ma chérie | cl16

chapter two

"Seriously, is there something wrong with me?" Adeline growled, taking a sip of a red sangría in front of her. She was thinking who had come with the idea to put fruit into wine. She had no clue, but she absolutely loved it.

It was Wednesday, two days before Pierre's first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. He had offered Adeline to come earlier to spend some quality time together. Adeline was truly grateful for that because she didn't want to stay in her apartment any longer. Everything about it made her furious – well, not the apartment itself, but the fact that she had invited a cheater inside. She needed a few days off, and this was a great opportunity to do it.

"Yes, there is. You are drinking wine with fruit," Pierre smirked, trying to provoke her. That was certainly one of his most favorite activities. On the other hand, he was telling the truth. He couldn't believe that his best friend actually enjoyed something as disgusting as sangría.

"Oh, I forgot how bitchy you French people are about wine," Adeline pouted her lips. She knew very well that he was messing with her, and she wanted to get back at him.

"Adeline Manon Edwards, do you realize that you're French too?" Pierre asked with an obvious amusement in his voice, emphasizing her middle name. He was aware that she absolutely despised it.

"I'm not. I don't even properly speak French. Although I do blame my parents for that," Adeline replied while thinking about her middle name, Manon. It was a beautiful name, but for a cute French girl, not her. Everybody instantly thought that she was French or that she at least spoke the language fluently. Well, not really.

Adeline was born in France to her British parents who were living there because of their job. They named their little girl Adeline Manon, thinking that French names combined with English surname were a perfect solution for their daughter with dual citizenship.

Pierre and Adeline were neighbours, which is why they were inseparable since the moment Adeline was able to walk and communicate. However, her parents knew that they would return to Britain someday, and they sent her to a British school. That is why she never got to properly learn French. Adeline then moved to Liverpool with her parents when she turned eleven, and she wasn't using French anymore – which made her forget half of the things she had learned before. Therefore, she was speaking French only if it was truly necessary, or when she got drunk.

"I'm kidding, there is nothing wrong with you, except the sangría drinking. Tristan cheated on you. He's the one to blame here," Pierre finally answered Adeline's question that has been on her mind since the breakup. "You need a good guy," he added, holding a glass of red wine in his right hand. Without the damn fruit, obviously.

"There's no such thing as a good guy. I just don't believe in that," Adeline scrunched her eyebrows in irritation. She truly thought that good guys didn't exist, and that love was something imaginary made up by people.

"Uh, excuse me? There is one good guy sitting in front of you!" Pierre threw his hands up into the air, not agreeing with Adeline.

"Hell no. You suck! You're a great friend, but a terrible boyfriend. I'm still angry at you for dumping Kate," Adeline reminded him of his ex-girlfriend. Her and Kate had met couple of times, and she instantly loved her. Kate was sweet, funny, and extremely beautiful.

"Will you ever stop talking about Kate?" Pierre muttered, knowing well that his best friend liked Kate a lot. He also knew that the two girls were still in contact, texting each other.

"I will never stop talking about her, she was a sweetheart. The opposite of you," Adeline smiled, mocking Pierre once again.

"Okay, now you're just rude! And that's exactly your problem. Plus, you're grumpy and too practical. You need to fall in love with a good guy!" Pierre exclaimed. He got off his chest something he wanted to tell his best friend for a long time. He knew why she was so emotionally unavailable, and she had a pretty good reason for that. At the same time, he also knew that she was the kindest person walking on this planet, and that she had helped him more than anyone.