[3] MARANELLO || C. LECLERC

TEN

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CAMILLE

I was so relieved that Christmas Day ended without any serious questions from Max about Felix Miller. I hated to see Dilara so upset whilst knowing that I'd initiated her sadness, without intention, of course, but I never wanted to ruin her day like that. Charles and I left Pascale's house earlier than everybody else, both of us exhausted and more than ready to head to bed for a cosy night in. I enjoyed every single second with him, and fell asleep comfortably in his arms, exactly where I belonged.

"So, why is Charles in Maranello?" Boxing Day; I was spending the next two nights with Max, as Charles was away sorting things out with Ferrari in Italy and I chose to stay home, to allow him deal with things for next season without me there. Deep down, I was afraid of seeing Stefan, but I couldn't bring myself to admit that to Charles. He left this morning, on an early-ish flight from Nice, and I'd spent my day with Max and our families at his apartment.

"Meetings with the boss," I shrugged my shoulders whilst pushing myself closer into my dad's side, who I'd strategically placed myself next to due to the lack of space on the sofa, with Victoria on the other side of me. I loved having mama and papa here in Monaco and I truly wished they'd just make the move, although their home in Amsterdam was too beautiful to part with. "He'll be back on Saturday morning."

Exhaustion appeared to be filling the room gradually and Victoria's face was shortly buried into my shoulder. I could even see the tiredness in Max's eyes, as he sat across the room from me with Dilara in his lap. The way he held her so gently and with so much care made my heart ache, because once upon a time, when it was only him and I, that was exactly what we did - as best friends, of course. I shrugged it off and didn't let it bother me any further, as a yawn slipped over my lips and I sighed.

"Are you tired?" Max looked over at me and I nodded with a frown encapsulating my features. All I wanted was to be beside Charles, with his fingers brushing over my forehead as I fell asleep in his arms. I felt lonely without him, and I wasn't used to spending time apart from him, especially at night, as we'd not been separated from one another for a long time now. Still, I nodded, as Max looked at his watch, but before he could say anything, Sophie stood up and brushed herself off.

"It's late, we should all be heading to bed, really." She cleared her throat before walking through into the kitchen, collecting a bottle of water for herself. I nodded in agreement before standing up from the sofa, allowing papa to kiss my forehead in the process, before mama beckoned for me to step closer towards her. She hugged me tightly, wishing me goodnight with a kiss on the cheek.

A few minutes later, and we were all on our feet, Sophie taking the sofa to sleep on whilst my parents used the double room. I was sharing with Victoria, and I had a feeling that we would be up for a few more hours, not that I minded; I loved her company and whenever I was apart from Charles, I felt somewhat reassured to be with her. However, Dilara rushed to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist. I was surprised by her sudden appearance, but the smile on her face settled me.

"You're staying with Max," she led me through the hallway and into Max's bedroom, the one I thought she'd be staying in tonight. "We talked about it, and we want you to be comfortable. I'll be in your room with Vic, whilst you have some quality time with your best friend."

"You don't have to do that for me, honestly, Dilara," I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed knowing that she'd thought of me like that. She truly was an amazing friend and I was so lucky that Max fell in love with her. "I'll be fine."