Sparks Fly- L.N

Chapter 23

"We're here!" Elenore burst through the door to her mom's apartment, her eyes lit up with excitement.  "Mama!" Pascale, a petite woman with short blonde hair and a warm smile, eagerly rushed down the hallway to greet her daughter.  She enveloped Elenore in a tight, loving hug.
"Mama, this is Lando," Elenore beamed, taking a step back to introduce her boyfriend. Lando extended his hand, introducing himself politely.
"It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Leclerc." Pascale ignored his hand and went straight for a warm hug, her eyes filled with genuine delight.
"Call me Pascale," she insisted, her radiance spreading through the room. "I'm thrilled to finally meet you. I never thought my baby would find such a wonderful man." Elenore giggled, wrapping her arm around Lando's, nestling her head on his shoulder. Pascale, her joy uncontainable, continued,
"You two will be sleeping in the guest room." She led them down the hallway toward their bedroom. "Charles and Charlotte will be coming tomorrow night, but they'll stay at Charlotte's place." She swung open the door to the guest room. Elenore couldn't help but sound a bit nervous,
"Are they coming over here?" Pascale replied, her tone casual,
"I think so. Charles mentioned something about dinner." However, Lando could sense Elenore's anxiety and instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, offering silent comfort.
"It's going to be alright," he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against her forehead as he placed a soft kiss

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Elenore and Lando spent a lovely afternoon exploring the stunning streets of Monaco. They shared a delicious lunch at her favorite restaurant, laughter filling the air. The laughing reached its peak when Elenore accidentally spilled wine on Lando's new white shirt.
"I'm sorry about your shirt," Elenore chuckled, her eyes sparkling. Lando smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Are you really sorry?" Elenore giggled, her eyes dancing with mischief.
"Not really." Lando twirled her around playfully as they wandered the charming streets. Their stroll took them to the marina, where they paused to admire the peaceful view of boats swaying gently on the water.  Elenore teasingly remarked,
"You should shave," her thumb brushing over the light stubble on Lando's chin. Lando laughed warmly, his laughter filling the evening air. "
"And I love you." Gazing up at him, Elenore felt her heart swell with affection.
"I love you too. But seriously, you should shave; you look like a thirteen-year-old boy," Elenore teased, her laughter echoing like a melody.
"You're such a romantic," Lando chuckled. "Just for you, I'll shave when we get back to the apartment," he winked playfully.
"Thank you," she smiled, pulling him closer and planting a soft kiss on his lips.

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Returning to Pascale's apartment as dusk settled in, the laughter from earlier had slowly faded. As they entered, they were met with an unexpected sight: Charles was sitting on the couch, his face resembling a thundercloud. Elenore's heart sank, and Lando's anxiety surged.

"I'll go change," Lando said in a hushed voice as he headed toward the bedroom. Elenore swallowed hard, her eyes locked on Charles, who continued to glare at Lando's retreating figure. Elenore asked, her voice tinged with anxiety,
"I thought you and Charlotte were coming tomorrow?"
"We decided to surprise Mama," Charles replied icily, his gaze still fixed on Lando as he walked away.
"Where's Charlotte?" Elenore asked, taking a seat across from Charles.
"At her place; she's coming over later for dinner," Charles responded curtly, still avoiding Elenore's eyes. Elenore implored,
"Charles, look at me." Charles finally turned to face her, his expression cold.
"Why is he here, El?" Elenore's voice took on a hint of disbelief. 
"Because he's my boyfriend. Why are you so upset?"
"Because you lied," Charles snapped, crossing his arms. Elenore rolled her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to fight him, but she was tired of him treating her like a baby.
"Come on, Charles. I tried to tell you, but you didn't listen. I want you to be kind to him; he's done nothing wrong." She stood up and started walking toward the bedroom."
El," Charles called out, standing up. "I—" Elenore interrupted him by enveloping him in a warm, reassuring hug. Charles, though surprised, hugged her back tightly.
"I'm sorry; you know I just want you to be happy."
"I know, Charles," Elenore replied, her voice filled with gratitude. She took a step back and looked at her brother. "Now, please try and be kind to Lando; he's really nervous."
"I'll try," Charles chuckled. Elenore shook her head and laughed as she walked back to the bedroom, where Lando was waiting.

"Are you alright, mon amour?" She asked as she sat down beside him. Lando smiled warmly at her.
"Yeah."
"I love you," Elenore whispered, leaning down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. "I've sorted everything out with Charles."
"I'm so proud of you," he said, sitting beside her and hugging her tightly.
"Thank you, Lando," she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck.
"Dinner's ready!" Pascale's voice echoed from the kitchen.
"Come," Elenore grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the kitchen. Charles and Charlotte were already seated at the table, alongside Pascale.
"Hi, Charlotte," Elenore smiled as she walked over and hugged her tightly.
"Hi, El," Charlotte beamed back at her. Elenore walked back and sat down beside Lando. 

The tension was thick at the table, no one said a word. The only thing that could be heard was the silverware against the plate. 
"Lando," Pascale broke the silence and looked at Lando, "El told me that you also race in Formula One, for how long?" She smiled lovingly. 
"I have been in Formula One since 2019, so two years now." He returned Pascale's smile. 
"I remember when Charles started racing, he was so nervous-" Pascale began talking.
"Mama, s'il te plait" Charles groaned. 
"Come on Charles," Elenore laughed, "I remember that you called me in the middle of the night because you couldn't sleep." She giggles lightly before taking another bite of the food. Charlotte looked at Charles and laughed lightly.
"You said that you were and I quote 'Cool as a cucumber'" The entire table burst out laughing, apart from Charles of course. 
"Yeah, yeah," he groaned as he took a sip of his wine.