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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34. Imagine
Later that night, the group gathered on the deck of the yacht, eating and drinking under the warm glow of the setting sun. The mood was lively, filled with laughter and conversation, but beneath the surface, tension hung thick between Lando and Stephania. They hadn't spoken since their earlier conversation, each lost in their own thoughts. Lando could feel the weight of the silence between them, but he didn't push her, giving her the space she clearly needed.
As the night wore on, Stephania suddenly excused herself to go to the bathroom, her voice quiet and subdued. Lando watched her leave, a gnawing worry settling in his chest. She was gone longer than he expected, and after thirty minutes, his unease grew too strong to ignore. Excusing himself from the group, he set off to find her, a mixture of concern and anxiety propelling him forward.
He searched the yacht, his footsteps echoing softly on the wooden floors, until he reached the top deck. There, on the far side of the boat, he found her. Stephania was sitting alone, her arms wrapped around her legs as she stared up into the sky. The soft light of the stars bathed her in a gentle glow, and for a moment, Lando just watched her, his heart heavy with emotions he struggled to name.
Not wanting to startle her, he approached slowly and asked quietly, "May I join you?"
Stephania glanced over at him, her expression unreadable in the dim light. After a brief hesitation, she nodded, and Lando took a seat beside her. They sat in silence, the only sounds the gentle lapping of the waves against the yacht and the distant murmur of the party continuing on the other side of the boat.
For a while, neither of them spoke. They just sat there, side by side, gazing up at the stars. The silence between them wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, but rather a shared understanding—a way of being together without the need for words.
Lando sneaked a glance at her, taking in the way the starlight reflected in her eyes, how peaceful she seemed despite everything. She was so inexplicably perfect in this lighting; covered by the shadows from the moon, the red light from mars and the dust from the stars. He wished he could reach out, say something to make everything better, but he knew that sometimes, silence was the only thing that could truly heal.
Stephania sighed softly, breaking the stillness. She didn't say anything, but the sound was enough to convey a world of emotions. Lando felt it too, the weight of all that had been left unsaid, and the strange comfort of just being there with her, sharing the moment.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lando spoke, his voice low and gentle. "The stars are beautiful tonight."
Stephania nodded, her gaze never leaving the sky. "They are," she whispered.
They fell back into silence, but this time, it felt different. There was a sense of calm between them, as if the stars above were helping to mend the cracks in their friendship, slowly but surely.
