lemon and mint | Charles Leclerc

~ ventotto ~

Austria, July 2019

"You didn't have to come for me," Pia said to her friend as she looked from the window. Because of the speed, the countryside was blurred. Well, maybe it was because of the tears in her eyes, or it was a combination.

"It's okay, Pia," the Dutchman said. For a brief moment, he looked at his friend, but then he focused on the road again. He was worried about Pia. She sat on the passenger's seat, which seemed to be way too big for her. Her hair was messy, and she smelled like cigarettes. She didn't give him a single look since he picked her up at the airport.

"Thank you," the Italian muttered before biting her trembling lower lip. She didn't want to cry. She was tired of crying.

"It's okay, Pia. Really," he repeated again. He didn't know what else to say. He wished Pia would talk to him about what happened. The only information he knew was from Joanna. From what I understood, Charles told her that he loved her and that he would break up with Charlotte, but then he stayed with her. That was what Joanna told him. He didn't know anything else.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he dared to ask her. He knew it was bad when Pia wasn't talking. It was a sign that something went really wrong.

"No," she replied before curling more into the seat. She wanted to be invisible. Then the silence filled the car until Pia's phone started to ring.

"Hey," she greeted the person on another side of the phone. Max noticed she even tried to smile. She wanted to sound normal.

"Yeah, I'm alright," the Italian let a few giggles escape from her mouth, but the Dutchman could hear they were forced. "I'm with Max. He was so nice to pick me up at the airport. Such a gentleman, right?" If Max had been on the other end of the phone, he would have thought Pia was really alright. She made her best to sound like that.

"No, dad. It's not really necessary," she said, but then she sighed, so Max guessed Seb won this little internal fight.

"Hey, boys. How are you?" Pia asked. One tear escaped from her eye, but she was quick to wipe it away. "That's amazing. I'm doing great as well," she lied once again.

"I don't know, boys. I'll try my best to come home as soon as possible, promise," she promised them. The truth was she didn't want to go home. Pia didn't want to worry her mum and dad. She didn't want to pretend in front of everyone. She wanted to be that awesome older sister that was carefree and happy.

"Of course. We'll eat ice cream the entire day, but don't tell dad about it, okay?" The Italian had to bite her lower lip because a sob was about to escape from her mouth.

"I love you so so much, both of you. Remember that, please." Max could hear that the twins said they loved her as well. "Oh, by the way, uncle Max says hello," Pia smiled at the Dutchman who sat next to her. Max could see that this smile was an honest one.

"Yeah, Theo, we will go see aunt Joanna... Don't worry. I will tell her you miss her." Pia found this little Theo's crush adorable.

"Oh, really? Dad invited uncle Charles over." Pia's heart almost stopped when Nicky told her that. Why would Seb invite Charles over? Maybe he somehow learnt what happened and wanted to murder the Monegasque. Well, she wouldn't blame her dad for it. But they were teammates, after all. Sebastian was probably just being kind and offered Charles to stop by and have dinner with his family to show him respect.

Pia couldn't help but wonder. Was Charles hoping that he would see her at that dinner? Did he accept Seb's invitation when they were together or before or after it? She wanted to know the answers to those questions.

"Alright, boys. I'll have to go now, but I promise I will call you soon, okay?" She asked them.

"Alright, love you. Bye." With that, the Italian ended the call.

Max had an urge to comment on Theo's little crush, but he decided to keep it quiet. Even though Pia looked to be in a better mood, she still didn't seem she would enjoy any longer conversation.

The way to Joanna's house didn't take long, and Pia was grateful for it. Max stopped the car in front of the gate. Just by the gate, Pia could see that Joanna's house wasn't really a house but rather a castle. She wasn't even surprised. It was so Joanna.

As Max's car stopped in front of the house, Pia got out. She started to look for the pack of cigarettes in her handbag. She had to give her body some nicotine, or everyone would see how much her hands shook.

"Don't look at me like that," Pia said as she lighted her cigarette.

"Like what?" Max asked her confusedly.

"So judgementally," the Italian clarified. He looked at her exactly how Seb or Charles would. The judgement in his eyes was visible. She was so tired of being judged.

"Sorry that I cannot hide that I hate this shit," he just exclaimed. He hated when anyone smoked. He hated cigarettes, drugs, and shits like that.

"Fuck you, Max," the Italian let out together with the smoke. Her eyes widened when a guy with an ashtray came to her. He just stopped next to her and held the ashtray.

Pia had to laugh. Joanna had people even for holding an ashtray. Pia found it ridiculous that she had people even for that. She just took the ashtray from that poor boy and held it for herself.

"Joanna has people even for this, huh?" The Italian made it sound like a question even tho it was more of a statement. "Once spoiled brat, always spoiled brat," Pia muttered to herself. She hoped no one heard her.

"How can you live like this? Out of everyone, I'd be the most certain about you that you wouldn't bear such a lifestyle." Max grew up in pretty similar conditions to Pia. They weren't the poorest ones, but also not the richest ones. Max seemed to like that. His lifestyle in Monaco didn't belong to the most glamorous ones. He wasn't the one to show off money.

"It's Joanna's house," he said, and Pia immediately understood how he meant it. It was probably something like: "you will either live here with me or alone in Monaco". Well, the Austrian surely didn't say it like this, but she made it obvious.

"I just can't be silent about it when you look so miserable," the Dutchman said. He couldn't keep it quiet when he saw how badly his friend was doing.

"What do you want to hear, Max?" Pia wasn't even annoyed by his question. She just wanted to answer all of it because she didn't want to be asked about it later.

"What happened between you and Charles?" he asked. He knew it was Pia's right to keep it secret, but it didn't seem healthy.

"I was stupid enough to trust him. I broke up with Lando because of him, and yeah, then he didn't break up with Charlotte. So, yeah, I'm here alone like a little clown I am. Is that enough of an explanation?" she asked as she stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray. She wanted to feel sorry for herself, but the irony of it all was that she deserved to have a broken heart. At least in her opinion. She broke Lando's heart, so someone else broke hers. It seemed fair.

"If someone is a clown, it is fucking Leclerc and not you. Jesus. How stupid is he?" Max was clearly angry with the Monegasque. He didn't understand why he'd do something like that. Did he just want to hurt Pia?

"Honestly, Max. Who cares at this point? What is there to fix?" she asked and ran her fingers through her hair. She did the thing she despised the most - she resigned.

"I got what I deserve," she said before making her way inside the villa. She handed the ashtray to another guy that was waiting at the door. The Italian whispered a quick and kind "thank you" while doing so. She wasn't used to something like this. She wasn't used to people running around her getting things done for her. It was something she never wanted because she felt she didn't need it nor deserve it.