Falling for the Leclerc's

39. Our Story

                           Grace's pov

I couldn't sleep last night. I spent most of it thinking, crying and hugging Charles' pillow which smelled like him.

A part of me prayed that he'd change his mind, and come sleep here with me instead, but he never showed up.

I reach for my phone on my nightstand and I see that Charles has sent me a message.

CHARLES🏎️

already left to get prepared for the race

there's food on the fridge and a car

waiting outside in case you want
to come and watch the race.

I write multiple messages to send to him, but none of them seem good enough, so I delete them and start getting ready instead.

Charles might be mad at me, but I still want to go and show him my support.

I get into the car that's waiting outside, and the driver takes me immediately to the paddock.

There's so many people everywhere, fans, reporters, photographers, celebrities, you name it.

As I'm walking in the ferrari garage, I spot Charles who's getting into his car. He's wearing his helmet, but the visor is still open, so I can see that he's looking at me. His eyes immediately turn soft, the wrinkle between his eyebrows disappears and he seems less stressed, more at ease.

I realise that this is the last time I see him, before I fly back home so a lump forma in my throat as a overwhelming feeling engulfs my entire body. Tears start to form in my eyes.

Charles never takes his eyes off of me, as if he's trying to memorise everything about me, as if he's trying to engrave this moment in his brain where it can last longer.

Suddenly he puts his hands on his halo.

Is he getting out of the car, to come to me?

When he's about to get out, a team member approaches him, telling him something, probably that the race's starting soon, which makes him seat back down.

Charles looks at me, but this time...this time there's sadness in his eyes.

I'll miss you, Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc, with all my heart.

The workers around me start cleaning the path for Charles to drive out of the garage but I'm still standing there, unable to move.

"Miss, you can't be here." Someone tells me.

I break eye contact with Charles and nodd at the man who spoke to me. I turn again to look at Charles before I leave.

'Good luck' I mouth him before he closes his visor and I head to take my seat.

                                ——————

Charles' pov

I put on my racing suit only to have to remove it and put it on again when I realise that I put it on backwards the first time.

This is how I've been acting all day, just because Grace told me that she's leaving.

She's leaving...again.

I look back to everything that has happened from the moment I first saw her back, to try to figure out what went wrong, what I did wrong so perhaps I can fix it.

But maybe this isn't like a racing strategy or a car problem.

Maybe this is something that I can't fix.