Complex ∞ Lando Norris x Oscar Piastri

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 49

♪ 'Til you meet a boy who tears you apart
Now you can't tell what's love or war
The music stopped, so did the dance ♪

Lando Norris POV

The week we spent in Punta Cana felt like a dream, but I knew reality was about to hit. We had to be in London for both of our jobs, and I knew she had decided to have a choice made when the summer break ends, so I let her be as she left early in the morning with Niko and sometimes didn't even come back.

I knew she was with him, but I couldn't say a word, because she left him to be with me last week too. If I want to trust her choice, I need to let her make it with all the cards on the table. I took my car and went to her family's house. Margot opened the door for me, and we talked briefly as Albert finished his physical therapy.

"What is bothering you, son?" Albert asks once we are alone in his office, and I take a deep breath.

"I want you to allow us to divorce, me and Eleanor. I want to give her the papers myself," I say; a lump in my throat made it hard to say, but his expression was of terror.

"But- She chose Oscar? I don't get it. I saw it. I saw both of you, I know you love her, I thought she loved you too," his confusion is clear and I breathe deeply.

"She is still in the limbo about it. I am the one who wants to take the next step. I want to present the option to her. I don't want her to stay with me for fear of stressing you out with the request. I want her to choose, knowing the papers to her freedom are a signature away from being official."

"Aren't you afraid of stressing me out?" He asks, curious.

"No. I know you are a reasonable man who wants the best for his daughter, and if it's Oscar, then we need to let her choose him and be happy with no regrets. I know I have some, and I tried to make it right, it's up to her now."

"You love her."

"I do. But I need this, I need to know she stayed for me, for us."

"I will help you with that then, I hope you don't regret it," he says fearfully but I shake my head.

"I don't think I will, I still have some hope those papers won't be used," I say with a smile, and he smiles too.

"Well, for all that it's worth, you are the one I'm rooting for. And I am sorry for putting both of you into this mess, you were young, and you would've found your way to each other eventually. I hurt both of your feelings for nothing. I have apologized to her before, but I never did to you," the regret is clear, but I shake my head.

"Well, I was dumb and stubborn. I should've treated her better. But I can guess why this happened. You knew about the aneurysm, and you thought she would be in good hands if she were with me. You were afraid of the damages her mom could cause without you here, I get it. I would've probably done the same for my daughter. Your ex-wife is a true nightmare," I say, both of our laughs filling the room.

"You truly are one-of-a-kind, kid. Let me call our family lawyer so he can send you the papers; you sign them and do whatever you had planned to do; if you think they might be used, run them through your lawyer too, but all assets would be divided by what you had before the marriage—no harm for anyone," he says calmly, and I nod.

"That would be perfect," I tell him with a smile, and he does as he says.

And I regretted it the moment I had the papers in my hands; I stared at them for hours. I will leave tomorrow for Belgium, and she knows it. I hear the door opening, and Niko runs into my lap; I pet him, and then I see Nora entering the living room.

"Hey! I needed to talk to you," she says as she gives me a small smile, stopping her gaze in the envelope I held in my hands.

"I need to talk to you too," I say, my tne serious enough and Niko leaves to his empty bed, almost sensing the atmosphere between us.

"What's that, Lando?" She asks curiously, but I guess she has an idea.

"I talked to your dad today, and then both lawyers. These are our divorce papers; everything you need to divorce is here. What was yours stays yours; what was mine stays mine. Niko is yours, though. My signature is there already. Your dad accepts any decision you might make," I put the papers in her hands. She opened the envelopes and read them, her face completely blank of any readable reaction.

"I- You are divorcing me?" The question had an astonished tone behind it, but I shook my head.

"No. If you want to choose Oscar, you only need to sign those. If you choose me, just shred them to pieces. I have no use for them. I just want to make this easier for you," I say, my heart racing.

"I didn't expect this. I wanted to speak to you, but this is just shocking. Why would you do this?"

"You had a choice made when you entered the house. You know he and I are leaving tomorrow. Who did you choose?" I asked; everything inside me was on high alert. I was about to panic if an answer wasn't given.

"I talked to Oscar already. But did you really think giving these papers was a good idea?" She asks, her eyes finally looking at me.

"Nora, this is the only way I have of showing you that I support whatever choice you make. Leaving me is technically harder due to our status, I made it as equally simple as it is to leave Oscar. Don't you understand that?" I ask confusedly.

"But- I-" she stops midsentence and puts the papers on the table. "You are right, let me just forget about these and say what I had planned to say."

"Go ahead whenever you are ready," I say, leaning back on the couch and facing her. I can handle this.