It's a bit late on my end, but I wanted to post this before I got busy tomorrow :)
Please keep an eye for some typos
Enjoy!
*****
August 17, 2025 - France
Marseille is probably my favorite so far. For the two nights we were staying here, we weren't going to sleep on the boat. One of Max's friends was spending his summer in Thailand and let Max borrow his apartment for the next three days.
It was absolutely gorgeous with it being on the top floor and having an amazing view of the city. There were only two rooms— the master bedroom which had an en suite bathroom and the guestroom which was only big enough for me and Gabby. Heidi and Daniel would be taking the master bedroom while Charles and Max set up their sleeping area by the living room.
There wasn't any concrete plans for our stay here but I did want to visit Notre Dame. I looked up the other tourist spots we could visit and I made a list which includes Chateau D'lf, Vieille Charité, Parc Borély, and Palais Longchamp.
I don't know if I'll have the time to visit all of them, especially Chateau D'lf since I'll be going there alone. When I told them about the places I researched, they weren't really excited about visiting an old prison but my intention was to see one of the important places in The Count of Monte Cristo. I scheduled that for last so that it wouldn't be difficult for us all to split up.
With the amount of cameras Gabby brought for this trip, she was able to lend me one of her film cameras for my solo expedition to the small island while they visited the beach. I wasn't really up for just lounging around while we're in Marseille, so I promised I'd meet them back at the apartment to get ready for dinner. Besides, there was a big chance that they'd get recognized and I didn't want to see photos of me with Charles online. Gabby said a few have already been leaked which mainly defeats the plan of our agreement to have a quiet breakup.
I took a bunch of pictures during the ferry ride, standing by the deck beside other tourists who wanted to see the old prison. A tour guide was with us to keep us from getting lost and wandering to parts of the prison we weren't supposed to visit. We went through the outdoor area first before moving on to the courtyard which held the well and the rooms of the prisoners. There were a few holding cells left open for the public to walk in and visit and I couldn't help the eerie feeling that crept up my spine when I entered one. Not wanting to spend much time there, I turned around to go back to the group and ended up bumping into someone's chest.
"I'm sorry—" I said, stepping back and looking up. I stopped when I met familiar green eyes that would've been hard to notice because of the navy blue cap over his head. "What are you doing here?" I raised an eyebrow at him, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Going on a tour." Charles replied, following behind me as we caught up with the group.
"Are you following me?" My voice was irritated and I'm sure he noticed it when he glanced at me by his side. If he wanted to come with me, he could've just said so instead of going incognito as if he was my bodyguard.
"I was worried you'd get lost. You're not exactly fluent in French, Nova." He smirked and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him.
"Je suis tenté de t'enfermer dans une de ces cellules de détention et de te laisser pourrir ici." [I'm tempted to lock you inside one of these holding cells and leave you here to rot.] I replied back, watching in satisfaction as Charles' eyes widened in surprise. "I think that was pretty good, hmm?"
I left him behind and moved to the front of the group so that I could hear the tour guide more. Charles followed me but he didn't initiate a conversation, letting me finish the tour in peace as I took pictures and read the few descriptions attached to the walls.
The ferry ride back was quick and I wasn't surprised to see a car waiting for us by the dock. We were due to leave for dinner in twenty minutes and the apartment was about ten minutes away. I hated that I was behind schedule because we couldn't leave the island when a kid wandered around, causing security and his parents to look for him.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Charles said behind me as we walked up the stairs.
I turned around to face him, making him stop on the step below me. "Do you even know what you're apologizing for?"
A look of confusion flashed through his face before he said, "For following you?" I raised an eyebrow at his questioning tone, waiting for him to add more but he didn't.
I huffed and went back to climbing the last flight of stairs, knocking on the door since Max was the only one with the key to the apartment. He was the one who opened the door as well and he did so with a smile on his face, already dressed for dinner.
"How was the visit?" He grinned, glancing back at Charles who was behind me before his smile slipped when I noticed Charles gesture at him.
I glared at Max before hitting him with my bag. "Why didn't you tell me he was coming?"
"Ow, Nads!" He said when I hit him again and I heard footsteps come from the living room. "What did I tell you about the next time you hit me?"
My stare grew darker as I pointed a finger at Max. "Don't you fucking dare."
Of course, he did.
Max carried me over his shoulder before grabbing Charles' arm while I repeatedly slapped him with my bag, not giving a damn if I left bruises on him with how hard I was hitting his back. I tried wrigling out of his hold but there was no use.
"What's going on?" Heidi asked when we passed by them and I caught Gabby's amused look, giving her a glare of my own. Beside them, Daniel was taking a video of the entire thing as he smiled widely.
"I'm putting them in a time out!" Max replied as he made his way to the master bedroom. He let go of Charles' hand and dropped me on the bed before sprinting to the door, closing it behind him.
"Max! Let us out!" I yelled as I banged on it continuously, hearing the faint sound of a lock turning.
"We'll be back in a few hours. If you're hungry, I'm sure Daniel has some snacks in one of his bags."
"MAX VERSTAPPEN, IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT I'M GOING TO SUE YOU FOR KIDNAPPING."
"Sue all you want!" He yelled back before laughing as his voice started to lower, telling me that he was walking away from the door. "My lawyer will get in touch with you!"
I heard the sound of a door closing before silence greeted me from the other side. "Fucking hell." I mumbled to myself, frustratingly running a hand through my hair before turning around. Charles was watching me as he sat down by the side of the bed, back leaning on the headboard and arms crossed over his chest. I didn't tear away my gaze and neither did he as we stood on opposite sides of the room.
