We never go out of style | Charles Leclerc x reader

Physical distance

I'm thinking about changing the name of this fanfic to Invisible String, but it sounds as basic as the current title. I haven't checked, but wouldn't be surprised if there was a Charles fanfic with the title of Invisible String already.
════ ⋆★⋆ ════

[Y/n] hugged Charles tightly the moment he was leaving for the airport. She cried, hoping he would think it's because she was going to miss him.

Obviously, she was going to miss him. But the actual moment she started missing him was the night she found out about the PR stunt. Her bubble shattered and she knew she was never going to see Charles the way she did before she saw the messages. [Y/n] missed the version of Charles that she thought cared about her, and she missed everything they had chances of becoming together.

[Y/n] wasn't staying alone at Charles' house. She said she'll stay at Skylar's and then visit her parents, but the truth was a little different. Charles dropped his girlfriend off at her friend's house and as he hugged [Y/n], he could feel a lingering sadness in her embrace.

"I will be back soon, darling." He promised, rubbing her back.

[Y/n] nodded against his chest, trying to stop crying. It was too much for her, she felt too many emotions all that once.

Eventually, she let him go. He helped her carry her suitcase up to the apartment upstairs and after one last kiss, he had to drive to the airport.

"So," Skylar clapped her hands, "what's the plan?"

[Y/n] looked at her friend and immediately broke down, finally being able to let all the emotions out. She didn't even manage to move to a different room. Still in the hall, she slid her back down the main door.

Skylar rushed over, kneeling beside [Y/n]. "Hey, what's wrong?"

[Y/n] looked up at Skylar with tear-filled eyes. "Everything's falling apart, Sky. Charles... us... it's all a mess."

Skylar sat down next to her. "Tell me everything. I'm here for you." She hugged her.

"You know most of the story. But I think I should leave Charles."

Skylar looked at her friend with compassion. It was like the butterfly effect - if she hadn't made [Y/n] go to the race, she wouldn't have met Charles again. Or maybe she would, one way or another? After all, on the day after the race, [Y/n] ran into Charles again. By an accident.

Skylar shook off the feeling of guilt. She wasn't the reason it all happened. Sure, she took [Y/n] to the race, but she didn't push her into Charles' arms. None of [Y/n]'s current pain was Skylar's fault.

Some time later, the girls sat on the stools by the kitchen counter with cups of tea in their hands.

[Y/n] tried to calm herself down. At first, she let herself cry as much as she needed and when all bad emotions had left her, she was free to tell Skylar about what she was going to do.

"I think I'll go back to New York already," [Y/n] explained, "I could go to my parents', but I don't have the mental stability to explain everything to them. Or to act like nothing happened."

"Sure, do whatever feels right for you. What are you gonna tell them? And Charles?"

"I'll tell my parents I had to go back because of uni, maybe they'll believe," [Y/n] had planned it when she couldn't sleep. "Charles... I don't know what to tell him."

"You don't owe explanation to anyone, especially not him. Whenever you're ready to talk, make sure it's on your terms, not his."

"Thank you, Skylar. I don't know what I would do without you."