Lock Up ⏐Charles Leclerc

Chapter 53

"We'll probably get there." I said, looking outside at Grey who was fixing his helmet.

"Are you sure?"

No.

I smiled meekly at Aurora before walking out of the door, my mind filled with confusing thoughts once again. Grey helped me put on my helmet and within five minutes, we were on our way to the restaurant. We arrived at the restaurant after thirty minutes and Grey held my hand as we walked in.

There were a few people taking the cooking class with us and they were all within the age group where they wouldn't have a clue who we were.

"Milady." Grey smiled as he held the apron in front of me and I laughed, letting him place the upper portion around my neck while he went behind me to tie the strings on my back.

"You ready for this?" I asked him, holding my hair so that it wouldn't get in the way.

"For my arse to get handed to me? Absolutely." I laughed and he bent down to kiss my cheek before pulling me towards the group.

We were making gnocchi which wasn't the most complicated Italian dish I've ever made. Grey and I chatted with the couple in front of us who were both seventy years old and on a vacation that their children gave them for their fiftieth anniversary. They told us all about the adventures they've gone on when they were young, traveling as much as they can to all parts of the world.

"How about you two? How long have you been together?" The woman, Lillian, asked as she peeled the potatoes that were given to us.

"We've only been seeing each other for a month, actually." I smiled awkwardly and Grey chuckled at my face before playfully placing a potato peel on top of my head. I glared at him and threw the peel at his face.

"Oh? So what caught your eye then?" Lillian's husband, Silas, asked Grey and the latter shared a smile.

"Aside from the obvious beauty of this woman right here," He began, lightly bumping his hip with mine. "I'm going to have to say I'm a sucker for women who exude confidence." I wanted to add that I was more confident that I usually am because of the the liquor I had drank that night I met him but chose not to. The couple asked us questions about our personal lives and Grey and I did a great job of keeping it general.

We let the potatoes boil for a while to soften them and the restaurant served us some appetizers, giving us the freedom to drink the wine they've prepared at a nearby table. When it was time to shape the potatoes that had been mixed with the flour, I couldn't help but giggle at Grey who was having difficulty in doing so. "Need some help?" I asked, putting down my fork and moving over to his side.

"Is it obvious that I'm not doing great here?" He joked and I nodded my head, placing my hands over his to show him how to achieve the right shape.

"Just be careful not to flatten it too much." I said, pulling my hands away to let him try on his on. When he did it on the third try, I clapped my hands together and smiled at him. "There you go."

"Thanks, love." He said, giving me a short kiss on the lips. From the outside, one would've expected that the term love was a specific nickname he uses on me but it's a general thing in their culture. I've heard him use that on the people closest to him and sometimes even jokingly towards Daniel because of the time he's spent in the McLaren garage.

Thankfully, they had already prepared some sauces for us so we wouldn't have to cook that and we ate the food we made. Grey and I took turns eating the gnocchi from both of our plates since his was made with cream and parmigiano while mine had tomato and basil.

"This feels historic." Grey said, taking out his phone to take a picture of our plates.

"Why? Because you finally have a cooking experience that doesn't involve bangers and mash?" I smirked and Grey poked my side, making me move away from him. I didn't get to do this when he pulled my chair so that I could sit closer to him, placing his hand over my thigh.

"I'm not even going to disagree to that because we both know that's the only dish I can't burn."

I watched as Grey talked to Lillian and Silas, asking more about their family and what they did for a living when they were still working. I try to imagine myself going on more dates with him, even attending more of his games until the end of the season. I try to imagine people asking me about him during interviews or asking when I'd be watching another game. I try to imagine myself walking down the red carpet with him, arm wrapped around my waist as we smiled at the cameras. I could see it and we'd probably be a great couple.

But then I try to see how I am around him during the days where I feel drained with my work. I try to see myself consoling him whenever they lose a game. I try to see myself sharing with him the deepest and darkest secrets I have that have only seen the light of day a handful of times.

I see someone with me but it's not Grey.

I know that no matter how hard I try to convince myself that getting into a relationship with Grey was the best thing for me, I wouldn't be entirely happy. I'd be content with what I have and that's not something I want for my future. I want to feel the love that makes you feel like you're on a journey in uncharted waters as a sailor– exhilarating but calming at the same time. I want to feel the love that brings out my emotions at full force to the point where I feel everything all at once.

This realization filled my mind during our entire date and I tried as much as I can to mask it with smiles as Grey and I went on with the day. We had some gelato after, with him picking chocolate while I chose the most random flavor in the selection. When it was time for him to get ready to leave for the airport, we made the journey back to my house. I'd be going with him along with Ace to Florence Airport which was about twenty minutes away. His bags were already packed so all he needed to do was say goodbye to the others.

I waited for him outside as he bid farewell, Ace seeing me by the doorstep when he stepped out. "Everything alright?" He asked when he found me worriedly playing with my fingers.

I shook my head and glanced at Grey through the doorway. "I'm not coming with you." I said, biting my lip as I turned my head back to Ace.

"Why not?" He asked and then a few seconds later, a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh no, Valentine." He said, wrapping me up in a hug before pulling away when he heard Grey say his final goodbyes.

"It's okay." I said, giving him a sad smile. Ace gave me one more hug before heading to the car to warm it up. I'm thankful he chose to stay inside instead of waiting by the door so that he could give us some privacy. I watched as Grey waved at everyone inside before closing the door behind him, duffel bag slung over his shoulders. "Ready?" I asked, trying to remove the sadness from my tone.

"Yes. It's a good thing the airport's only less than thirty minutes away." Grey said as he grabbed my hand and made a move to head to the car. I didn't move which made him turn back to me, confusion all over his face.

"I need to talk to you." I gulped and he cocked his head to the side, dropping his duffel bag on the floor before standing in front of me.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his thumb rubbing small circles on the back of my palm. I nodded my head, not knowing what to say to him. "Are we okay?" He whispered and I couldn't help but smile sadly at him.

"I hope we will be." I said and I could slowly see his face morph in understanding. He let go of my hand and placed it inside his pocket. "Grey, it's been fun and you're a great–"

"Valentine," He interrupted me and I was not expecting the comforting smile he wore. "you don't need to explain."

"But I owe you an explanation."

He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, chuckling, but I could see it in his eyes that he was not overly joyous. "This happens. We've only been seeing each other for a month and we never talked about being exclusive."

"You're really a great guy." I said, relief washing over me that he was taking this better than I expected.

"And you're a great girl." He smiled, stepping forward to give me a lingering kiss on the cheek. "See you around, Valentine Bellerose." Grey gave me one last smile before picking up his bag and heading for the direction of the car, not looking back.

*****

Hmmm any guesses on what's going to happen next? Summer break is over 👀

✧Reese✧