I can do it with a broken heart (Lando Norris)

Chapter Thirty Three

The final few days leading up to the first show were pure chaos, and it led Hannah to realise that as much as she didn't want to do it, she really needed to find someone to replace Cassie. She couldn't continue trying to organise herself and everyone else, and she was going to end up messing something up.

So she'd sat on the phone to Lando one night and gone through the resumes she'd had sat in her emails for weeks and reluctantly scheduled to meet the two she liked the best in a break from her dress rehearsals.

It was daunting, the idea of replacing Cassie. She'd been there almost from the very beginning of Hannah's career. The two of them had worked so closely together for such a long time she didn't even have to tell her what she was thinking a lot of the time. The idea of starting again with someone new, and trusting them, was terrifying.

She'd danced her way through the last dress rehearsal perfectly though. The whole thing had come together really well with all the changes, the outfits had been adjusted and now fit perfectly, and she was ready to get back out there again. It was nice to have the anticipation and excitement of performing without the feeling of dread that had accompanied it for so long.

Her talk with Joe had only solidified this for her. There was a time, not all that long ago, where if he'd turned up and started saying all those things to her she would've thrown herself back into his arms in a heartbeat. But things were different, she was different.

She was happier.

It hadn't sent her spiralling back into a dark place listening to him talk about their relationship. That revelation in itself was freeing.

And for the first time in months she couldn't wait to get back on that stage. To get back to doing what she loved.

****

"I'm so sorry I'm late, my flight got delayed." Lando burst into the dressing room and swept her up in a hug all in one movement. "I've missed you."

"I can't believe you actually made it." She grinned, wrapping her arms around him and pulling herself as close to him as she could get.

"I had to come straight from the airport. But I told you I'd be here before you went on." He didn't release his hold on her. He'd only been gone a couple of weeks but god he'd missed having her beside him. "How are you feeling about the show?"

"I'm really excited." She grinned, pulling back just enough to look at his face.

He studied her for a moment, almost a bit confused, before realising she wasn't just trying to make him feel better. She was genuinely excited. A slow smile spread across his face to match hers.

"I can't wait to watch." He smiled.

"You can sleep through it, I won't judge you." She laughed quietly. "You look tired and you've seen this show a hundred times."

He struggled to stifle a yawn. The time difference was huge and he'd taken a couple of connecting flights and left straight from the race in order to get there in time. "I'll be fine!" He declared. "You know I like watching you do your thing."

"I'd put money on you not making it to the end of the show." She laughed as he released her so she could continue getting dressed and went and flopped down on the sofa in her dressing room.

"I'll be fine, I'll just rest my eyes for a minute." He mumbled.

By the time she'd put her other shoe on he was of course fast asleep. She had to admire the fact that he could quite literally fall asleep anywhere in under five minutes. It was really quite impressive. He stirred slightly as she pressed a kiss to his forehead, placing a blanket over him and heading out to the stage to start the show.