Mutual Friends | Lando Norris

Chapter 30 - Wake Me Up

Liv's POV

I wish Lando luck for the next coming days and kiss him goodbye before he turns away to board the private plane they're taking to Brazil ahead of the Grand Prix.

The next time I see him, it'll be his 23rd birthday on the coming Sunday. It's going to make for an eventful weekend.

The driver takes his final step to board and disappears behind the attentive male flight attended.

I am so parched it's making me lightheaded. Maybe it's the stress building up with the whole Zak and Lan thing, maybe it's the fact that it's also my late mom's birthday tomorrow but all of today I've been feeling anxious.

My father busies himself with going over some paperwork with one of the pilots but I suspect his plan of action is to ignore us as much as he can. He doesn't have to process his feelings about us if he doesn't have to see us. Or at least that's how he's always dealt with conflict when it came to him and I.

Corrine on the other hand, has always been the mediator when things got like this. Never picking sides but always being the voice of reason. A part of me wishes I left for LA with her or that maybe she stayed just a little bit longer here with me but I've come to learn that we all deal with life's happenings in different ways.

She played her part in the two days she was here and I'm super appreciative of that. This woman was a very big key factor in getting my father to a point where he can at least look at Lando without glaring daggers at his McLaren driver.

I look at him, my father who's now walking towards me. His laptop bag in hand along with a small plastic bag that was handed to him by his assistant. This is how I remember him sometimes, always moving between two places.

The Mexican afternoon sun is relentless against the growing migraine pounding in my head but at least I don't have to travel, not until later in the week anyway.

"Olivia."

"Dad."

"The embassy is going to expedite your paperwork and you should be able to travel the latest on Saturday evening. You'll maybe miss qualifying but I don't think that'll bother you much."

Somewhere along my travels here in Mexico, I misplaced my passport. The last I saw of it was sometime in my hotel room but I'm not too sure now.

I can't see his eyes behind the dark sunglasses he's wearing but his hair flickers with the wind as he looks to the aircraft. Why does it have to be like this?

"Thanks Dad," I say leaning in for a hug. I kiss the man on his cheek and feel his body relax in a sigh to hug me back. The fighting comes and goes but our little family is important to us.

"Liv, back then..." he starts off. "What I said at the hotel, I didn't mean any of it. You've never in anyway been selfish or anything close to it. You've actually been quite the opposite."

"It's okay Dad," I say stepping back. Leave it to us to make up at the last minute.

Flying from Mexico City to Sao Paolo on average takes about ten hours and thirty minutes. I know they won't be seated together the entire time but it does feel like at some point they're going to have a chat I won't be privy to so I play the only card I can in this particular situation.

"Dad... I like being with Lando," I begin.

My father exhales deeply. "Olivia please." He raises his hand gently at mr to beckon me to stop.

I might not be able to see his eyes but my hope is that the sincerity of mine will remind him of what it was like to once upon a time be in love with someone.