𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚊𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜

Chapter-36

We woke up, a drunk mess in each other's arms- still in last night's clothes. Clearly, we partied like there was no tomorrow and my head was spinning. I tried to sit up and then instantly regretted it, I decided to give in and just lay my head on his chest.

"What happened?" He asked.

"The room is spinning I can't sit up. I like this. Let's stay like this." I said.

"Let me get you some water." Charles said, gently lifting me off to get up.

He too, was in no state to do so. He sat back down on the bed and looked at me funny because I was laughing at him. "So clearly neither of us are functioning people."

"There's no rush, let's just lay down. Sleep. Not do anything." I was sounding a lot like Kenji I realised.

"Whatever you say." He beamed getting comfortable again. He placed a sweet kiss on my forehead and we did exactly what I said, just lay there, doing nothing but holding each other. When I finally felt a little better I drank some water and brewed something to help with our hangover, I looked over to Charles who had drifted to sleep. He was smiling in his sleep, I didn't want to wake him up.

I took this time to check on emails and messages, nothing interesting from Katsumi or Vanessa. On the other hand I had a lot of messages from Ken and Matteo. I checked on Matteo first because he was the more bearable of the two.

Teo: someone was having a lot of fun last night 😉

Teo: The images are absolute gold! I'm glad you're not on any socials because people are so full of bullshit.

Teo: I hope your hangover isn't too bad text me when you're up

What images? I'll look at them after I talk to Kenji I thought to myself.

Kenji: EMIKO YOU PARTY ANIMAL

Kenji: Please invite me to a race next time you go with that boyfriend of yours, the parties look really fun.

You: I just woke up and how do you know about the party? Teo was going off about it too

Kenji: the club promotors posted pictures and videos of the drivers and their guests having fun for everyone to see and everyone is talking about you 💀

You: in a good way or a bad?

Kenji: I rather not speak...

You: NOHARA KENJI YOU ARE MY BROTHER YOU CANT HIDE THINGS FROM ME

Kenji: Jeez! Don't cry when your feelings are hurt because of some internet bullies. NOHARA EMIKO.

You: Oh gosh this isn't looking good :/

Kenji: it's just a bunch of jealous people. Making up shit.

You: like what?

Kenji: they've analysed your whole character through images of you entering the race venue with Charles, then talking to Yuki, walking with Pierre and then the club

You: and their analysis is?

Kenji: I don't want to say things that'll hurt your feelings!

You: Just say it. It's not like you're very nice to me all the time.

Kenji: I'm not saying all that nasty garbage

You: send screenshots then.

Kenji: you asked for it 🤷‍♂️

Who is she? She seems so trashy, definitely not someone Charles should be with 😑

Sis is literally using him to get into the paddock, are y'all seeing how cozy she's with Pierre

Working with Yuki was a lie, missy's out here attending to back to back Grand Prix weekends. Just say you're jobless.

These were some of the more tame things people had been saying about me. The promotors of that club probably had good intentions but a video of Charles and I drunk, faltering in our steps and dancing like we had to left feet was just not it. It gave people another excuse to just spew hate at me, in this moment I was glad I didn't really exist on social media platforms.

I texted Teo, I did have a lot of fun sadly my hangover was bad and curiosity had ruined my day. I felt horrible, this was going to be the second time I'd burst into tears after a good weekend for Charles, over something so insignificant and stupid. The brew was ready, he was still fast asleep.

Maybe I could just cry a little about it before he woke up, that's what I wanted to do. So I locked the bathroom, ran myself a bath and the floodgates had opened. I thought this was supposed to be the best thing to have happened to me, and yet I found myself crying almost every other day. 

"Emiko, are you crying in there?" I heard knocks on the door.

"No." I sniffled.

"You most definitely are, I hear snivelling and sobs."

"What are you going to do about it?" And I was crying again.

I couldn't hear what he was saying over the sound of trickling water and my own tears, what I knew for sure was that I didn't want to be here right now. I didn't want to have my life and my decisions put up for scrutiny like that. What I had with him was personal, it was something I wanted to keep between us and the people we cared about.

And maybe showing up to his workplace that's full of people was my first mistake, I should have known better. People know who he is, people talk about him and that's all they do.

I got off the floor, which I now realised was actually quite cold and unlocked the door. He was standing there, a worried look in his tired eyes but arms ready to warp around me.

"People are horrible." I sighed.

"Being bitter is what they do best, now what happened that upset you so much?" He asked.

"I read people's views about us and they're not the nicest."

"You know the truth and so do I." He looked into my eyes, "why should their opinions matter at all?"

"It still stings." I looked away.

"I can get them to shut up about it. Will that make you happy?" He asked.

"No. I want to go. I want to be away from all of this. I don't want to be here." I managed to say without crying.

His face fell, I didn't like seeing a frown on those lips. He deserved the world, he shouldn't be here consoling me literally every other day because I was insecure.

"I'm not ending things silly, I'm just homesick. I don't know how you do this." I laughed wiping my tears away.