Hidden. To Follow one's own path with the heart

2.

Together we went on the yacht and cast off. I took a seat in the interior for the time being, until I was sure that I had disappeared from the sight of the crowd. Of course, Lando was already approached on the pier for photos and autographs. When all I could see was the sea, I chose one of the loungers and lay down, and after half an hour Lando joined me.

"You know I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of these planted shadows of our parents?" He took off his shirt and lay down on a couch next to me. I sighed, "Oh Lando, I wish it was all that easy." "I can understand that really. But if it stops you from achieving your dreams, it has to end" I looked over at him, he looked thoughtful. "I just want to avoid the fight. Our parents love you Lando and by the time I started my studies, the whole thing was already on the brink..."

He frowned and looked over at me, "I should have said something much earlier, I shouldn't have let it happen, our parents..." I sat up and took his hand, "Lando, you didn't do anything wrong then or now. We were young, you had a goal and you could only achieve it with the help of our parents and you did it" He squeezed my hand and looked at the sea "But at what cost?" I remember a lot of what happened earlier. Lando was our golden boy, the boy who could achieve anything, I was just an appendage, a troublemaker in the eye of our parents. I didn't understand it then and still don't understand why it all happened the way it did. But the most important thing was and always will be that Lando has achieved his goal. He's one of the young, up-and-coming drivers in Formula 1 who is supposed to replace the old generation, and I know he can do that.

"Let's not think about it, ok? We want to enjoy the time until you have to get on your plane the day after tomorrow and leave me" I grin encouragingly. Lando looked at me again with full assertiveness, "I want you to accompany me" I looked at him confused, "What?" He nodded in confirmation "Please come with me to Italy, see what it's like behind the scenes, maybe even how Jesley works" Well, I didn't feel like Jesley very much...

"And maybe you like it there, and if not, it's ok too" He noticed my hesitation "If you come to the paddock as an accompaniment, none of the media will take care of you, I'll just let you do it and we'll just meet again at the hotel, then you can look at everything in peace" I sighed, I just can't deny my big brothers..."Okay, but if something happens... Am I here for you and protect you, don't worry"

I knew that if he was racing, he shouldn't give me a second thought, and if I turned him down, he might be even more distracted, like I was just in a corner doing him a favor.

I could always tell him afterwards that I would look elsewhere. So I nodded "Well, I'll do it, for you" He smiled "No, you're doing that for yourself"

I shook my head with a smile and slipped my hair behind my ear. Lando stood up and looked at me expectantly. "What?" He stood right in front of me and grinned at me "We're going swimming now" I looked at him with big eyes, I thought we were just going to chill a little here. "But Lando, the sea must be cold" "Oh no"

He pulled me up, "Have you been in an ice bath before a race? With these words, he ran to the end of the yacht and jumped in: "Oh my God, Lando! Are we 12 again?!" I laughed and stood where Lando had jumped in.

He resurfaced and wiped his hair out of his face "Come on, it's not that cool, jump in" I sighed in frustration and took off my dress, put it over the parapet and jumped in with my eyes closed.

Oh you Kake, that was cold!

When I resurfaced, I gasped, gasping as the cold water squeezed my chest, "Lando you liar!" I snorted out. He just laughed and swam towards me. "Oh, you little mimosa, that's still possible" he laughed. I looked at him in amazement and splashed him in the face with some water. Which quickly developed into a water fight. After a few minutes, we were both out of breath and agreed on peace. However, when we wanted to go up the ladder again, he pulled on my leg and I went back into the water a lot, now he could go up the ladder. When he was at the top, I dared to use the ladder and at that moment another yacht appeared.

Immediately I let go of the ladder, the need to be invisible won out. "Ellie? What to do-" At that moment he was interrupted by a roar "Landooo was geeeht" I didn't see anyone but the voice sounded familiar to me, I stayed at the ladder and waited "Not much Charles and with you? What are you doing out here?" You could hear music coming from the yacht and I guessed to party, because the laughter of other people could not be ignored. "Party and stuff, do you want to come over for a moment or do you have visitors?"

Slowly, the water was getting really cold. What time was it? It must have been only noon and some of them are already partying, some really had no sense of time

"No thanks, I have to go on in a minute" "Too bad, well, we'll see you on the race track at the latest." It got quieter, the yacht must have turned off, that was my sign to get out of the water quickly, I think I even have blue lips.

"My god Elli, why don't you come fucking up" Lando took me right in his arms and wrapped me in a towel. "He wouldn't have recognized you from a distance anyway" he scolded me as he escorted me onto the couch. I just shrugged.

It was always like a panic that seized me when I was seen with my brother. I couldn't just turn it off. "I'm fine Lando, just let me warm up." I don't know what it would be like tonight, I thought I could have just put it down.

Well, I was wrong.

I went into the interior and to the bathroom to blow dry my hair and put on something dry. After a short time I came out again and looked for Lando, who was staring at the water. "If you don't want to party tonight, that's ok"

I looked at him in dismay. He had been looking forward to it so much, hadn't he? "You know, if you're still uncomfortable with the whole thing, maybe we should slow down. Not where you want to stay, we can just have a fun evening at home"

I also stared at the water, shallow waves were moving, but the yacht was not quite as far away as I thought. Will they see us? Have you seen me? I closed my eyes for a moment. Be quiet. "Yes, I think I'd prefer that, but only if you don't mind"

He looked up at me with a smile, "No, no problem. Someday, someday we'll go partying together" He gave me an encouraging smile and we drove slowly back to the harbor, putting on my Raffaello hat, we made our way back to the house, where a pleasant smell came towards us.