Risking it all (Lando Norris)

Chapter 19

WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content that may not be suitable for all readers.

Lando

As I held Lily close, I could feel the steady rhythm of her breathing against my chest. The weight of our conversation still lingered in the air, but there was a comforting sense of calm now that we'd laid our feelings bare. I wanted to do whatever I could to make things right, to show her that I was all in and that we could navigate this mess together.

"Let's watch something," I suggested softly, trying to lighten the mood. My fingers traced small circles on her back, a soothing gesture meant to help us both relax. "Something to take our minds off everything for a bit."

Lily nodded against me, her voice muffled as she replied, "Sounds good. What do you have in mind?"

I chuckled, leaning back slightly to reach for the remote on the coffee table. "How about a classic? Something that doesn't require too much brainpower."

She smiled faintly, lifting her head to look at me. Her eyes were still a little red from the crying, but there was a glimmer of warmth in them that made my heart swell. "A classic sounds perfect."

I flipped through the channels, eventually landing on an old romantic comedy. The kind of movie that was predictable and comforting, the perfect antidote to a day filled with emotional upheavals. I hit play and settled back, pulling Lily closer. She nestled into the crook of my arm, her head resting on my shoulder as the opening credits rolled.

As the movie played, I could feel Lily's tension slowly easing. Her body relaxed against mine, and I could tell that she was beginning to let go of some of the stress from the past few days. I was grateful for this moment, for the chance to simply be with her and try to make things better.

"So," I began, breaking the comfortable silence, "how was your day before I showed up?"

Lily sighed softly, her breath warm against my skin. "It was complicated. Just a lot of work."

"Yeah, I know," I said, my voice tinged with regret. "I heard about Zak sending you home. I'm sorry about everything, Lily. I should've been more supportive."

She shook her head slightly. "It's not entirely your fault. Zak can be pretty hard on people. And I know you had your own stuff to deal with. I just wish... well, I guess I wish things were simpler."

I tightened my hold on her, my fingers brushing gently through her hair. "Me too. But I'm here now, okay? We can figure this out together. I'm not going anywhere."

Lily looked up at me, her expression a mixture of vulnerability and hope. "Do you really mean that? That you're not going anywhere?"

I nodded firmly, looking into her eyes with all the sincerity I could muster. "Absolutely. I know I've been a mess, and I know I've made things harder than they needed to be. But I'm committed to making this work. I want to be with you, Lily. I don't want to keep running away from what we have."

She smiled softly, her eyes reflecting a mixture of relief and affection. "I want that too, Lando. I want us to be real. It's just... it's been so confusing. But I feel like, with you here, maybe we can figure it out."

We both turned our attention back to the movie, the light-hearted scenes providing a welcome distraction. As we watched, I could feel the sense of normalcy returning, piece by piece. It wasn't perfect, and we still had a lot to work through, but at least for now, we were together, and that meant the world to me.

After a while, Lily shifted slightly, her fingers finding mine and intertwining. Her touch was comforting, and I couldn't help but smile at the simple intimacy of it.