Seeing her with someone else brought a wave of jealousy into Charles' body. He wondered if he would be the one, she hugged if he didn't make that mistake years ago.
Lando's hands on her waist, he pulled her closer. He kissed her lips and whispered something in her ear. Would you do the same with me, he wondered.
He was standing there as a fool - watching the love of his life with some other boy. Their eyes met for a brief second. He looked at her with love and affection despite her being in the arms of another man.
The Monegasque wanted to go back and change the past. He wanted to rewind back to that day she told him he loved him by the water fountain. Charles remembered it as if it was yesterday.
It was a hot summer day in Monte-Carlo. The summer break was underway, and many people were enjoying their holidays. So did the young couple near the fountain in front of the casino.
Charles dated Y/N for a few months. Y/N would swear that those were the best months of her life, although Charles was travelling a lot due to the racing.
They were just sixteen. A couple of teenagers in love. So naive, so vulnerable.
"When are you leaving again?" she asked him. She wanted to know how much time she had to tell him what was on her mind lately.
"In two weeks," the Monegasque replied calmly. He didn't mind leaving. He fancied Y/N, but he knew that racing had to be his priority. It was always like that - racing and then something else.
"Charles?" Y/N asked him to grip his attention. She was ready to tell him. She wanted him to know before he left again because she wanted him to know how much he mattered to her. She wanted him to race with her on his mind. She wanted him to know she was always there for him no matter what.
"Yes?" he said, wanting her to continue what she started.
"I love you," she said those words rather quietly. She wasn't ashamed to admit it. She was just afraid her feelings were one-sided.
"I-" he didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he was in love. What do you know at sixteen about love? He was too young to recognise if he was in love. "I-" he started a sentence, but she stopped him.
"That's okay. I understand," she said before walking away.
Now, he wished so much he would have said he was in love. He wouldn't be lying. He was indeed in love. He just didn't recognise it, and once he was sure about his feelings, she was already gone from his life.
He hoped she would come back to the water fountain. He wished he would have a chance to fix it. He would open his heart and give it to her.
He was so stupid that he let slip this love through his fingers. All he needed was just one more chance.
When he saw her walking away from Lando, he gathered up his courage and approached her. "Y/N, do you have time to talk to me?"
"Yeah, sure. What is this about?" she asked Charles with a smile on her lips. He would swear it was almost that smile she gave him all those years ago. She was so carefree and unbothered like she didn't even know what he wanted to talk about. She looked like she had almost forgotten that she ever had some romantic feelings for Charles.
"Look, I'm trying. I'm trying really hard, but I can't pretend it doesn't hurt when it really does," Charles admitted openly. He just had to say it out loud because it was killing him.
"What are you talking about?" she was confused. What was he talking about?
"I'm talking about you and Lando." His voice was quiet. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to approach her, but now it was too late for that. He just had to say it. Maybe her rejection would help him to get over it. "Don't you remember what you told a few years back at the water fountain?" He asked her. He wanted to cry, but he kept it too.
"We were just kids, Charles. You weren't ready to love, and I wasn't ready to be hurt," she said as if it didn't matter to her at all. As if it was a closed chapter of her life to which she was not going to return.
"But we are not kids anymore," he said. His voice was cracking. He wasn't ready to be rejected.
"Yeah, we're not, but don't you think a lot has changed?" she asked him. She didn't want to be harsh, but she had her life with Lando now, and she was happy with him.
"Yeah. That's okay. I understand," Charles said before walking away with a broken heart.
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