Mutual Friends | Lando Norris

Chapter 39 - Arabian Nights

Liv's POV

It took me a moment to take in the surroundings when I came back to my senses. My thoughts still a little scattered from being lightheaded as I balanced my weight against the Jeep wrangler.

I took a deep breath,  noticing the vague feeling of pressure behind my forehead creeping up on me.

The two tiny pills I had hidden, tucked away neatly in a small fold of tissue paper in my purse are easy to reach and I swallow down hard as quickly as I can when I pop them into my mouth.

"Careful now," says a familiar voice coming round the big car. "Any more discreet and one might think you're hiding being back on your meds."

At first I panic from the jump scare but soon calm down when I realise who it is. "What the hell Bianca? Don't sneak up on me like that," I say clearly sounding panicked. "You almost gave me a fright."

"What are you doing?" The blonde passes me a cold bottle of water with what appears to be a blank smile. I reluctantly take it from her and look back to the group who are still sand surfing in the dunes.

"Nothing, just taking a break and admiring the moment."

Bianca looks me over cautiously and with intent eyes. "Drink the water Livvy, it'll help chase the pills into your system faster. Isn't that what you were really doing? Hiding over here to take your meds?"

Something about our exchange makes me feel uneasy. We hadn't really had some decent one on one time recently and I'd hoped we'd be able to amend our relationship while we were here but she seems distant.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say trying to sound as nonchalant and unmoved as possible.

"Sure you don't." The model settles into the spot beside me and crosses her arms as we both look out at the Sahara desert. "You only know when and if you can get attention for it from your knight in shining armour Lando or when you want Pierre to feel sorry for you."

"What?" My voice sounded hoarse when it broke. "What are you on about?"

"Thirsty?" Bianca smiled and tilted her head to the side. The model took back the cold bottle and opened it for me to drink. I shrugged annoyingly and took a few sips of the hydrating liquid.

As I stood there, completely unprepared for what was about to follow, she confidently asked me something that would leave me shaking.

"Tell me Liv, how do you do it? How do you make people fall hopelessly in love with you without even trying?" The venom in her voice was scathing. I knew that side of her too well, I'd seen it before just never directed towards me.

"What are you talking about? Where is this coming from?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Bianca was unphased. "Is it the mommy issues? The fact that you were the one to find her dead body? Or was it the fact that your own father couldn't stand to look at you after so he shipped you off to grow up not knowing what it felt like to be loved."

My jaw dropped and I was completely gobsmacked. I had a hard time processing what was happening. "My father loves me," I stammered trying to defend myself.

But Bianca was relentless. "Is that what you tell yourself?" she scoffed. "Is that why he coerced Joeri to change his mind about proposing to you? We helped him pick the ring you know? It's on some other girl's finger now of course, not that it matters anymore."

My friend's words were like a knife in my heart. I turned to look for the other familiar faces we'd come to the dunes with, searching for some kind of support but they were all engulfed in the fun they were having.