[1] MONACO || C. LECLERC

FIFTY FOUR

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CAMILLE

I was totally shaken up after this morning and despite both Charles and Max telling me that it was okay to go back to the hotel, I refused to leave and decided to stay with my family and friends in Max's garage. I was in the worst frame of mind. Charles told me that he would find Max as soon as he was free from media and his debrief with the team and would head through to Red Bull with him to meet us. He was reluctant to leave me, because he was just as shaken up as I was, but I promised him that I wouldn't leave the garage until he was back.

I didn't want to miss one second of this weekend and I wasn't going to let Stefan ruin my day more than he already had done. Max informed me that security ejected him from the paddock because of his behaviour and he'd been escorted from the circuit, with a stern warning not to come back over the weekend. I knew that I was alright to stay with my parents and my friends, as long as I had plenty glasses of water, which hospitality ensured without question. Maybe going back to the hotel would have made me feel a little more comfortable, but I wasn't missing out on mine and Max's home race weekend. I knew that after a few hours, I would feel so much better and after a good night's sleep tonight, along with plenty of cuddles from Charles and I would wake up in the morning with a fresh and clear mind.

"Are you okay?" Victoria spoke softly into my ear as she clutched onto my hand. Since I entered the garage and sat with everybody, she'd not let go of my hand, just to provide constant reassurance and let me know that I was alright with her and that I was safe. My dad wasn't very pleased about my run in with Stefan and if he'd seen him, I knew he would have had words, just like Max did.

"Yes Vic, I think I'm alright." I nodded slowly, not taking my eyes away from the small screen on which we were watching the boys, my hand lingering beneath Victoria's fingers.

"If you need a few seconds and some fresh air, just let me know and we can go out the back. If you need anything, just tell me, I'm right here for you." Victoria smiled at me, and I couldn't help but turn to face her to thank her.

"Thank you," I blushed, before resting my chin in the palm of my spare hand. "I might go out at the end of this practice session, because Charles won't have time to come over, so I could pop to his garage to see him for a second."

"Of course." Victoria leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead and I smiled, turning my attention back to the screen. Vic and I had always been like sisters, and it was nice to know that our relationship was still exactly the same all these years later. She rested her chin on my shoulder, watching the screen closely as we waited patiently for the session to finish. After this morning, I wanted this weekend to be a good one for both Charles and Max, because I felt like they were feeling stressed and anxious. They deserved great results for themselves and their teams and I knew that both of them would deliver.

After the first free practice, the boys quickly reappeared, Victoria and I had rushed along to the Sauber garage to meet Charles for a few seconds. He gave me a few kisses and was certain to check up on me, he asked me how I felt and if I was enjoying myself, promising that if I wanted to leave he would sort out a car for me to go back to the hotel in alongside Victoria. I assured him that I was feeling okay and wanted to stay until the end of the day, before leaving him and managing to get back to Red Bull before Max disappeared for the second round of practice. He didn't want to let me out of his arms, and I had no choice but to push him away so he wasn't late when getting back in the car.

Victoria continued to cling onto my hand during the FP2, not wanting to let go until Max arrived back and we were ready to head to the hotel. I appreciated her more than she knew and it was definitely going to be difficult to thank her for this. Sofia and Charlotte had no idea about what happened that evening with Stefan and I wanted it to stay that way, so we had no choice but to hide the real reason why I collapsed. Max spoke to them about it before I saw them, so the only question they asked was the occasional 'are you feeling okay?', and I also appreciated their concern. Mama didn't take her eyes off of me; she was more concerned about me and how I was feeling than the boys' driving. Papa sat comfortably beside me, every so often rubbing my shoulder reassuringly, to which I would flash a smile in return. I was so lucky to be constantly surrounded by such supportive people and I couldn't understand how I ever got so lucky. Stefan got exactly what he deserved by being removed from Spa and I hoped that this was enough for him to admit what he did to his wife, because she was clearly left completely in the dark about the whole thing. I felt sorry for her, afraid that he would make a move on her like that next.