Forgetting The Love of Your Life

Chapter Twenty Seven: Pissed, Part One

y/n's PoV:

There's practically heat radiating from him, that's how pissed off he is. You ask again, rephrasing it this time around.

y/n softly: Are you okay though?

He runs his hands through his hair.

Charles sighs: I'm fucking pissed. So, not really no.

Obviously you want to help - Who wouldn't want to help the person that's been doing everything for them?

y/n quietly: Tell me how I can make it okay.

Charles chuckles softly: Oh Baby...

He takes your hand into his, and gives it a soft kiss. You don't know how to feel about these casual kisses - They make him feel better though, and as long as it's not on your lips for now, it's fine. Damn, that's probably the most unromantic thing to say ever.

Charles sighs: Your presence is doing more than enough. It'll be okay in a second.

You don't know how to react to his endearing words, so you just let him hold your hand.

It's kind of nice actually... You like that he strokes his thumb back and forth over the back of your hand.

A couple of minutes pass by, and he seems a lot more relaxed already.

y/n softly: So what's the business then?

Charles sighs: I'll start by saying that I'm currently doing everything I can to keep you away from having to deal with business, suits, and press related matters. I wanted to keep you away from those responsibilities, so that you can have some peace, and well... I saw how you reacted to Instagram and all that.

y/n nods: Okay...

He's doing the most for you, isn't he? You give his hand a soft squeeze - He smiles.

Charles: And uhm, I guess I have to mention this thing now... Because it's related to the business.

You just stare at him, unsure what's going to come next.

Charles: Okay, I'll just admit it.

y/n confused: Admit what?

He sighs again.

Charles: I knew where you were last night.

y/n: I know that you did-

Charles nods: Yeah, and I know I was an asshole for laying it on you before you went to bed the way I did - I was just frustrated and to be honest, I was...

y/n: Upset?

Charles nods: Yeah my Love. I was. I partially understood you running out, I really did, and I wasn't upset about that, I know it was a lot to take in, but the fact that you spent your time away with Max, that caught me off guard. I just didn't understand any of that.

He continues, before you can even apologise.

Charles: That's not even the main thing to be honest, but yeah, a friend sent me a post that had been circulating on some F1 gossip page, and it was some picture of him and you at the bar...

He inhales sharply. You knew that people had recognised you at the bar, but you had ignored it.

Charles: Sitting quite closely, with his hands on you, and uhm... Yeah. All that. But it was circulating, and people were seeing it-

y/n: Charl-

How can you apologise or explain yourself if he won't even let you speak?

Charles continues: No, it's fine, and uhm, so since those started popping up everywhere, the team and your manager, Nathan, I don't know if you remember him, decided it would be best to post a statement about your hospital release, and your overall well-being.

No, you don't remember the guy. You try again.

y/n: I'm sor-

Charles continues: Y/n, stop. This morning you walked in when I was on that call with your manager, and I pretty much expressed that I didn't want anything personal being in that statement, to protect you, and they agreed, but now I got the statement back, and I disagree with some things.

y/n softly: Okay...

Charles: And I called your manager to get it fixed, since I was told that this was a changeable draft, and not the "ready to be posted" final version of the statement. He pretty much told me that they wouldn't change anything about it, and that they wanted me to take some pictures of you doing okay, so that the public can see that you're fine, which is also partially to explain the circulating Max pictures.

y/n: Uhm-

Charles: So posting the statement on your account, as well as some sort of picture of you, should give people an explanation for the Max pictures when everyone thought you were still in the hospital, even though there were pictures of us leaving the hospital building, but anyways, they also just want to polish your image by taking the focus off of you and Max. I was against most of this, but they told me to run it by you, and to let you decide. If you don't want to do any of it, you should call the team.

y/n: Wow... Uhm...

You wait for him to continue, but it seems that he's actually done now. He picks up his espresso.

y/n softly: Can I see the statement first?

He hands you his phone; You read through it.

y/n shrugs: It's not too bad I guess, and if they want a picture, shouldn't we just do it to get them off our backs, hmm?

He lifts his eyebrows.