Charles || C. Leclerc

8

The way his eyebrows furrowed together and how his eyes narrowed when he saw them. His jaw clenched, and his lips pursed tightly together. He took a deep breath, as if he was trying to calm himself down. His eyes darted back and forth between her and him, and his gaze was a mix of longing and anger.

Why was he jealous?

The mother of Elizabeth entered the kitchen, placing the grocery bag on the counter. She looked at the dining table, and saw her daughter sitting on a chair. Elizabeth was staring outside, seemingly lost in the scenery beyond the window. Her eyes were distant, and a frown was resting on her forehead, as if she was deep in thought. She seemed to be lost in her own world.

Mum watched her daughter for a few moments, taking in her pensive expression. She wondered what could be going through Elizabeth's mind, what could be causing her to be so lost in thought. Mum unpacked one of the bags and grabbed the chocolate cookies that she had bought for Elizabeth.

Mum moved closer. It made Elizabeth break free from her daze. Her expression softened as she can back to reality and noticed her mother. She offered a small smile, but her eyes still held a hint of the contemplation that had held her captive moments before. Mum wondered what could be weighing so heavily on Elizabeth's mind.

"What is going on?" Mum asked and sat across from Elizabeth.

"For how long have you been here?" Elizabeth asked and sat up straight. Her eyes fell on the clock; how was it six o'clock in the evening already?

"Long enough to see that something is wrong."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I saw Timo today."

"Oh, where did he suddenly come from then?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I have no idea. He's back from his vacation." She shook her head. "He looked... Healthy. And so fucking jealous. He was with his family, ready to hop on the lift. We were done with skiing, I was walking next to Charles and just talking to him. And then I saw Timo, and he looked like he could kill Charles."

"Who is Charles?"

"Charles Leclerc," she answered. "A friend. We ski together. But that's not the point." Elizabeth pointed at the table. "Why did Timo look so jealous while he broke up with me because he didn't love me? I just can't get that look out of my head. I don't get it." Tears filled her eyes. "I finally have survived a week without having a mental breakdown, for the first time in two months, since the moment we broke up. And one look and I am so lost again."

Mum pressed her lips into a thin line and grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "I'm sorry." She softly squeezed in it. "Seeing him the first time after the breakup is always the hardest part."

"I hate it." Elizabeth blinked a couple of times. "I don't want to cry anymore." Her throat started to feel tight. She swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump and the tears that were threatening to spill over. "I want to get over it, leave it behind me, move on," she whispered.

"Which you are doing right now, sweetheart. It's a process with ups and downs. It takes time, but you are slowly healing and moving on without realising."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and tried to blink away the tears, hoping to hold them back for just a little longer. She looked outside, focussing on a tree. She had to focus on something, trying to distract herself from the pain and sadness that was welling up inside.

Her nose twitched slightly, and she sniffled softly as she tried to keep her emotions under control. Elizabeth knew that she could cry, and sometimes, it would help to release it, but she didn't want to break her no-crying streak. She ran her tongue over her lips, which felt dry and cracked from her shallow breathing. Elizabeth fought the urge to rub at her eyes, knowing that doing that would things only make worse. She looked down.