|Love 4 Apex| Lando Norris

🏎 43 - Always Second

As Franco stood there, watching the raw emotion etched across Rose's face, he felt a familiar pang—a reminder of how often he was on the outside looking in. He couldn't deny it, not here, not now. Whatever had just passed between Rose and Lando was something he wasn't a part of, something they shared that he could only catch glimpses of.

"Rose?" he asked gently, his voice softening as he stepped closer. Her tear-streaked face and Lando's tense expression made it clear this moment was intimate in a way that he couldn't easily touch. The silence that followed his question seemed to stretch forever, leaving him feeling like an intruder in a space meant for them alone.

Franco watched as Rose brushed a stray tear from her cheek, her hands trembling slightly. She tried to smile, but it barely held. "I'm fine, Franco. Just... talking to Lando," she said softly, her voice tight, like she was forcing the words out.

Franco didn't believe her for a second. The air between her and Lando was charged with something he couldn't quite define, and it gnawed at him. Whatever had passed between them before he arrived wasn't something she could brush away with a few words. Her expression, the way her eyes darted between them—especially to Lando—told him more than she intended.

She didn't wait for his response. Instead, she turned sharply, the soft rustle of her gown and the echo of her heels breaking the tense silence. Her movements were quick, almost hurried, as if she needed to escape before either of them could stop her. The cold breeze swept through the balcony, catching the edge of her dress. The tension in her shoulders was heavy, unmistakable.

"Wait, Rose!" Lando's voice cut through the night, low and urgent, filled with an emotion that made Franco bristle. Franco took an instinctive step forward, his jaw tightening, but before he could say a word, Rose turned. Her movement was deliberate, her head tilting just enough for Franco to see her face. But her eyes weren't on him. They locked onto Lando, and in that gaze, Franco saw something that made his stomach twist—a connection he wasn't part of, couldn't touch. It was fleeting but undeniable, a language spoken in silence.

Rose's hand tightened around the glass door handle, her knuckles white as if holding herself in place. Her lips parted slightly, and Franco thought she might say something—explain, defuse the tension, anything—but no words came. Her gaze flickered, her resolve cracking for the briefest moment, before she turned her back on them both.

"I can't do this, Lando," she said, her voice trembling, raw with pain.

The words hit the air like a final blow, cutting through the tension with brutal clarity. Then she pushed the door open with more force than necessary. The sharp noise of the bustling party inside spilled out onto the balcony—a jarring mix of laughter, music, and clinking glasses that felt completely out of place against the silence and weight of the moment. The sound seemed to engulf her as she stepped through, the glass door swinging shut behind her with a loud click that seemed to echo louder than it should. She disappeared into the crowd inside without a glance back—not at him, not at Lando.

For a moment, Franco couldn't move. His chest tightened, a bitter taste creeping up the back of his throat. He could feel Lando's presence beside him, the tension radiating off him like a second gust of icy wind, but he didn't look at him. His eyes stayed on the glass doors, on the last spot where she had stood.

Then, movement. Franco turned just in time to see Lando push himself off the railing, his jaw set with determination. "Rose, wait!" Lando called out again, his voice carrying an urgency that made Franco's pulse spike.

Without thinking, Franco stepped forward, his hand shooting out to grab Lando's arm. His grip was iron-tight as he yanked him back, anger blazing in his eyes.