21 - ????? ??????

there are some nights that feel like they were designed by the universe just to test your patience. you know, the ones where everything goes wrong, and by the end, you're standing at the edge of a metaphorical cliff, wondering if it might be easier to just jump.

this was one of those nights.

after the champagne toast from hell, you had made a swift and somewhat dramatic exit from the wedding. jonathan had been... understanding, probably because he'd seen your "i want to die" face the moment lando made his grand reappearance.

"you sure you don't want to stay longer?" jonathan had asked, genuinely concerned, but you could only nod in the most convincing manner your wine-fueled brain could muster.

"yeah, i'm fine. really."

then, of course, you'd slipped on the last step of the venue and nearly face-planted into a bush. smooth, millie.

by the time you reached your car, you were at the point of being so done that even the sight of your keys made you want to scream. you fumbled with them for a solid minute, cursing under your breath. of course it wouldn't start.

"this is just perfect," you muttered, slamming your hand against the steering wheel for good measure.

your phone buzzed, a message from jonathan: "you okay? need me to come get you?"

you had almost typed back a flurry of frustrated emojis when you heard it.

the sound of an engine revving.

you didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. only one person in this town would be driving something that sounded like a flock of angry bees.

and sure enough, there he was, rolling up beside your car like he owned the street. lando norris. in a black sports car that was way too shiny for a wedding that had ended hours ago.

"you've got to be kidding me," you said under your breath.

he grinned at you through the window, looking annoyingly confident, as if the universe's cruel sense of humor was a joke he was in on.

"need a ride?" he asked, leaning out the window just enough to give you that trademark lando smirk.

"i'm good, thanks," you said, clutching the steering wheel like it was your only tether to reality.

"come on, i'm not gonna leave you stranded here," he said, throwing the car in park. "besides, it's a long way to wherever you're going."

"i'm not going anywhere," you snapped. "my car's dead."

he raised an eyebrow. "you're really gonna make me sit here and watch you cry over your car?"

"it's not about the car, it's about everything else," you muttered. "so, yeah, maybe a few tears are coming."

"look," he said, opening his door and stepping out. "we're both stuck in the middle of nowhere. i'm offering you a ride. the least you can do is take it."

you scowled at him, considering your options. the awkward, frustrating conversation with jonathan had left you feeling emotionally drained, and the thought of sitting in your car for another hour trying to figure out how to not feel everything at once was a solid no.

with a sigh, you threw your door open and stepped out. "fine. but you don't get to talk the entire time."

"deal," he said, a little too pleased with himself.

you tried to ignore the way his presence seemed to fill the car the moment you slid into the passenger seat. the air was thick with unspoken things, and every time you glanced over at him, his stupid grin was still there. like nothing had changed. like the past two years of your life didn't exist.

you strapped yourself in, avoiding eye contact as he pulled away from the curb.

"so," lando said, his voice lighter than it had any right to be. "how's life been treating you?"

you shot him a look. "you're asking me that now?"

"i'm just making conversation," he said innocently. "you're a tough nut to crack, millie."

"if you don't shut up, i'll crack you first," you threatened, staring out the window.

he chuckled under his breath, and for a moment, it almost felt like the old lando. the one who used to make you laugh even when you didn't want to.

but that thought was dangerous, so you pushed it away as quickly as you could.

the silence stretched out, thick and uncomfortable. you couldn't decide if you were glad he was there or if you wanted to crawl under the seat and never come out. your phone buzzed again, and you glanced at it—jonathan asking if everything was okay. you sighed, texting back a quick "yeah, everything's fine" before locking the screen and dropping your phone in your lap.

"so," lando said again, breaking the silence.

"lando," you warned.

"okay, okay," he said, raising both hands in mock surrender. "but i've got one song stuck in my head, and it's killing me."

you rolled your eyes. "don't you dare."

he didn't even give you a chance to protest. the car speakers blared to life, and the opening notes of "21" by gracie abrams filled the air.

you immediately went rigid.

"no," you hissed, reaching for the volume knob. "don't. i swear to god, lando—"

he smirked, eyes still on the road. "it's a good song, millie. come on, let's vibe."

"i will literally jump out of this moving vehicle if you don't turn it off," you threatened, gripping the seatbelt so tightly your knuckles turned white.

"fine," he said, feigning defeat as he turned the volume down. "you're no fun."

but you could hear the song in the background, just faintly, and it was impossible to ignore. "21" had always been your song—the one you used to play on repeat when things were too messy to fix. when lando's mess was too much for you to handle. and here he was, playing it like it was some kind of cosmic joke.

the first few chords echoed in the car, and you felt that familiar tug in your chest—the one that told you, no matter how much you wanted to hate him, you didn't.

"why this song?" you asked quietly, unable to stop the question.

he took a deep breath before answering, voice softer than usual. "because it feels like... everything that we were. everything i lost."

you didn't know how to respond to that, so you didn't. the rest of the ride was filled with the sound of gracie's voice, quiet and haunting, and the only noise between you and lando was the hum of the tires on the road.

by the time you pulled up to your place, you felt like you'd just run a marathon, your body exhausted and your heart even more so.

lando parked the car and sat there for a moment, staring straight ahead.

"i meant what i said," he said quietly.

you took a deep breath, staring at the door to your building. "i know you did."

"i'm sorry," he said, and this time, it wasn't playful. it was raw.

you exhaled slowly, your heart too heavy to reply. you didn't know how to respond, how to let go of all the things you wanted to say without sounding like you were still in love with him.

you didn't say anything. instead, you opened the door and stepped out of the car, leaving lando alone with his sorrys and the sound of "21" still playing softly in the background.