple of hours flight and you can come to Monaco."
"I'll take you up on that." Sophie grinned. "Now come on, you're going to miss your flight." She opened the door and Aimee gave her parents one more wave before she stepped outside, Sophie following behind her.
"Ready to go?" Lando asked, still leaning patiently against the side of his car.
"Ready." Aimee nodded. "Sorry that took so long. I wasn't sure mum was actually going to let me go."
"No worries." Lando waved a hand dismissively.
"Look after her, please." Sophie said quietly to Lando as Aimee walked around the car to the passenger side to her in.
"I will, I promise." Lando agreed, climbing into the car. "Ready to go?" He asked Aimee.
"Ready." She smiled, waving to Sophie as the car pulled out of the driveway and they headed for the airport.
They'd only been driving for fifteen minutes when Lando couldn't fight the urge to ask the question that had been bothering him for so long.
"Can I ask what happened, with you and your parents?" He asked hesitantly. "Because you literally never mentioned them. I was so confused when Sophie called me. I didn't even know you had a sister."
Aimee was quiet for a moment. "Tom happened." She shrugged, as if it was a simple answer. "I uh... I missed Sophie's wedding, and my nan's funeral and a whole bunch of other things... mum and dad said some stuff, I know now that they didn't mean it but at the time... it felt like the end of the world, like I wasn't going to be welcome here ever again."
"But you came back?"
"I didn't have anywhere else to go, I didn't even really think about it. I was just here and thank god they were pleased to see me." Aimee smiled ruefully.
Lando's hand found its way to her thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm glad you made up with them. They seem lovely."
"I can't believe my dad has somehow become a massive fan of yours while I've been gone." Aimee laughed.
"I, for one, am pretty glad about that. It made my life a lot easier." Lando laughed. "I thought for sure he was going to interrogate me when I took him out in the car."
"Did he?" Aimee asked, realising she'd never got the chance to ask what the two of them had spoken about.
"Not really." Lando smiled. "He really is my biggest fan, he just wanted to make sure I was going to take care of you, make you happy. There were maybe a few threats about what he might do if I upset you, fan or not, but I haven't got any plans to do that so I should be safe."
"He's all talk, he wouldn't hurt a fly." Aimee laughed. "You're safe."
"I think he just feels like after everything... with Tom... they want to make sure you're going to be okay." Lando said softly.
"I'll be okay." Aimee nodded. "It might take a while, but we'll get there. I'll get back to being me at some point?" She hadn't meant for it to come out sounding like as much of a question as it did.
"I'll be right here, I promise." Lando reassured her. "No more running?"
"No more running." Aimee agreed. "I uh... I had a look with Sophie earlier and found a therapist not far from yours. I promised Sophie I'd give it a go."
"I know, Sophie told me." Lando confessed. "She wanted to make sure I'd make you keep the appointment."
Aimee rolled her eyes. "I don't know how I feel about you two being friends."
Lando laughed. "We both just want what's best for you, it comes from a place of love."
"I know."
"Speaking of friends... Lily was pretty excited to hear you were coming back. They're practically my neighbours now. She wanted to go for dinner at some point next week?"
Aimee's stomach lurched at the thought of seeing Lily again. "She's not mad at me?" She asked nervously.
"Why would she be angry with you?" Lando frowned.
"I lied to her and then didn't answer any of her calls or messages after." Aimee pointed out. "She must think I'm a horrible person."
Lando's first instinct was to tell her she was being ridiculous, of course Lily didn't think that of her. But what he'd come to realise was the natural assumption that everyone hated her, that everyone blamed her was the product of years she'd spent with Tom telling her exactly that.
"She's not mad at you at all, Aimee." He reassured. "She understands why you did what you did. She was so excited when I said you were coming back with me. I promise."
"Really?"
"Really." He nodded. "I promise."
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.
