Risking it all (Lando Norris)

Chapter 29

Lando

The morning came faster than I expected. As I slowly woke up, the first thing I noticed was the smell of breakfast—eggs, toast, and coffee—drifting through the house. 

Lily was already up and moving around, probably trying to distract herself from the anxiety I knew she was feeling. I couldn't blame her; I felt it too. Today was the day everything would change.

I rolled out of bed, dragging a hand through my hair as I made my way to the kitchen. There she was, standing by the stove, wearing one of my t-shirts that was a little too big for her. 

She looked beautiful, even with that nervous energy she was trying so hard to mask. She turned and gave me a small smile as I walked in, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

"Morning," she said, her voice soft.

"Morning," I replied, moving closer to wrap my arms around her from behind. I buried my face in her neck, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. For a moment, I just wanted to stay like this, to forget about the meeting and the pressure waiting for us at the MTC. But I knew we couldn't.

She leaned into me, taking a deep breath. "I made breakfast. Thought it might help." I kissed her temple. "Thank you. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," she said, turning in my arms to face me. Her hands rested on my chest, and I could feel her trembling slightly. "Lando, what if—"

"Hey," I interrupted, gently tilting her chin up so she had to look at me. "Whatever happens, we'll handle it together. We've got this."

She nodded, but I could see the doubt still lingering. I gave her a reassuring smile and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before pulling away. "Let's eat and get ready. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get this over with."

We ate breakfast quietly, both lost in our thoughts. The food tasted good, but I barely noticed. All I could think about was the conversation we were about to have with Charlotte. 

We'd been dating for only two weeks, but those two weeks had been the best of my life. I wasn't about to let some PR stunt or angry PR manager ruin that.

After breakfast, we both got ready. I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, trying to keep it casual, but I couldn't shake the tension in my shoulders. 

I knew Lily felt the same. I saw the way her hands shook slightly as she tied her hair back, how she kept glancing at the clock like it was ticking down to some inevitable disaster.

When we were finally ready, we headed out to the car. The drive to the MTC was quiet, the silence heavy with the weight of what we were about to do. Lily's hand rested on her lap, and I reached over to take it, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

She looked at me, her eyes wide with anxiety, and I tried to offer her a reassuring smile, though I wasn't sure how convincing it was.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I parked the car and took a deep breath. "You ready?" She nodded, but I could see the fear in her eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Me too," I admitted, giving her hand one last squeeze before we got out of the car.

We walked into the MTC together, side by side, our hands brushing against each other but not quite touching. It was like we were both afraid that if we held on too tightly, everything would come crashing down. But there was no turning back now.

We made our way to Charlotte's office, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I'd faced down plenty of challenges on the track, but this felt different—more personal, more important.