Behind the Pit Wall: Jamie Albon's Challenge // Lando Norris // F1

Chapter 16: Out of Sight

Jamie drove aimlessly for what felt like hours, the rhythmic hum of the road beneath her tires doing little to ease the turmoil swirling inside her. Her vision had blurred earlier with tears, but now her eyes felt dry and sore, as if they had nothing left to give. Slowing the car, she realized how reckless it had been to drive while so emotionally drained. Her thoughts had been too loud, her anger too raw, and yet, staying at the golf course had felt impossible. The moment she left the clubhouse after that blow-up with Lando, she knew she had to get away—anywhere but near him.

The road ahead stretched out in front of her, winding through unfamiliar territory. After passing the same few intersections several times, Jamie finally decided to slow down and park near a quiet, almost hidden park. She turned off the engine and sat in silence for a few moments, her hands still gripping the steering wheel, knuckles white.

With a sigh, she stepped out of the car and made her way toward the small lake at the center of the park. She sat down on the grass and began absentmindedly tossing small stones into the water, watching the ripples spread out over the surface. The repetitive motion was oddly calming, but her heart was still pounding in her chest, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her.

Why does it always end up like this? she thought bitterly. She hadn't intended to fight with Lando, but something about the way he so effortlessly dismissed everyone's feelings and treated people—especially women—just set her off. He had no right to talk to her the way he did, no right to drag Chris and her breakup into the argument. He didn't know anything about what she'd been through, and yet he had spoken as if he knew her inside and out, as if her life were an open book for him to judge.

Her frustration boiled inside her, but she was too exhausted to scream, too worn out to keep crying. All she could do was sit there, staring at the lake, trying to find some semblance of peace.

An hour passed, and Jamie finally pulled out her phone. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but seeing the flood of notifications didn't surprise her. She had texts and missed calls from Alex, Lily, Logan, Carlos, and of course, Lando. She sighed and opened her WhatsApp, scrolling through the messages.

Lando had been the first to message, right after she had stormed off. His texts were typical of him—demanding, almost accusatory. You can't just run away like that. You shouldn't talk shit about me. Jamie's lips curled in disgust. She closed the chat without replying.

Next, she opened Carlos's message. He had written to check in on her and apologized for Lando's behavior. Carlos, she thought with a small, tired smile. He was always kind to her, and it made her feel guilty that she hadn't replied sooner. But now wasn't the time. She didn't want to talk to anyone just yet.

Logan's message was similar, asking where she was and if she was okay. She closed his chat without replying too.

Lily's message, however, caught her attention. It was longer than the others, full of concern and worry. Call me when you see this. Alex punched Lando after their game, and now he's losing it because he doesn't know where you are. Jamie's eyes widened. Alex punched Lando? She couldn't help but feel a strange mix of shock and satisfaction. Her brother rarely lost his temper, and if he had hit Lando, things must have been worse than she thought.

Finally, she opened Alex's messages. He had spammed her with texts—asking how she was, what Lando had done, where she had gone. He sounded frantic, desperate to know if she was okay. Jamie felt a pang of guilt for not contacting him sooner, but she hadn't been ready. Not until now.

She hesitated for a moment before finally dialing Alex's number. It barely rang once before he picked up.

"Jamie? Where are you? Are you okay?" His voice was tight with worry.