King of my heart

Start of winter break

Since the end of the F1 season, Charles and I had had a lot of free time on our hands, which we mostly spent together. It was just so nice to do things on our own schedule without having to think about where the next race was going to be. We would also spend long days out on Charles' yacht with his family and friends, even if it was slightly colder than what we would have liked. The long, cool nights under the stars were definitely some of our favourite moments as it seemed that the rest of the world stood still whilst we cuddled up together under several fluffy blankets. Occasionally, Kika and Pierre joined us for our boat trips which was a lot more fun, as we would just be cracking jokes the entire time and talking about the most random things for the sake of it.

It was nice to see Charles with his family after such a busy season as I could tell how much they meant to him and how much he felt at peace around them. As always, they were very welcoming to me and Pascale frequently asked me how Charles and I were getting on and always made sure that Charles was doing his duties as my boyfriend. This did often cause Charles to be slightly unamused with the fact that his mother could be quite nosy at times, especially when it came to the number of dates he had taken me on and ensuring our privacy was being respected by fans. It was nice that she actually cared for me like a mother should (something I never really had) and I think Charles also noticed that as well, because I would frequently ask when we would be next meeting up with her.

I also finally got to meet Carla, who was the sweetest person ever, and it meant that Arthur didn't need to worry about third wheeling at all of the family gatherings anymore. Myself, Charles, Lorenzo, Charlotte, Arthur and Carla would occasionally go out on triple dates to some of the local restaurants before hitting the clubs later in the evening, which was always so much fun since all three of us girls got on so well. The 3 boys always enjoyed their time together as well, catching up with all the recent events and talking about their childhood together.

On days that Charles had to do some training in the gym, I would go out shopping with the girls or take long hikes around some of the mountains with my camera in hand. Despite my job now taking photos of cars and promoting F1, I still loved to take photos of nature and the beautiful architecture that I was lucky enough to see almost everyday. I definitely didn't have the most secure job, but it had always been a strong interest of mine and after everything that had happened I was just glad to be respected and happy. I had thought about trying to sell some of my own photographs one day, but I needed to get out more until I found the perfect one that with just one look could make anyone fall in love. 

***

Mid December, Charles organised a week long holiday to Bali as the weather was still quite nice over there and it would just give us another excuse to spend some more uninterrupted alone time together. We spent several hours each day just basking in the sunlight and relaxing on the beach, just listening to the peaceful sound of the waves crashing onto the shore. He also arranged a boat trip for us where we explored some of the local islands which were surrounded by many dolphins, jellyfish and other tropical aquatic animals. I managed to get quite a few pictures of the dolphins jumping out of the water right next to the boat, which was definitely one of the most magical moments of the trip. We also had many romantic date nights on the beach and we would often stay up late to go to some of the clubs and then spend hours afterwards just looking into the distance from our small balcony at the hotel. I felt so at peace and I was so glad that my life was continuing to look up and get better. And that was all due to the love of my life, Charles Marc Herve Perceval Leclerc. 

When we arrived back home, Grace and her boyfriend came to visit for a few days. I was so excited to be able to see my best friend again after so many months apart and thousands of video and voice calls. I gave her a tour of the new country I called home and showed her all of my favourite places. Charles was very keen to take us all karting one evening at the local race track he went to as a child, so we rented out the place for a few hours and I'd honestly never had so much fun in my entire life. Obviously Charles won, despite me shoving him off the track on lap 17 so that I could have a better chance of winning, however it was a very close fight between Grace and I right up until the last few hundred metres. We had a mini podium celebration where Charles proceeded to chuck a bucket of water over me, claiming that I needed the 'full racing experience'. I was not impressed and had to find a bucket to chuck over him just to make it fair. 

Driving back to the apartment was rather quiet as Grace had fallen asleep in the back and I was so tired that I couldn't help but to rest my eyes closed. I felt Charles' hand intertwine with mine as he continued to drive the hour long journey home, but that was the last thing I remembered until I was gently shaken awake and carried inside the house. I was still very much half-asleep when Charles placed me gently on the sofa so he could take off my shoes, and the hoodie he had given me after we left the track as I was soaked and very cold. I then felt Charles wrap one arm under my knees and the other around my back to carry me into our room so that I would finally be able to go back to sleep, although I still needed to take off my damp clothes to change into something warmer. "Mon amour, do you want to go for a quick shower?" he asked me as he picked out a pair of my pyjama shorts and one of his hoodies. "Yeah I think I will, but I won't bother doing my hair... Can you wait by the door though so I can just talk to you?" I replied. "Of course y/n/n and I've got these for you to change into." he told me, handing me a pile of clothes. I gave him a smile to say thanks and then quickly walked into the bathroom, only half closing the door just so that I could have some privacy and so I could still talk to Charles. 

It was only a quick shower and then I was changed into some warmer clothes to get into bed whilst Charles quickly hopped in the shower to freshen up. A little while later he entered the room where I was still awake but slightly dozy, only just fighting off a much needed sleep. His towel was wrapped low around his hips and his hair a damp tousled mess, a few drops of water falling onto his chest every now and again. He walked over to me and placed a kiss on my head before walking over to the closet and picking out some boxers for him to sleep in. He then wandered back into the bathroom to get changed and finish getting ready for bed. 

I saw the bathroom light switch off before I felt the bed dip slightly as Charles slid under the covers, his arms instantly wrapping around my waist to pull me closer. I buried my face into his chest and shut my eyes again, breathing in the scent of his shower gel as one of my hands rested gently on his shoulder, drawing small circles with my thumb. "Bonne nuit mon amour, je t'aime." he whispered into my hair, placing another kiss on my head. "Night Charlie. I love you too." I replied as I placed a light kiss to his chest and snuggled closer to him. 

A/n: Ah it's been a while to say the least! I'm so sorry about the long delay, school was getting too much and I just needed to take a step back to get things under control. I am back, but updates will be slow for a while as I get back into the swing of things. Thank you so much for being patient and I will try to write some good chapters for you to round out this first book. 

Much love, 

Izzy :)