C. Leclerc
I've been tossing and turning in my bed since Artemis kissed me on the cheek. Not because she finally kissed me in some way but because of what she said.
"You have a special heart Leclerc. Don't ever waste it on me."
Why would she say that? Is she trying to mess with me? The day was already turning into night and I still can't get what she said out of my mind.
I quickly got myself dressed and head down to the bar. I'm going to need a massive debrief if I want to survive the next Grand Prix in Australia.
______
C. Sainz Jr.
I was glad to see Artemis in my room, in my presence but something was off. She hasn't kissed me, she hasn't touched me. She just stood a distance from me.
"What's wrong?," I asked, "Usually, when you come over, we're already doing something in my bed."
"I came to talk," she said sitting next to me on the bed and taking my hand in hers. My heart began to slowly drop. I didn't like how she looked at me right now. There was no lust or passion, just sadness.
"If what you're going to say is what I think you are going to, please don't Artemis, you know it's a mistake," I begged, my own heart defeating me as I watched her look away. She couldn't even look me in the eyes. She was just holding my hand and soothing it with her thumb.
"I have to Carlos, I'm sorry," she said. Why was she apologising?
I slipped my hand out of hers and pulled her into a hug, "Artemis, please, you have to understand. I can give you anything you want. Just give me time. Stay with me please."
She gently pushed me away and held my hands again. "Carlos, I can't string you along all the time. Don't you get it? I come here to you for sex and just sex!"
"And I'm okay with that, please Artemis just don't-"
"I can't keep doing this Carlos, I can't keep denying how I feel about-," she argued and my heart completely dropped at this moment. I can't believe it. She's choosing him over me.
"You're choosing Charles over me," I said plainly. Artemis shook her head, "No, I'm choosing to let go of you so that you stop plaguing yourself of me. You nearly killed me and Charles on the track. Just focus on racing Carlos."
"All of this, for him?!," I said, shoving her away from me. She winced in pain as her back hit the hotel room door.
"Carlos please-," she begged but I walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You think it's always going to work out like you want, huh?," I yelled, I couldn't hold in my pain and frustration with her anymore, "Mi Hermosa, you are so beautiful but so dense."
"Don't call me dense!," she yelled back, trying to shove me off but I held on, digging her further into the door. I dug my fingers into her shoulders and shoved her harder into the door.
"Carlos, stop-," she begged but I couldn't stop. She had to know how much of a manipulative asshole she's being. "You screwed up my life with your bullshit! Now wanting me to forget whatever happened between us as if you didn't know what would happen to me with how you were treating me?"
"You think I wouldn't catch feelings after you stayed over those many nights?," I pressed further but she wouldn't look at me, "LOOK AT ME!"
She looked at me, tears forming in her eyes but I didn't care. She hurt me. She hurts everybody.
"All you do is hurt people. Just because you're broken doesn't mean you get to break other people too," I said, fresh tears leaving my eyes.
"Did you hear what I said?!"
"Yes, I did-"
"Then you better remember it, Artemis, you hurt people. You deserved being called a nightmare because all you do is wreak havoc in people's lives," I said with the only strength I had left to oppose her, "Ever since you entered my life, you brought me misfortune after misfortune because you were never clear about how you felt. But now I know you for who you truly are."
"A heartless bitch who doesn't know how to feel," I said, finally letting her go, "Just leave and go see your perfect teammate. Watch him break your heart like he has with all his other girlfriends."
"Carlos please."
"No, you are nothing to me. Just go please, I'll rest easy knowing that I finally stood up for myself from you," I said, as she finally left my room, my heart heavy as I closed the door on her.
I sunk into my bed. Tears leaving my eyes. I keep on making mistakes. I should've never broken up with Isa and we probably would've been married by now and I wouldn't end up with this mess. But I already lost her. I lost her a long time ago before we even broke up, all for this pursuit of the championship.
_____
C. Leclerc
"I'm glad you guys made it, Pierre, keep your sassy remarks to yourself," I warned and Pierre just gave me a stupid smile and said, "That's like telling me to shut up for the rest of the night."
"That would actually be preferred," I teased but really, I meant it. Pierre can be funny but his funny is truthful so it hurts. As soon as Lando, Max, and Pierre got comfy in their seats, the waiter came with a round of drinks for us.
"Whiskey on the rocks?," Lando said before he took a sip. He visibly winced after taking a sip, "How old is this whiskey? Because it feels like it's going to knock me out. Might as well give me absinthe at this point."
"Seems to be a serious talk then if we skip the weak alcoholic spirits," Max commented, taking sips of the whiskey as if it wasn't too bitter. Even I had to admit it was strong but I was too sad and bothered to taste it today.
Pierre on the other hand just pushed it aside and said, "I'd like to say sober so I can hear all the details of Charles bitching about his yet another failed relationship!"
"Pierre! Nothing has failed, she's just hard to reach! That's all!," I said, downing my whiskey. I didn't care how much it burned my throat because I was starting to doubt myself.
"Jesus Charles, please, don't do that man, not when I have a guest arriving for you to get knocked into your senses," Max warned, "I need you to be sober for this."
A guest for me? I didn't like the sound of it. Immediately I grabbed Pierre's drink, wincing at how terrible it was for my throat. Fuck, it really burned.
