Apex | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 12

January 25, 2028 - Monaco

Red.

All I could see was red. It was on the walls, on the floor, and even up the staircase.

At that moment, it felt like someone had ripped open my chest and scattered the pieces of my heart everywhere I looked. My eyes landed on the bullet casings that had fallen to the floor and then moved over to the bullet holes that adorned the home I grew up in.

A loud sob echoed from my lips as my hands shook in fear and pain, my knees giving out on me. I could feel the blood on the floor staining the bottom of my jeans and I made the mistake of planting my right palm on the floor as I tried to catch my breath. It felt warm against my hand but the feeling coursing through me was anything but.

I felt helpless and alone. Everything felt cold.

A gasp escaped my lips as I immediately sat up in my bed, chest heaving up and down erratically. My forehead was sheened with sweat and my fingers were shaking, just like how they were in the nightmare.

Only it wasn't a nightmare, but a memory.

With trembling fingers, I grabbed my phone and called the person I knew would quickly come without any questions.

"Hello?" Max's groggy voice answered after five rings. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table and saw that it was around two in the morning and I had only been asleep for two hours. After Charles left, I buried myself in paperwork until my eyes could no longer stay open. I missed dinner and went straight to bed after changing my clothes.

"Max." I said in a shaky voice and I instantly heard shuffling on his end.

"Nads? What's wrong?"

"Can you come here, please?" I whimpered, the last word coming out in a whisper as flashbacks of what I saw broke through my mind again. My breathing hasn't calmed down at all and I could already feel a panic attack coming.

"I'm on my way." I heard the sound of keys from his end as he walked towards his garage. "Can you go to Charles while I drive? I don't want you to be alone."

"He left." I whispered and I heard Max curse both in English and Dutch, the anger radiating off of him.

He didn't hang up on me as he drove to the apartment. I closed my eyes and could only hum in response every time he asked if I was still there. My breathing had slowed down but my fingers were still shaking so much. No matter how many times I close my eyes and try to think of a happier memory, I keep coming back to the one that's got me all messed up.

I don't know how many minutes I spent just sitting on my bed, my head cradled by my hands as I bent forward. I was thankful for the noise coming from Max's end because I knew that the silence would only make things worse. Three loud knocks came from the front door and I slowly stood up from the bed, knees feeling like jelly, and tried to make my way to the door.

As soon as Max saw the tears threatening to fall down my face, he walked through the door and wrapped me up in a tight hug. "I've got you." He said, arms tightening around me when my fingers clutched against his shirt and my knees gave out on me.

I didn't even realize that I had been holding back as the tears eventually fell and sob after sob escaped my lips, eyes closed in agony. No matter how many years have passed, the pain still feels like it happened yesterday. Inch by inch, fragment by fragment, it was tearing me apart from the inside.

I don't know how long Max held me in his arms but the next time I opened my eyes, the sun was already out. I found myself lying down on the sofa in the living room, a blanket draped over me. My eyes looked around and saw no sign of Max's presence except for his shoes that were placed by the door. My throat hurt like hell and I knew my eyes were swollen from all the crying I did.