𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐄, lando norris

06 ; scars of our past

"Are you waiting for someone?" I hadn't realized that I had stopped in the middle of the rain, but I cringed as a familiar voice echoed through my head.

"No." I replied immediately, not wanting to look lost when I saw Lando's head poking through the window of the expensive-looking car.

Had he waited for me to get out?

"Well," His car door opened, causing me to take a step back warily. "It's not safe for you to walk home alone right now." He gave me an apologetic look, which made me even more confused.

What did he mean?

Why the hell did he say that?

"Get in." I hesitated, but when I realized the icy chill that had already settled in my bones, I stepped closer to the black McLaren.

"I'll get your car wet if I get in." I tried to somehow extricate myself from the situation, but Lando had apparently already made his decision moments ago.

"You can replace the car. But not you. Get in." He looked at me promptly, indicating with his hand that I should sit in the car.

It was too dangerous for me?

I no longer understood anything, because no one was telling me anything.

Lando closed the door as soon as I got in. The warm air of the car enveloped me and warmed my hypothermic body pleasantly.

Lando took a blanket from a compartment that I didn't see in normal cars and put it around my shoulders.

I felt as if he had planned all this.

An icy shiver ran down my spine and all my senses screamed to just get out of the car and run away.

But I didn't listen to my senses because I had to get home quickly and, for better or worse, this was the quickest way to get there.

"Is it warm enough?" Serious concern flashed in Lando's eyes as he put on his blinker and pulled out of the parking lot, which was right in front of the entrance to the little bakery.

I nodded weakly, just wanting to get home quickly and find out what the hell was going on.

"Does it still hurt?" Lando tried to break the iron silence that had settled over us like an uncomfortable blanket and crushed us.

It took me a moment to realize what the Brit had meant.

"Sometimes." I admitted honestly, wondering myself where my sudden openness had come from. A shiver ran through my body and made me wince.

I breathed heavily.

"But it was a long time ago. I shouldn't be stuck in the past."

If I had a therapist, she would probably be proud of me. She would lecture me for hours about how repression was absolutely not okay, but she would be proud at this very moment.

"How are you?" Lando asked, so reservedly, so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

"If you were my aunt, I probably would have told you I was fine," I sighed, brushing a soaking wet strand of hair out of my face. "But the truth is, I'm not fine. Everyone expects me to collapse in moments and honestly, that's how I feel."

I took a deep breath because it was all coming out of me and I didn't understand where it was all coming from.

My sudden honesty seemed to surprise Lando too, because he glanced briefly at me from the street.

"I saw it in your eyes." Lando admitted meekly, glancing back at the road as our eyes almost met. Even his side profile was perfect, making me wonder what wasn't perfect about this man.

"They're lackluster and empty." Lando explained to himself, tapping his index finger nervously on the expensive-looking steering wheel.

Everything here looked expensive, even the blanket around my shoulders.

"I've got you figured out." I blurted out, because when we talked about my problems, it was only fair if Lando was included. "You look happy with your family. Maybe you are, but I can see your exhausted soul when I look into your eyes."

The Brit looked at me with raised brows, looking away from the road for a dangerously long time.

Then a grin formed on his lips.

"Toni was right," he mumbled, more to himself than to me.

Confused, I looked at the McLaren driver, wanting to pierce him with my gaze just so he would keep talking.

"You really are something special."

☾

The rain had stopped flooding the streets as soon as I got out of the car. I said a polite goodbye to Lando and then walked to the front door, which I unlocked with trembling hands.

He waited until I was inside and then drove off.

"I'm home!" I exclaimed, kicking off my shoes and hanging my jacket on the rack before going to the adjoining bathroom and wiping off my soaking wet clothes. Dressed only in a towel, I left the warm bathroom and walked towards the living room.

There was no one around, which was really strange considering Jenna hadn't shown up at the bakery today.

Which was hers.

In the living room, my aunt and uncle were sitting together. Daniel had his arms wrapped tightly around his wife and soft sobs could be heard from Jenna.

"Jenna?" Her eyes snapped open. She was frantically wiping the tears from her cheeks and I immediately noticed the deep shadows under her eyes that made her look like a corpse. "What happened?"

The bright room suddenly seemed to lose color and I was thrown into a world of black and white that I had been in for months —

But this house had been bursting with color.

"Sit down, please." Daniel gave me a weak smile as I sat down opposite them on the living room table. I wanted to be able to look at them both.

Jenna immediately took my hands in hers.

Her warm hands on my cool skin drew goose bumps across my body that I'm sure were clearly visible.

"The men are free. They were released today."

My heart dropped.

Time stood still.

The world stopped spinning, just for a little while.

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and I was sure I was going to lose consciousness.

I was totally unprepared for this news and Jenna being so direct with me did nothing to change the fact that pain was suddenly shooting through my body that I couldn't explain.

Suddenly I felt the knife in my thigh again, could hear the screams of their victims echoing in my ears, could feel the hot blood running over my skin and soaking my clothes.

My hands clutched my leg, but I was barely aware of what was happening around me.

I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream —

But I could neither cry nor scream.

I felt empty, absolutely empty of feelings.

But the fire that was now setting my body on fire was more real than the anger and pain that these men had unleashed on me.