"The guest isn't here anytime soon so how about you debrief us on what's going on?," Max suggested and I nodded and took Lando's drink and downed it just like Pierre's and my one before.
Max sighed and scolded, "When I said debrief, I didn't mean consume all the alcohol on the table. Spit it out Charles."
"Fine, Artemis and I went on a date and it went really well," I explained, "She was barely being mean and then suddenly, when we got back, she says that I should stop wasting my special heart on her. She even gave me a kiss on a cheek."
"You are so dense Charles," Pierre commented, "She's literally telling you to stop wasting your time on her. The sign is so big Charles, why can't you still understand?"
"I know Artemis and I know she doesn't mean what she says," I tried to defend her but even Lando was starting to doubt what I was saying with the disappointed look on his face.
"Guys please."
"Stop defending her Charles, when she makes no effort to prove to us that she's good for you, don't you see? She has no friends and she makes no effort to have some. Clearly she doesn't want any stable relationships in her life," Pierre commented again, and I wanted to punch him for how he talked about her but again, he wasn't saying just anything. It's the parts of her that he saw.
"Well now, I'm starting to not regret who I invited to talk with you," Max said, and as if on cue. That very guest came in.
I would recognise that guest anywhere. Long, straight, brown hair and brown doe eyes. That distinct mole on her nose. She walked, her eyes never leaving mine.
"Hi Charles, it's been a while."
"Alexandra..."
____
A. Devereaux
Rushing into my hotel room, I needed to see Charles. After that encounter with Carlos, I had a realisation. I needed to start being truthful about how I really feel.
I needed to stop pushing away. Growing up, it was just me and my grandfather against the world. I thought that my circle never needed to grow. When I lost him, I thought I had to navigate this world alone. But maybe that wasn't so true anymore. I needed to open up, and I needed to be vulnerable to be understood and Charles had been patient with me.
No matter the push or pull, Charles remained strong with all the nasty shit I've said to him. It was my turn to do something. It was my turn to lower my walls and walk to him with no weapons and artillery.
I quickly wiped away the tears on my face and fixed my makeup. I still had the outfit I had on when we went to the aquarium, so I quickly changed into one of my nicer dresses. It was a dress similar to what I had worn to the after party at Bahrain.
Quickly, I put on shoes and grabbed my phone then rushed out of my room. It was already nighttime and I couldn't wait to tell him how I felt. I'm not going to sleep on it, I needed to tell him now.
I erratically knocked on his door to no avail.
A few more knocks and I waited. There was still no answer.
I have to check the bar downstairs, he might be there.
_____
C. Leclerc
"Alexandra, we have nothing to talk about, you broke up with me," I pointed out and she just held my hand and said, "Please, not here, let's talk on the veranda."
I looked to my friends and they gave me the go signal. I nodded and let her take my hand. I still respected her as a person but I didn't feel for her that way anymore.
Still, I let her hold my hand, as a way to apologise for the tumultuous last days of our past relationship. I still remember how broken it had made her so I was surprised she was here today.
When the cool night air hit us on the veranda. She finally spoke. "Charles, I should have given up on you, I should've stayed," she tried to say but I let go of her hand abruptly hand and said, "Alexandra, we are not doing this again. It was too much already okay, I think it was a good lesson for both of us."
"Charles, it was good though wasn't it?"
"Why are you here Alexandra?"
"To see if there's a spark, I wanted to see if we can revisit it again. It was so good when it was the good parts of our relationship and maybe we can extend that and make more good memories than bad," she said to me, inching closer but I shook my head.
"You didn't stay. I know I was in a bad place and I was pushing you away but you didn't fight for me," I said, and she looked hurt, "But you didn't want me there-."
"You left me at my lowest, I just needed your company. You didn't need to hug me or reassure me but you still left," I said, tears pricking my eyes. She gently touched my cheek with her hand, guiding me to face her.
I was about to walk away but Alexandra had other plans. She grabbed my face with her hands and suddenly kissed me.
____
A. Devereaux
I immediately rushed down to the bar and saw some familiar faces. Lando, Max, and Pierre were enjoying drinks together in their own booth and I immediately ran to them.
They all looked surprised when they saw me. Pierre nearly spat out his drink and Lando nearly choked on his. "Guys, I know I have to apologise to all of you for how I acted at the after party in Bahrain but I need to speak with Charles first, I need to apologise to him first, and tell him how I feel. Where is he?," I asked and Lando quickly said, "He's at the veranda, here I'll bring him to you."
Max and Pierre were too shocked to say anything and I was a bit confused myself. Lando walked ahead of me but he stopped dead in his tracks. He quickly looked back at me and said, "Maybe another time, he seems occupied-."
Driven by emotion, I pushed past Lando only to have wished I hadn't. I saw Charles, handsome in the moonlight, kissing another girl. Not just any other girl, I recognised her from the tabloids. That was his ex, Alexandra.
I spoke before I could think, "Charles, I...."
Charles seemed to have heard me and immediately pushed her away. He looked at me in bewilderment and said, "Artemis, it's not what it looks like-."
"Carlos was right about you. I should've never chosen you," I softly said, wiping away my tears. I ran before I could say anything. I ran out of the hotel without thinking of where I would go. I could hear voices calling for my name but I blocked them out.
I needed to be anywhere else but here right now.