If You Leave Me

CHAPTER 20: Don't Need No One Else

"And I know you can see. We'll let people talk, and you know we can be. Just what they want" CALLING AFTER ME - Wallows

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Samantha's POV

Denise informed me that Lando called me last night and asked if I was okay. At first, my conscience couldn't handle the nervousness that I might give him. I was contemplating myself since I knew I could distract him in his F1 races, and it was just the start of the season. As I was doing light workouts, Lando was calling me. I hesitated, wiping the sweat from my forehead as my phone vibrated on the counter. Lando's name popped into my mind, mixing concern with a bit of excitement. I couldn't ignore it; his voice always seemed to ease my self-doubt.

Taking a deep breath, I answered. "Hey, it's me!" he said, sounding enthusiastic, as if his racing world had connected with mine. "I just wanted to check in; you seemed slightly off lately. Everything okay?"

His question made me feel guilty for worrying him. "Yeah, just overthinking things... you know how it is," I replied, trying to sound casual, even though I wanted to share my anxiety and fears about being a distraction for him.

He chuckled, a sound that made my heart race faster than his car engines. "I get it. But remember, you're not a distraction; you're my pit stop," he said, his words feeling like a warm hug. "You keep me grounded. And hey, if you need to talk, I'm here."

His reassurance calmed my racing thoughts. "What about you? How's the car feeling for the new season?" I asked, shifting the conversation to something he loved. Racing was his passion; seeing him excited about it made me feel good, too.

"It's feeling good! A few tweaks, and we should be ready to conquer the tracks," Lando replied, his voice full of excitement. I could almost picture him, eyes shining and hands moving as he described the technical details that most people wouldn't get.

Listening to him, I felt my nerves settle, and my initial worries faded. Maybe we could both move forward without disrupting each other. In the chaos of racing, moments like this were necessary. "Just make sure you take breaks between laps for your own pit stop," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah!" he laughed. "And you better keep working out so when I race near you, I've got someone to keep me on my toes."

"So, when are you going to visit me?" I asked as I was playing the string on my hoodie. 

"That's going to take a while, Sam. I have test drives, and I need to go to need to go to Japan as early as possible." He said, sounding disappointed. 

"Oh, okay. That's fine." I said, not expecting his answer. 

"Yeah, it sucks." He said, chuckling. 

"I have something to tell you soon; just be careful out there," I said. 

"I will. I'll update you every time." He said, and we talked briefly until his trainer called him. 

"I gotta go, don't strain yourself too much, yeah?" I said as he sighed. 

"Yeah, you too. " He said as he dropped the call. I sighed, continued my exercise, and got ready for my check-up. Hopefully, some good news will be heard today. 

Lando's POV 

My trainer and I were preparing for the Japan Grand Prix, and he promised that I could take a day off, so I decided to surprise Samantha back in London. I also informed Caroline about it, and she was also excited about it. Moments later, I was on my flight back to the UK to surprise her.