Your way to the top

chapter seven

I wake up and open my eyes. As I look to my side I see the one and only Charles Leclerc laying next to me without a shirt on. I think about last night and everything that happend. Charles getting jealous, that girl slapping me across the face and us getting hungover drunk and dancing until late in the night. My lip starts to hurt, so I get up and walk towards the mirror. My lip is really swollen and at some point even a little bruised. I look at my hand too. It hurts and is bruised just like my lip.
"That was hot", I hear Charles say behind me. I turn around to look at him.
"What?"
"How you beat up that girl. That was hot", he says and smirks at me.
"Thank you but considering how much it hurts and what the media is probably going to say, it wasn't that good of an idea", I say and go to the bathroom.
"Oh and I'm glad that you feel like home here", I say before I close the door and point towards his shirt on the floor. He just laughs and lets himself fall back before he closes his eyes again. I take a quick shower and get dressed. By the time I get out, Charles is still sleeping on my bed. I roll my eyes while I chuckle and start cleaning up my room because we're going home today.
It knocks at my door. To my surprise it's Mason.
"Hey Ava. I just wanted to say goodbye before I fly back in two hours. Big game you know?", he says and laughs.
"Who is it?", Charles asks as he turns around and opens his eyes.
"What the fuck is he doing in here?", Mason says in an loudly tone sounding angry.
"He just-", I start but Charles interrupts me and says: "I slept here" with a cheeky grin on his face. 
"Did you sleep with him?", he shouts and comes really close to the point where he's towering over me. I step back a little but he comes even closer.
"I uhm-", I say a little overwhelmed by the situation.
"Did you fucking sleep with him?", he shouts directly in my face. I start shaking and remain silent. Not because I want to. It's because I'm scared of people shouting at my face. It makes me numb, even speechless.
"It's enough Mason", Charles says as he steps between us two. He steps in front of me and pushes me behind him with one hand.
"Fuck. You have nothing to say here. I asked her something", Mason says.
"She doesn't want to talk to you mate. Leave her the fuck alone", Charles says still standing in front of me incase he wants to do something to me.
"You leave me the fuck alone", he says. I'm almost sure that he's about to jump Charles any second now.
"Please leave", I say and look at him before looking back at Charles. He gives me a worried look.
"God I can't believe you", he says finally backing up. 
"Leave Mason", I say now a little louder.
"Fuck this", he says and angry stomps away. Charles steps out of the door making sure that he actually left before he closes the door behind himself. He rushes over to me. I'm still standing in the middle of the room trying to process what just happend. 
"Are you okay?", he asks me.
I nod before a tear runs down way face. 
"Why didn't he let me explain it?", I say not sure what just happend.
"It's not your fault okay? I should've stepped between earlier. Or better, I shouldn't have stayed here over night", he says gives me a guitly smile.
"No, this is not your fault. He should've listened to me. And plus, we're not together. He is a friend. Or so I at least thought", I say and sigh. Charles pulls me in for a big hug. 
"I'm sorry", I say and smile at him.
"You don't have to be sorry Ava. You did nothing wrong", he says and smiles too.
"Want to eat something?", he asks and I nod. We put on our shoes and leave my room. We make a quick stop at his room so he can change into some fresh clothes and then go down. 
"What do you think about going out for breakfast?", he asks.
"Always", I say and smile. We get inside his car outside and then drive to some café. It's one of these small, really comforting ones. We sit down at a table in the corner and then order some pancakes. We talk about last night and have lots of fun together before we go back. I call my mom quick and she tells me that they're about to be at the hotel in half an hour. We drive back and meet my parents on our way to the elevator. 
"Mommy", Val shouts and starts running. I pick her up and give her lots of kisses.
"How was your night with abuela y abuelo?", I ask her.
"Awesome", she says and smiles at me.
"Say hi to Charles too", I whisper into her ear and she laughs before she says: "Good morning Charlie"
He smiles and says: "Good morning Val"
I admire this moment for a second before I say: "Are you ready for our flight tonight?"
"Are we going home?", Val asks me.
"Yes we are"
"Can Charlie come too?", she asks in a shy voice.
"Oh baby. He has to go home too.", I say and almost melt because of her cuteness.
"But mommy", she says and starts pouting.
"If you want to, you can come visit me sometime", he says and smiles at Val.
She nods and he laughs. I turn to my parents and thank them for looking after her. We say goobye to them because they have to go to the airport because they're flying back to Spain.
We wave them before they drive away.
"So when is your flight?", Charles asks.
"I think at about seven in the evening."
"Great. Mine is too. If you want to I can take you two to the airport"
"That would be really nice", I say and smile. We agree on meeting at four in the afternoon down in the lobby and then go to our rooms. Val is very tired and sleeps almost the whole afternoon. I don't really mind. If she's tired then she should sleep. I pack our suitcases and prepare her to leave for the airport. I decide to take a quick nap too since we still have two hours left before we leave. I lay down next to Val and close my eyes.
A knock at the door wakes me up. I get up to see Charles there.
"Oh shit. What time is it?", I ask him still half asleep.
"It's 4:30", he says and chuckles.
"I'm so sorry", I say and start gathering my things together.
"Don't worry", he says and laughs. He just stands there in the door watching me as I put on my shoes. As I want to wake up Val he says: "No, I can carry her if you want to"
"Are you sure? You don't have to"
"Of course I can", he says and comes inside to pick her up. "My luggage is already in the car"
On his way out of the door he takes our suitcase. 
"Charles I can take this one", I say and want to take it from him but he insists on him taking it. I smile before I close the door behind us. We walk towards the elevator and make our way to the parkinglot. We get inside the car and start driving to the airport. There we sit down at a little restaurant and eat something together. Valeria is awake too. We all laugh together and time flies by. One time an old women comes up to us and says: "You have a very cute little family here"
"No, no we're-", I start but Charles interrupts me by saying: "Thank you"
He smiles at her nicely before the women walks away again.
"You didn't have to do that", I say and look at him feeling a little uncomfortable with the situation.
"I know but it would've just ruined the moment.", he says and smiles at me. "I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable or anything like that"
"Don't worry", I say and smile at him too. We continue our dinner here before it's time to leave for the flight. We reach the gate and start saying goodbye to eachother.
"Can we go with Charlie?", Val asks.
"No Val. We're going home now. We see Charlie in two weeks again", I say but she starts crying.
He takes her and says: "That's not very long Val. If you're nice you can come spend the whole summer with me. I even have a big boat and everything. But as I said: only if you're nice with your mom". She stops crying and starts laughing and nods.
They both say goodbye to eachother before it's almost time to leave.
"See you Charles", I say and hug him.
"Yeah see you. Write me some time", he says as he lets go of me.
"We will see", I say and smirk.
He laughs and says: "I know you will Ava. See you"
"Bye Charlie", I shout as he walks away. He turns around one last time and looks at me with a big grin on his face before he's gone.
I take Val and board the plane. She immediately falls asleep again and so do I. This week has been incredibly stressfull.