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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36. Loose Ends
A week had slipped through Stephania's fingers like the warm sands of Ibiza's shores. It felt as though only moments had passed since she and her two best friends had stepped onto the sun-kissed beach, where Lando, Max, and the others awaited with wide smiles and open arms. The days had been a blur of sun-soaked bliss: mornings spent lounging on the deck, basking in the golden rays; afternoons cutting through the turquoise waters on jet skis; swimming in the crystal-clear coves; and nights lost in the vibrant beats of the island's nightlife. Laughter had filled the air, light and carefree, yet beneath it all, an undercurrent of tension simmered between Stephania and Lando.
Four years of silence lay heavy between them, a silence they had finally broken on this trip. They had danced around the reasons why Lando had pulled away, each step closer to the truth revealing just how much had been left unsaid. It turned out that the distance hadn't been because of anything she had done, but because he'd been wrestling with feelings he hadn't known how to handle. He'd hinted at it, in his usual understated way, but the implications were clear—back then, he had cared for her as more than just a friend.
Now, as they stood on the precipice of something new, the question of what it all meant for them lingered like a haze over the Mediterranean. Stephania could feel it in the way Lando's gaze would linger on her a moment too long, in the way his laughter would falter when their eyes met, in the charged silence that followed whenever they were alone together. The tension had only grown since they had shared that almost-kiss before the trip, when he had left her apartment with an unspoken promise in his eyes.
Ibiza, with its intoxicating energy, had only magnified these feelings. One night, after too many drinks at a club, Stephania had let jealousy get the best of her. Seeing Lando surrounded by other girls had sparked something primal in her, and she had flirted with him, daring him to make a move. But Lando, ever the gentleman, had turned her down, his eyes betraying a flicker of something deeper. There was definitely something there, something they were both too afraid to name.
Last night, during a late-night karaoke session, it had happened again. They had sung together, their voices blending in perfect harmony, and for a brief moment, the world had fallen away. Their faces had been so close, lips inches apart, and it had taken every ounce of restraint for both of them not to close that final distance.
Now, as the morning sun streamed through the cabin windows, Stephania lay in bed, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. The trip was ending, and with it, this strange, wonderful, maddening week. But one question burned brighter than the rest: what happens next? The answer seemed just out of reach, like the horizon over the sea, and Stephania wasn't sure if she was ready to find out.
...
The sun was high in the clear blue sky as Stephania lounged on a soft towel, soaking in the warmth. The gentle rocking of the yacht beneath her was a soothing reminder that they were still floating in paradise. Beside her, Carla and Mariá were similarly sprawled out, their sunglasses shielding their eyes from the bright light as they basked in the final moments of this perfect week.
