Dear Lando - Book Two

𝟸𝟻 ♡ Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) By Green Day

The drive back to Monaco was filled with the occasional hum of the car's engine and the soft sound of music playing in the background. The French countryside rolled by, a blur of green and gold, but the atmosphere in the car was thick with the awkward tension that still hung between Lana and Lando after the dream incident.

Lana was still fidgeting with her phone, pretending to scroll mindlessly through Instagram, when Lando's phone began to ring, cutting through the silence like a siren. Aria's name flashed across the dashboard screen, and Lando glanced at Lana before answering.

"Hey, Aria," Lando greeted, his voice casual.

Aria's voice came through, slightly muffled by the car's speakers. "Lando, are you still with Lana?"

Lando shot a sideways glance at Lana, who immediately looked up, her brows furrowing at the question. "Uh, yeah, she's here," he replied.

"Good! Both of you, listen up." Aria's voice was cheerful at first. "I just wanted to say congrats. The karting event went off without a hitch. You two looked fantastic together, and the pictures are doing wonders for Speedy Stars' media coverage." There was a pause, and Lando and Lana exchanged a look, silently questioning where this was heading.

Aria's tone shifted, growing a bit more serious. "But that's not why I'm calling. We need to talk about your living situation, Lana."

Lana's stomach sank, a gnawing feeling forming as she listened.

"We've been monitoring things online, and there are a couple of issues," Aria continued. "Firstly, the photo of Lando dropping you off a few days ago has gone viral. Fans are buzzing about you two—which, okay, it's good for the fake relationship narrative—but it's also drawing a lot of attention to your place. And here's the bigger issue... someone posted your address online."

Lana's mouth went dry. "What?"

"I know, it's awful," Aria said quickly, her tone softening. "We can't take any chances, Lana. For your safety, it's best if you don't stay there for now. And since Lando is a part of this, well... it makes sense for you to move in with him. At least until things calm down."

The weight of Aria's words hung in the air, the silence in the car suddenly suffocating. Lana swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. Move in with Lando? The very thought made her stomach twist, the awkwardness of the past few days suddenly amplified tenfold. She felt her heart rate quicken, a mixture of disbelief and unease spreading through her chest.

Lando, who had been staring straight ahead, finally cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, I mean... if that's what needs to happen, we'll make it work," he said, glancing briefly at Lana.

Lana felt her mouth go dry. She forced herself to speak, her voice shaky. "Is there no other option?"

"Not right now," Aria said sympathetically. "It's just for the time being, Lana. Once everything dies down, you can go back to your place. But until then, we have to think about your safety. Besides, think of the media boost—it'll make the whole relationship seem even more believable."

Lana let out a shaky breath, her hands gripping her phone tightly in her lap. "Okay," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. It wasn't like she had much of a choice.

"Great," Aria said, her tone brightening again. "I'll have someone arrange for your things to be moved, and you two can work out the details from there. You're doing amazing, both of you. Keep it up, and this will all work out."

With that, Aria ended the call, leaving Lana and Lando in a silence that seemed even heavier than before.

Lando shifted in his seat, his fingers tapping the steering wheel. "You okay with this?" he asked cautiously, his voice softer than usual.