𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 | 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗰

Chapter 16

After the conversation with Lauren, I found it extremely hard to focus on practice 3, which Charles had ended up coming first in. I wouldn't of thought twice about what she had said if she hadn't given me such a specific time and date but unfortunately for her she didn't know how I had got to know him.

Throughout the whole of the practice race I had stayed silent and only focused on what the engineer was communicating to Charles through the headphones I had on. I didn't want to start another conversation with her and it was quite clear she felt the same as this was the quietest she had been since I'd met her. It wasn't just me who realised her change of demeanour as Isa also highlighted it to me after the race saying she was 'unusually quiet'.

When Charles entered the garage I wanted to ask him questions about his so called girlfriend but as I should've expected she beat me to him. The interaction between the two of them didn't look very relationship-like when she pulled him by his race suit out of the garage. Even his face was plastered with confusion as she did this. For a moment I was tempted to follow them but I soon remembered where I was and knew that it would look odd for me to follow the 'couple' out of the room.

It only took them a few minutes to return but I knew that eyes were on me straight away. I looked up to Charles, who was already making his way over to me but his face looked unpleased and for me it wasn't a sight i'd seen before. Behind him I could see Lauren watching like a hawk in fact she was stood watching him like a mother would be watching her son.

I lost eye contact with him when he reached me as I didn't like the energy he was already putting off. He didn't seem angry but it was clear that he was frustrated with something and if it was anything to do with my conversation that I had had with Lauren then I wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

I was expecting him to address whatever he was coming to me for straight away but instead he got close, his lips almost touching my earlobe and he whispered "We need a conversation but not here, so come with me..please." His breath on my neck made the hairs on my arms stand up and a tingle travel down my spine, almost distracting me from the words that had come out his mouth. "Alena"

"Oh-" I caught my breath before continuing "I'll come, yes"

He led me out of the garage and walked in front so that he could direct me to where we needed to go. We walked through the paddocks and he stopped quite a few times signing his autograph to ensure he wasn't ignoring the fans that had travelled to see him and Carlos. While we continue to walk through the paddocks I saw Daniel from a distance and I could just make out the funny look he was giving me. I shrugged my shoulders in response as I knew just as much as he did as to why Charles didn't look happy.

Eventually, we entered the building, which the drivers always went into for their press conferences and instead of turning in the direction for the conference rooms we turned the opposite way. We walked down a hallway, which had multiple doors in it all with names of the teams on them. We soon reached the ones with ferrari on and he opened one, ushering me in with the hand that wasn't on the door.

As I was sitting down I noticed him slowly pacing up and down the room. I wanted to ask what was wrong but I knew that he had brought me for a reason and that reason was probably to tell me what was wrong anyway.

"Alena, you can't ask lauren questions like that" he suddenly blurted out, shocking me a little as I didn't understand why what I had asked was such a big deal. It was clear that something was wrong in whatever they had so why was it so wrong for me to ask about it when I had every right to when I was concerned about what she had said to my friend.

"Charles, what's wrong with the question exactly" I asked, shuffling around on the seat a little to get more comfortable.

"It's none of your business" he scoffed. One thing I knew was that he wasn't someone to be rude like this. I felt irritated myself as I didn't like his sudden change in attitude.

"Well sorry for wanting to know why you was so pissed off at her question in the car" I snapped back, standing up out of the chair, ready to leave already even though i'd only been here for five minutes.

"No, hold on Alena" he said, his voice softening as he recognised I wasn't happy with how this conversation was going. He made his way over to me before placing his hand on back, gently pushing me back towards the chair. "It's complicated okay, I don't know what you want me to say"

"Maybe the truth?" I said, "What's really going on there because didn't she fill you in on when you guys met"

"Hold on" I saw him start to become quite tense again once I mentioned what she had said to me "she told you when we met?"

"Yes, why?"

"You know, don't you?" he asked me and I didn't know how to respond to this as I knew nothing.
All I knew about that date and time she gave me was that it made no sense unless he had some freaky evil twin that had met her instead, which obviously didn't happen.

"No, yes, no" I couldn't make up my mind on how to respond and I saw him trying to understand what my answer meant just as much as I was trying to.

"Alena, if I tell you, you can't say a thing" he said, in a serious tone this time. Even though he was serious in what he had said, he had relaxed and I could see in his eyes that he wanted to tell me so bad.

I nodded in response, biting my lip a little as I was nervous about what was about to come. He was contemplating whether it was right to tell me for a moment or two before he sat down next to me and put his head in his hands.

"Right" he lifted his head after a moment or two "it's not real, the relationship." Well that was obvious so I wasn't shocked until he started to speak more. "I said that date because it was the first one that sprung to mind but the relationship. It was planned by her manager and mine didn't know what he was agreeing to as her manager didn't have him read all the papers"

I knew that the relationship wasn't very believable but I never thought it would be planned and it was unfortunate as it was clear how unhappy Charles was. There was a question in the back of my mind, which was why did that date spring to mind but it wasn't the right time to ask that as he began to speak once again.

"My manager has no fault in this but she loves every moment of it Lena. She's built this image of us having a perfect relationship, which it isn't at all. She's got paparazzi all the time and is constantly taking photos or having photos took of us to post everywhere, which I hate because I don't like being on the media all the time. My PR manager gave me ways out but Lauren likes having what she wants and she could cause a lot of controversy online, which I don't need" he explained.

"What a bitch" I said, not thinking twice before saying it. I heard a small chuckle come from Charles and when I looked at him, behind the dimples that were showing, I could see the stress that he's been holding in. Charles was someone I couldn't relate to as even though I was well known I didn't get all the controversy and I definitely didn't get media's attention 24/7.

"And the date," he said like he had read my mind of the question I wanted to ask. "I enjoyed that day so it popped to mind. Your a breath of fresh air so that's why I like you where I am sometimes, because I just feel better when your around. Not to be cheesy though, don't take it cheesy" he laughed, fiddling with his thumbs on his lap.

"Don't worry, no cheese taken" I joked back "escaping the reality, right?"

"Exactly"

***
Writers note
Sorry it is a shorter chapter but I think this will be the only update over the next few days as obviously today is Christmas eve and Christmas is tomorrow but I may get another chapter out before tonight <3

On top of that, I am British so most of my updates have actually been in early hours of the morning, as an example it is 5am for me rn. I'm saying this bc if there are any spelling mistakes or things that don't make sense it is really late/early so I may of missed it. Pls point out if anything is wrong/makes no sense x

Also, 6.6k already, tysm I appreciate it a lot, like a lot🥲🫶🏼

~Mel