I did the math in my head. The restaurant was about ten minutes away and dinner was going to take at least an hour and a half. It could go as long as another extra hour if they choose to get dessert and then drinks after. After that is another ten minute drive home.
That means I'm stuck inside this room with Charles for almost three hours.
That's too long.
I stared at the door for another few seconds as if I was willing for it to open on its own. It was when Charles cleared his throat behind me that I turned around and raised an eyebrow at me. "What?"
"Can you stop staring at the door? They're not coming back for another few hours." He grabbed one of the backpacks on the floor before going through it, pulling out a few bags of chips and a water bottle.
"Why are you so calm about this?"
He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on the bed again, fingers opening a bag while I continued to stand by the door. "Because I'm going to make the most out of having this time with you. We both know you're going to bolt as soon as those doors open."
"Stop." I said, massaging the sides of my head because I could feel a headache coming already. This is what I didn't want. Charles was going to talk about us and talking about it would only bring back memories and feelings that are not reciprocated.
"Why?"
"Because when you say things like that, you're making me think that you love me too." I quietly said and when I didn't get a reply from him, I shook my head in frustration. I sat down by the edge of the bed and laid down, placing an arm over my eyes.
I could feel my heart beating so fast, knowing that he was so near to me. We've shared so many moments in bed together and I never expected we'd be here today, sitting so close to one another with miles of silence and separation between us.
I felt the bed shift before fingers wrapped around my wrist to remove the arm that was placed over my eyes. I looked up to see Charles hovering over me, similar as to how he was that one time in his driver's room. In this moment, I let myself look at him the way I did before, putting down the walls I've built since I left him in Hungary.
I saw the guy who played me his favorite songs the first time he witnessed me have a panic attack. I saw the guy who never expressed pity in his eyes as I shared to him the harsh hand fate has dealt me with, his ankle hooked against mine for support. I saw the guy who understood the pain I felt and embraced with every fiber of his being. All of the feelings I've been keping down swam up to the surface and it was all to much for me.
"Why are you crying, Nova?" He asked softly, the pad of his thumb wiping away the few tears that slid down my cheek.
I sat up as I wiped my eyes, trying to gain a sense of control but all of my efforts disintegrated when I felt Charles move before his placed his legs on either side of me, enclosing my body in his. Absentmindedly, I leaned my back against his chest as his forehead came in contact with the back of my head. "I miss you." I whispered and he lightly nudged my head with his.
"I miss you, too." He finally replied after a few minutes and I felt my chest move down as a deep sigh escaped my lips.
We stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company. I let myself savor it knowing that I would never accept half hearted words that don't commit anything.
I knew my worth and I would never accept anything but that.
I stood up, escaping his embrace, and wiped my face again. "I can't do this anymore." I said, my voice serious and more steady this time.
"Why do you keep pulling away?" He asked, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and frustration.
"Why?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest as I felt the familiar fire spark inside me. "Because there's nothing here, Charles! I can't keep fooling myself that I'm okay with a relationship that's undefined or that I'm okay that the person I love doesn't love me back. You don't know how tiring it is to keep on thinking about the what ifs. It's fucking torture." My shoulders slumped in exhaustion as he watched me ramble on.
Charles stood up and stopped in front of me, hands in his pockets as if he was trying to restrain himself from touching me. "Do you still want this?" Of course, I do. But I know I won't be able to have it. "Nova, do you still want this?" He repeated, taking another step closer. One more and his chest would be touching mine.
"What do you think?" I asked back and his lips formed into a smirk.
"Have I ever struck you as the thankful type?" He asked and his question caught me by surprise because it had no relation at all to our conversation.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do I seem like the person who always says thank you?" He asked again and I hesitantly nodded my head.
"You always thank the team whenever it's race weekend. It's surprising how polite you are to others, but sometimes you don't act like it."
"Only with you." He added to my statement. "I rarely say thank you to you."
"Okay?" I was so confused right now, all of my energy from earlier turning to confusion as I found myself lost with what he was talking about. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Back in Hungary, I said thank you three times. After that, it's been two."
"Why are you keeping track of it? And what's wrong with saying thank you to me?"
Charles shook his head, looking up at the ceiling before turning his eyes back to me. "I've been saying those words because it helps me avoid the true words I want to say to you. I was scared back then— I still am—, but the past few weeks without you felt like hell. You don't know how many times I stopped by your floor before I realized you wouldn't want to see me at all. I ended up doing that for a week before I decided you'd never let me see you unless you wanted me to." I could feel my heart beating so fast against my chest, the sound of it echoing through my ears as I absorbed every word he said. I had an inkling in the back of my mind, but I was too scared to even think of it as a possibility. "Back to my question, do you still want this?"
"Yes." I answered, my voice confident but inside, it felt like my heart was almost about to claw out of my chest.
"Thank you, Nova." He smiled, brushing a few strands of hair away from my face.
"Are you telling me," I began as I scanned his face. His eyes didn't waver when they met mine. "that every time you tell me thank you, you're saying you love me?"
"That's my girl." He grinned and I couldn't help but part my lips in shock. When he made a move to touch me again, I took a step back.
"I need to hear it." I deadpanned and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Explicitly."
Charles closed the remaining distance between us, placing a finger underneath my chin so that my face would be nearer to his. That single touch sent a warmth to course through me and the fire from earlier lit up, running down every inch of my body as if I'd set up fuses in every single space.
"I love you, Nova." He softly said, my breath hitching when he moved his hand down to my neck and then to my collarbone. "I love you when you're strong and weak, happy and sad, and when you're absolutely infuriated at me. I love every single version of you to the point where I'd risk everything just for you. I'm still scared shitless about starting a relationship, but for you, I'd do anything."
*****
Early love confessions (at least for me based on past creations lol)
✧Reese✧