Apex | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 54

"What did Max give you for that?" Charles asked when I reached him, his hand connecting with mine.

"Coffee." I smirked and he shook his head at me. "Ready for qualifying?"

"I'm ready for this weekend to finish. All I want is to stay in bed all day."

Lewis was currently leading the championship but the gap between him and Charles wasn't that big for him to have a guaranteed win. Charles has been busy with strategy meetings the past few days and from what he's told me, he'd need to finish ahead of Lewis in at least second place to win the championship. In all honesty, I knew he was going to attain for a win, but we were both aware of how strong Mercedes was as well.

The two of us headed to garage and I settled in onto one of the chairs as he got ready with Andrea. I had a pair of headphones strapped around my neck as I watched people move around the garage, preparing the tyres and making sure they were all in good condition.

When it was finally time for Charles to get inside the car, he headed over to where I was and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I love you." He said before giving me another kiss by my cheek.

"I love you." I smiled, my fingers grazing his cheek. "Stay safe, please."

"Always, Nova."

Him and Carlos were one of the last ones to head out to the track, letting the other teams get their lap in. They knew the car was capable of reaching up to the third qualifying session so it didn't phase them when Lewis held pole during the first session. Carlos managed to snatch it from the world champion during the second when he got a free tow from Checo.

By the time Q3 rolled in, all eyes were on the two championship contenders. Charles hasn't set a time yet and there were only two minutes left of the session.

I nervously watched as he neared the last corner, his speed increasing. When he crossed the white line, a visual with his name and empty sector times flashed on the screen. I could feel everyone's nerves in the garage as we all said a silent prayer, hoping that Charles would come out faster than Lewis. He moved like lightning as he went through every turn and chicane with ease, as if driving at three hundred kilometers an hour was a piece of cake for him. Underneath the white track lights and over the black asphalt, the red Ferrari looked like the epitome of its symbol– a prancing horse. He seemed impossible as he conquered every single sector, the visuals turning purple just before he moved on to the next.

Before he crossed the line again, I felt myself along with everyone else glance at the time sheets, our attention solely focused on his name as it moved.

Lewis' time was 1:24:49.

Charles' was 1:24:20.

Later that evening, Charles and I were lying on the bed as I held a book in front of me. After having dinner with a few members of his team, the two of us got ready for bed and decided to read a few chapters. I knew he was nervous for tomorrow and sleep wouldn't come easily to him. I was currently sitting in between his legs as I waited for his hum of approval for me to move on to the next page. We were about two chapters in with the book I brought and while we were reading, he'd draw imaginary circles on my arm.

When a few beats passed that I didn't hear him, I gently turned around and smiled at what I saw. Charles' head was propped up on the headboard, his eyes closed as he slept. I silently placed the book on the bedside table before standing up and moving him so that he was in a more comfortable position. He stirred under my touch as I pulled the covers over his body. "Shh." I said, brushing away a few strands of hair away from his forehead. "Go back to sleep."

I turned off all of the lights in the room before getting in bed as well, situating myself by his side. When I placed my arm over his stomach, Charles moved to pull me closer against his body, his chin settling over my head as he tangled his legs with mine. I fell asleep to the feeling to the warmth his body offered, knowing that tomorrow would be one hell of a day.