𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 33

      Song- All I ask by Adele
                                         ﹌﹌﹌
Race day had approached quicker then I would've liked and I was still stranded in Baku up until that point. Jesy had finally managed to sort the plane tickets out when the storm had been and gone and we was due to leave that night. I had no intentions of going to the race, I hadn't even shown my face at the quali which Charles did despite not racing. We'd not seen or spoken to each other since the unspoken night at the restaurant and I was ready to get out the place. For the days that followed that dreadful night there wasn't much to do because of the weather, me and Jesy spent the long hours curled up in bed watching shows on repeat barely leaving the room for much. From news travelling fast the drivers had also been held up in the rooms above and below us but despite that I hadn't seen of them only heard from them through a few messages. Occasionally I found George or Kika announcing themselves at my door with sympathetic faces I'd grown tired of. But nevertheless I was grateful for their company.

So several days later there I was packing up my life and heart for the final time when a knock at my hotel door disrupted me. I opened it anxiously to find Charles standing there, his head tilted down to look at me with a small bouquet of white roses in his hand. He looked up at top of the door frame for a moment, before his soft emerald eyes gazed at me again. My eyes flickered from the flowers to him "What are you doing here?"

He shifted uncomfortably in front of me like he hadn't rehearsed what he was going to say in his head beforehand "I couldn't let you leave without speaking to you first" He hesitated "Can I come in?"

I stalled for a second unsure whether it was a good idea but reluctantly I opened the door wider allowing him inside. He strolled past me into the living space before the bedroom, he set the roses delicately on the coffee table staring at them for a few seconds before turning back to me. He gaze was almost sad as he took in the sight of me which only made me shiver so I decided to busy myself by the pile of clothes I was still yet to pack "Mind the mess I haven't finished packing" I said quietly.

When he came closer to me I caught a faint smell of his familiar cologne, triggering memories of him in my mind. It almost made me want to back off but I couldn't my body had glued itself to that spot "I need to explain myself Luce"

I crossed my arms like I was protecting myself from him which was stupid when I thought back to that moment "Honestly I don't think there's anything to explain Charles" His response to my coldness wasn't words instead a sharp inhale "Please just listen"

I swallowed hard before giving in and nodding "Okay I'll listen"

Charles exhaled with relief. He took a moment to gather his words, his eyes now fixed strongly on the floor unwilling to look into mine as he started to speak "When Jules died I was with Emily when it happened and I didn't think I was ever going to get over something like that" I jumped slightly when he looked up at me finally "But she helped me and she helped me when my father passed because you knew the pain of losing a father and for that I'll always owe her a lifetime of thank you's"

I felt my body collapse itself onto the edge of the bed as he explained himself, and I found myself listening tentatively "So when I had the accident and the doctor was just going on and on about my arm and how I couldn't drive Jules and my father came flooding back and I panicked and phoned her in hopes a simple conversation would settle my mind" He'd now perched himself down across from me, he looked unwell like his body had just experienced the same weakness mine had "But I have to stress to you Luce that was before I even asked you to be my girlfriend"