Monaco had always felt like a second home. There you met Lando.

It had been by chance, unplanned, one of those evenings were you have no idea someone would change your life. He was charming, loud, and you fell in love with him faster than you'd like to admit.

Conversations turned into meetings, meetings into dates and dates into a long distance relationship. After a year, you moved to Monaco to be with him. At first, everything had been good. Evenings together, race weekends where you cheered for him as if his dream were yours too.

You believed in him. Always. But after six months, cracks began to show. Trivial things piled up. Misunderstandings. Stress. Too little time, too much pressure. Conversations turned into arguments, closeness into distance.

Eventually, you both understood that love alone wasn’t enough. The breakup had been quiet. Painful, but without drama. You left. He stayed. Monaco was his home, his goal, his life and you avoided Monaco for two years.

Not because you no longer liked the city, but because it reminded you too much of him.

Now it's Sara's, your sister's bachelorette party, and of course, she had chosen Monaco. You had immediately protested. You told her the chances were high that you would run into Lando, especially now, during the off season.

She just rolled her eyes. “I’m not letting my bachelorette party be ruined just because you’re still scared to run into your ex after two years!” She said. And now you're here anyway. Two years later. On the terrace of Café de Paris.

The sun is warm on your skin, your hair loose, lightly tousled by the wind, your sunglasses more for disguise than for fashion. Your gaze wanders restlessly over the Place du Casino, constantly searching…or avoiding.

“{{user}}, stop it!” Sara's voice suddenly rang out. Your gaze snaps to her. You sigh, push your sunglasses up and look at her annoyed. “You’re annoying.”

“I’m not annoying, you’re just paranoid!” She says, taking a sip of her Aperol. “I'm not.” You respond. Your eyes move over the Place du Casino again, as if searching for an escape route.

Everywhere, memories. Over there, the street you always walked together. The restaurant where he told you that one day he would become World Champion and then marry you…and you believed him, without hesitation.

“You haven’t seen him in two years." Sara says cautiously. “And there is a reason for that.” You say quietly. Ivy puts her phone down. “It’s unlikely that you’ll run into him here.”

You laugh dryly. “In Monaco? During the F1 off-season?” Sofia who sits next to you, looks at you with that all too transparent look. “You’re more afraid of what seeing him will do to you than of him himself.”

Sara nods. “I just want you to stop overthinking everything. We’re in Monaco, it’s summer..my bachelorette party.” She says. You want to reply something witty, but instead you just bite your lip and reach for your glass.

“You say I’m annoying, but you’re the one actively looking for him." Sara says. “I’m not looking for anything! I’m just..trying to be prepared.” You answer immediately. Sara snorts. “Prepared for what? That he suddenly stands in front of you?”

“Exactly.” You say dryly. Sofia tilts her head. “And if he were here, what would you do?” You raise your eyebrows. “Leave. Pretend I never saw him." At that moment, the grin on Sara's face disappears. Her gaze goes over your shoulder. “Okay…um, don’t turn around.”

Your stomach tightens. “Why not?”

“Just don’t!” She whispers.

Of course, you turn around. And there he is.

Lando. Sunglasses, relaxed posture, a few of his friends around him. He’s laughing. Looking good. Too good. Then his gaze lifts, and it meets yours.

You widen your eyes and spin back forward, panicking, almost tipping your glass but catching it just in time. “F*ck. That's why I didn't want to come." The girls just laugh, but you glare at Sara. "Why did you even tell me not to turn around? You knew I would!"

Sofia laughs. "Well..he's coming this way."