You Are Not Alone [Charles Leclerc]

🌠Thirty-seventh chapter🌠

"Where the north wind meets the sea
There's a river full of memory
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound
For in this river all is found."
All Is Found; Kacey Musgraves

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*TW - mention of a fatal accident*

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Ariana's POV

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport. Local time is 10:35 AM and the temperature is 20°C. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight. On behalf of Alitalia and the entire crew of captain Chevalier, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you onboard again soon. Have a nice day!" The flight attendant ended her precisely learned monologue. I looked out from the window, seeing a familiar building of the airport. I remember how I was sitting in the same seat, my new parents next to me. I couldn't wait to get out of Genoa and see what exciting things are waiting for me in Monaco. And now I'm doing the complete opposite. Isn't it ironic?

After I had my suitcase with me I walked outside of the airport. There were tons of same looking white taxis, the drivers nonchalantly leaning against their cars, some of them smoking cigars, some reading today Liguria Notizie or checking out girls in miniskirts.
I walked to the one who looked the youngest. His dark eyes moved from his cup of coffee to me and he checked me out briefly. I rolled my eyes in my mind, Italian guys are still the same.

"Buongiorno ragazza," he said, his voice deep and husky.

"Bonjour," I started without thinking, "I mean buongiorno," I slapped my forehead with a laugh, "I'm so used to talking French that I haven't even realised that. Can you get me to the Hotel Olympia, please?" The taxi-driver nodded his head and opened the truck. I handed him my suitcase and he touched my hand on purpose. I ignored it and sat to the backseat.

"You can sit in the front, signorina," he noted when he sat behind the wheel.

"I'm comfortable sitting here."

"Are you afraid of me, cara?" He turned around to look at me with a mischevious smile on his face.

"I'm taken," I crossed my arms over my chest and the driver's smile dropped down.

"Lucky bastardo," he muttered underneath his breath and started the car. For a few minutes, there was a silence in the car, only the radio was softly playing. The driver was humming the melody of the Italian song, driving with just one hand, the other one leaned against the open window. A familiar feeling of home and comfort rushed through my veins. I was looking from the window, the city looks a bit modern but its attitude didn't change a bit.