Redline | L.Norris

seventeen

The next few days passed in a blur of simple pleasures. No press conferences, no interviews, no team radios. Just the slow, satisfying rhythm of the Italian countryside, mornings spent drinking coffee on the patio, afternoons wandering through local markets, and evenings enjoying wine under the stars. Isla didn't think about the next race or the waiting demands of her career; she only thought about the warmth of the sun on her skin and the ease of Lando's company.

It was like their own world and part of her wished it could be like this all the time.

One afternoon, they found themselves by the lake, stretched out on a blanket under a wide umbrella. The water shimmered in the midday sun, the scent of pine trees and fresh grass in the air. Lando had a book open in his lap, though he hadn't turned a page in the last twenty minutes, preferring instead to watch Isla as she absently traced patterns in the sand.

"Are you planning on reading that book, or just using it as an excuse to nap?" Isla teased, glancing over at him.

Lando smirked, closing the book with a soft thud. "I thought I'd let you distract me instead. Besides, the view's better this way."

Isla rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the blush spreading across her face. "You're impossible."

"That's why you like me," he replied with a wink, rolling onto his side to face her.

She raised an eyebrow, playfully skeptical. "Is that what you think?"

"Well, maybe not like, but I'll settle for tolerate." His grin widened.

Isla laughed, her eyes catching the light in a way that made her feel lighter than she had in months. Maybe it was the simplicity of it, being away from the world, away from everything that defined her as the racing driver, just Isla for a change.

Even Lando noticed the changes in her. The smile came freely, and her body seemed more relaxed. She looked like she did the first day she walked onto the grid this year. Happy and carefree. He knew better than anyone that F1 can change you. The constant demand for perfection and never-ending scrutiny from the media. He just wished it wouldn't get to her as much as it had.

They remained out at the lake for the next few hours, soaking up as much sun and privacy as they could. Her dad had mentioned they were going to have a quite dinner with just the family and to bring Lando with her. She didn't know if it was a scare tactic or simply a dinner, but either way Lando was excited to go.

"He's so different with you and outside of racing. It's weird." Lando was chatting freely with her as they walked back to the house.

Isla forgets that Lando started his career right as her dad was ending his. Which meant he only knew him from the track.

"Kinda. I never expect more than a sentence at a time out of him and he's still very direct." She walked past him as he opened the back gate for her.

He went to say something more when her dad's voice called out, "Ten minutes."

Isla looked up in confusion. "Ten minutes for what?" The response was a single head nod towards the table set up on the patio, letting them know dinner was nearly ready.

She gave Lando a look of "told you so" and he shook his head with a smile.

Dinner went smoothly. Robin spent a lot of time asking Lando questions about formula one and his karting days. It was rare the kid ever received more detailed answers from his half-sister and dad, so he was jumping on the opportunity to talk to someone outside of the Räikkönen family. But overall, it was the kind of dinner that made Isla wish she could come home more.