Shifting Gears || cl16/ln4

Gear Seven

Lando's POV

"We will never tell anyone about this and never bring this up ever again. For the sake of our friendship," she pleaded, her words hitting me with a weight that transcended the fog of the previous night's intoxication. Despite being drunk, my actions and thoughts remained sober. Her hazel eyes, beautiful yet troubled, sought reassurance as she implored me to erase the memories of last night.

In that moment, I struggled with the conflict between honoring our friendship and acknowledging the impact last night had on me.
The weight of her plea collided with the vivid memories of the previous night – the intimacy, the shared vulnerability, and the echoes of her moans that lingered in my consciousness. My thoughts suddenly cut through; I had to make a choice.

I found myself agreeing to bury the passionate echoes of our shared moments. Disappointment lingered in the air as I reluctantly promised, "Okay, I swear to never bring it up again and to keep it between us." I knew this was the price to pay to protect what we had.

I felt the weight of my promise settling over me. "We'll just go back to being friends. Nothing has changed," I declared, my voice betraying a monotone facade that masked the confusion beneath. Her relieved sigh filled the silence, unaware of the shift within me.

As we agreed to go back to normal, I couldn't shake the truth that resonated within my core. For her, perhaps nothing had changed, but for me, everything had shifted. The realization became clearer as I admitted to myself, with unwavering certainty:

I had fallen for Willow DeVille.

———

Willow and I navigated the familiar territories of friendship, during the Jeddah GP weekend, each exchanged smile and shared joke concealing the emotions that surged beneath the surface. Every passing moment became a testament to my silent struggle, an internal conflict waged between loyalty and my feelings that threatened to spill over.

During our casual outings and shared laughter, I found myself stealing glances at Willow, my heart betraying the promise we had made. The friendship we once shared became a labyrinth of unspoken words, leaving me with the desire to bridge the gap between friendship and something more. But I had to push that thought away.

At least for now.

———

Willow's POV

After the Jeddah Grand Prix, where I clinched 5th place and Lando secured 4th, Charles couldn't resist rubbing his 2nd place finish in my face. Despite his taunts, I tried to maintain calm and collected.

The focus was now shifted to the Australian Grand Prix. Since it was Daniel's home race, he decided to organize something extraordinary for his close friends on the grid. He arranged a private jet and booked a huge mansion in Australia, creating an opportunity for us to spend quality time together off the track. The prospect of such an exclusive gathering filled me with excitement, but that enthusiasm took a slight hit when I saw the list of invited drivers:

Max, Lando, Pierre, Carlos, Alex, Yuki, Lewis, George, and... Charles.

My smile faltered momentarily at the sight of his name. However, the thought of declining Daniel's invitation, since he is one of my favourites on the track, weighed heavily on me. I decided to set aside my differences, acknowledging that the friendship within the group meant more to me than any on-track rivalries.

———

The day of the departure approached and I was packing my belongings in my hotel room. Lando and I had agreed to head to the Jeddah airport together, where the rest of the drivers would gather. Satisfied that I hadn't left anything behind, I closed my suitcase and made my way to knock on Lando's door.