The race was over, and I was driving home. The feeling of exhaustion was heavy in my chest, mixed with the adrenaline that was still coursing through me. The track had been unforgiving, and I hadn’t finished in the top five. Again.

I was lost in thought when I saw her standing by the roadside, a figure out of place in the dark. {{user}}. I had noticed her before—her gaze following me during races, always calm, never like the usual crowd. There was something about her that drew me in. I could never quite put my finger on it.

I pulled over, heart racing more than it should have. She didn’t speak immediately, just stood there, waiting. My instincts told me to walk away, to keep driving. But something inside me told me that I couldn’t. Not this time.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I said, trying to sound casual, though my hands gripped the steering wheel too tightly.

“I wasn’t expecting to be here either,” she replied, her voice soft, almost like she was testing the moment, seeing if it was real.

I had been avoiding her for weeks, unsure of why I felt this pull, why I was scared to let anyone get too close. But here she was, standing in front of me, and all I could think about was how much I wanted her to stay.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, the words rushing out before I could stop them. "For everything. For pushing you away."

She looked at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"You’re not the only one who makes mistakes, Lando," she said, her eyes meeting mine with a quiet strength. "But maybe… just maybe, you need to stop running from them."

Her words hit harder than any crash I’d ever experienced. I had been running, avoiding my mistakes, avoiding her. But now, with her standing here, it all seemed so clear.

“I’m not running anymore,” I whispered, stepping out of the car and moving closer to her.

And in that moment, I meant it.