Lando Norris has known Stephania Anderson almost his whole life, but the childhood friends had a rough falling out when she started dating his then teammate. Now four years later, he finds himself back in her life and he has to deal with the feelin...
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31. Taking Pictures Of You
Stephania had spent most of the night staring at the ceiling of her cabin, unable to shake the confusion that had settled over her like a thick fog. Last night had only made things worse. They'd all gone out drinking, and when she saw Lando again, he had acted as if nothing had happened between them. Like they hadn't almost kissed a week ago. Like their friendship wasn't teetering on the edge of something neither of them could name.
It was driving her crazy.
They were staying on a yacht with their friends, a luxury escape that was supposed to be relaxing, but Stephania had felt anything but relaxed. Lying in bed, tossing and turning as the early morning light began to filter through the small window, she finally gave up on sleep. Her thoughts were spinning in circles, and the tight knot in her chest refused to loosen.
She decided to get up and take a cold dip in the sea, hoping the icy water would clear her head. She quietly slipped out of her cabin, careful not to wake up Carla and Mariá, and made her way to the edge of the yacht. The water below was dark and inviting, and without hesitation, she jumped in.
The shock of the cold water hit her like a wave, but it was exactly what she needed. The icy grip of the sea seemed to pull the confusion out of her, cooling her nerves and washing away some of the tension she'd been holding onto. She floated on her back, staring up at the soft, early morning sky, finally feeling a sense of peace.
But it didn't last long.
"Man overboard!" The voice rang out, startling her so much that she nearly swallowed a mouthful of seawater. She looked around, wide-eyed, and saw Daniel—a close friend of Lando's and notorious for his antics—diving into the sea with a grin on his face.
He swam toward her with quick, strong strokes, and she immediately felt a surge of annoyance. She didn't want company, especially not now. She splashed water at him as he approached, hoping to keep him at bay, but Daniel only laughed, easily dodging her attempts.
"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, catching up to her and grabbing her around the waist. She squirmed in his grip, half-annoyed and half-amused as she tried to wriggle free, but Daniel's hold was firm. ''A big catch too. I need to get one of those pictures where I hold you like a fish!'' He laughed as he started swimming back to the yacht with her in tow, and she couldn't help but laugh as they play-fought in the water, the tension of the morning melting away with every splash and laugh.
As they reached the yacht, still tangled together in playful combat, Stephania felt a strange sense of relief. Maybe things with Lando were complicated, maybe they weren't ready to face what had almost happened between them, but for now, at least she had moments like these. Moments where she could just be, without thinking too much, without worrying about what might happen next.
