Rêveries

Chapter 72.

We stayed in Abu Dhabi for a few more days because Charles had post-season testing and some events to attend. He also had to sit down with Netflix for some commentary and such. He let Arthur and I sit in on one of them, but we couldn't stop laughing, so we were kicked out and went for ice cream instead.

I was back to backing away when people came up to Arthur and Charles in public, offering to take pictures or just walking to do something else to pretend that I was busy, because I didn't want people to think that I believe that they're there to see me. No one is there to see me, they're one hundred percent there for the boys, so I step away.

Evie stayed with Max and Pierre as well, so while Arthur found interest in the testing at the track, I found interest in spending time with Evie. We were both kind of relieved that the season was over, because we've both been dealing with so much towards the end, and now Charles, Max and Pierre won't be busy racing and they'll be home a lot more. It makes it easier to deal with everything, knowing you should probably be at some race for support. Also, your own support system is right there with you, not over the phone on the other side of the world.

The last day before leaving Abu Dhabi, we went desert driving. We put helmets on and got into little cars that were completely open. For some reason, I trusted Charles to drive me, thinking he wouldn't treat the sand dunes as a race track. It didn't look safer going with the others either, considering everyone but Evie and I are racecar drivers.

We went home a few days into December and Charles slept long into the day to really relax, he didn't really do much and no one pushed him to, we were all just happy to have him home for a little longer while. He'd have to get back to training and go to Maranello for simulator work soon enough. Then it would be the car launch, other Ferrari events, pre-season testing and then the next season starts. So he was free to do absolutely whatever he felt like when he was home — well, except stay in my room after 11 PM.

But since Charles, and probably Pierre and Max too, were too tired to do anything, I would get up and go over to Evie's place and drag her out of bed. I've seen how she's been struggling with everything going on with her family, an upcoming trial at the start of next year, her grandfather passing and also dealing with her relationship where her boyfriend just lost his best friend, who she also knew. It's been an overwhelming year, and she needs to do something for herself, not stay in bed and sulk until she has to get out of bed.

The first morning when I stormed their home, I walked into her room that was completely dark except for the laptop screen lighting up her and Pierre's faces. Both of them looked at me with wide eyes as I had walked in without knocking. I do realize now that I should've knocked, because who knows what they're doing with the door closed. Pierre stutters something, clearly not happy with my surprise arrival, but Evie smiles at me.

"Hey C! What are you doing here?" She asks, sitting up.

"Hey Evie! I'm taking you with me," I tell her as I walk over to her closet, like she always does when she's taking me places without telling me first. I dig through her clothes until I find some workout clothes for her that I throw at her. She looks at them, and then at Pierre who shrugs. I just turned around to find some shoes for her to wear. "Go change, I'll be in the kitchen," I inform her before walking out without giving her any more information.

Max is standing by the kitchen island when I walk in. He looks at me, then rubs his face, then he looks at me again, then down at his wrist watch.

"How did you get in?" He asks as I walk up to their fridge, getting whatever they have in it out to cook. The milk is expired, the avocado is damn near moldy and they don't have a single slice of bread. "Yeah... we haven't really gone grocery shopping since we got back," He says when I look at the ingredients in front of me.