Love, Monaco

00.35

A/N Sorry in advance for this chapter 😁

A few days later I was back in the air, but this time to go back home for a high school reunion. Charles kept saying how sorry he was that he couldn't be my date for the event because of his latest race, I knew that would be the case so I understood. When I found myself on a plane, I couldn't help but be excited to see my family and friends after such a long time of being away. Throughout the four days at home I kept checking in on practices, qualifying and the race, which drove Émie and Wren crazy. The reunion brought me right back to those four years, remembering all the highs and lows of being a teenager. I still found myself having a good time catching up with former classmates, not noticing the event photographer throughout the event snapping shots of me when I wasn't paying attention. I certainly didn't know the impact some of those pictures would have when I got back to Monaco.

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When I walk into the apartment early in the morning on Tuesday, I silently tiptoe to the bedroom. I put down my bag before shedding out of my travel clothes, sliding under the covers of the bed next to a sleeping Charles. A small smile appears on my face as I breath in the familiar smell of fabric softener, my head hitting the pillow as my eyes shut to catch up on sleep I've lost due to travel, having no idea what was to come the next day.

Waking up the next morning is harder than usual with dark clouds hiding the sunshine. I blink a few times to orient myself to overcast lighting in the room. That's when I notice the empty spot next to me, I sit up and stretch figuring that Charles is in the kitchen already. I drop my arms and slide out of bed, pulling on some sweatpants and a t-shirt before walking out of the room to go find the Monégasque. A smile comes to my face when I see him in the kitchen in front of the stove, I walk over quietly and sneak up behind him. My arms wind around him as I place my head on his back, he tenses up for a second before relaxing, "mon amour" he murmurs making me smile, "I missed you Char" I say and his hand moves to one of mine lacing our fingers together. "Comment était la réunion?" he asks after a few seconds of silence, "it was good, better than I expected" I reply, he kisses my hand gently, "ça c'est bon" I nod into him, "wish you could've been there, you would've heard all of the embarrassing stories and you would've loved it" he laughs which makes me giggle. The silence that follows the laughter is a comfortable one as Charles keeps making breakfast and I enjoy his body heat.

A few minutes later we're sitting on the couch eating what the Ferrari driver made, when my phone vibrates several times from where I left the device on the coffee table. Charles grabs it from the table since I was in the process of forking food into my mouth, he unlocks it with his fingerprint and I watch him tap a few things before he tenses up with his jaw clenching. I put my plate down concerned, "what's wrong?" I ask while moving closer to him my hand going towards his arm, he flinches away from me making me gasp. "So you had fun at the reunion huh?" he replies with a bite to his voice, your eyebrows shoot up at the statement, "what are you talking about?" he scoffs and tosses the phone my way. I catch the device clumsily before looking down at the screen, I suck in a breath at the photo. 

Someone took a picture of me talking to the ex-quarterback from high school, i'm laughing with a hand on his arm, he's smiling down at me in a way that I wished he would when I was still going to school with him. "Where did this picture come from?" I ask confused while looking up at my boyfriend, "Emie sent it to you, mentioning that your longtime crush finally noticed you making your dreams come true" I curse under my breath at my best friend, "so I guess i'm not needed now? is that what I was this whole time, just a replacement until he came around?" I shake my head vigorously at his words, "NO Char, I forgot about him the minute I left for university" even as I say those words I notice that i'm losing him because of the look in his eyes. "He means nothing to me, nothing even happened between us" I add, he stands up from the couch and starts pacing with a hand in his hair, "m'aurait-tu dis si quelque chose arrivait?" I'm speechless at his question not expecting it after everything we've been through. Charles looks up at my extended silence, the hurt apparent in his eyes and I realize that he took it in the wrong way. "Of course I would Char, but nothing would've ever happened because you're the one I love" I exclaim trying to reassure him, "you had to think about that for awhile Della" I groan and stomp my foot in frustration, "I was taken off guard, I thought we got over the whole insecurity thing in our relationship" I exclaim, my voice getting louder. "Maybe you did but i'm still clearly not there" Charles replies his voice just as loud as mine, I open my mouth to respond but I close it almost immediately, I take a deep breath and close my eyes telling myself that I need to stop before I say something i'll regret. "Okay, i'm going to go, we clearly need to calm down before we tear each other to shreds, when you're ready to talk about this like adults call me" I say calmly while looking at the Ferrari driver, his eyes still holding some fire in them. He opens his mouth but I leave the room to pack up a small bag not giving him the time to respond. 

Once I have a bag packed with essentials I silently walk through the apartment leaving without another word to the Monégasque. In the hallway I bring my phone to my ear calling the person that I know can calm me down and cheer me up. I hang up and walk out of the building waiting for my ride that will take me to a certain Australian's apartment. 

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Translations:

Comment était la réunion - how was the reunion

ça c'est bon - that's good

m'aurait-tu dis si quelque chose arrivait? - would you have told me if something happened