Y/n watched the scene in silence, a little uneasy and confused. However, Carlos' words still buzzed in her head. He still remembered her body, he had not forgotten about it. Nor had she forgotten how perfect Carlos's body was, how much she liked touching it, scratching it, feeling it on her, inside her. The memories rained down on her but were interrupted by a group of hotel guests entering to train.
"Someone forgot a phone and a water bottle here" said a boy pointing to Carlos's belongings.
"Oh, thanks, I got it!" said Y/n taking those two items and walking out of the gym.
Y/n hurried her pace to Carlos' room. She couldn't explain why, yet going back to Carlos, seeing him again with this trivial excuse, made her happy. She arrived in front of the door to Carlos's room, still sweating, but in front of the lift mirror she had fixed her tail, she felt quite pretty. She knocked.
"Who is it?" answered Carlos from inside the room.
"It's Y/n, I have..." she didn't finish the sentence because Carlos immediately went to open the door for her. "...brought your mobile phone and your water bottle" she said handing him the two items.
"Thank you very much! I was about to call reception, I couldn't remember where I left them."
"No problem..."
The two looked into each other's eyes for a long time, too long, in silence. Both of their hearts were beating wildly, they were alone in a hotel room. No one would have seen anything, no one would have suspected.
Carlos could have taken her in his arms in an instant, closed the door behind him, his hands would have encircled her body, he could have thrown her into bed, taken off those leggings that made her bottom look beautiful, he could have possessed her there, in his room, for hours, as he did until recently. He could have had her in his hands, seen her naked, heard her scream his name, for hours. He wanted her, she wanted him.
Just for once, just for the last time.
Their looks spoke for them, spoke loudly.
"So, I'm going to take a shower," said Y/n.
Carlos held the door handle with one hand, his mobile phone and water bottle with the other. Those words brought him back to reality.
"Yeah..."
"See you at dinner?"
"I'll try to be there"
The last thing he wanted to do was go to dinner with Y/n and Charles, especially after the talk he had with Charles.
Y/n returned to the room quickly, and yes, she too had been thinking about the same things Carlos had been thinking about when they were looking at each other. It was no longer possible, it would no longer be possible.
She opened the door to her room and found Charles shirtless, wearing a Ferrari shirt. The room was flooded with his perfume. Charles turned to her and smiled sweetly.
"How was your workout? Did you survive Carlos?"
"I thought worse, I'm going to take a shower and then we'll have dinner at that place you were telling me about?"
Y/n totally deflected the topic, Charles didn't notice.
"Sure, I'll wait for you in the lobby, is Carlos coming too?"
"I don't think so"
Charles went away, leaving Y/n alone in the room. She took a long shower, then dried her hair, dressed and put on her make-up. Then she went down to the lobby where Charles was waiting for her. As soon as he saw her he got up from his seat and smiled at her.
"How beautiful you are."
Y/n turned all red, suddenly feeling hot.
"You don't believe it either"
"I'm serious" he said looking into her eyes. She melted looking at his green eyes and dimples. "Shall we go?"
Charles and Y/n walked towards the restaurant and for the first time they felt like they were on a sort of "date-not-date".
Charles was kind and charming and the evening passed easily. When Y/n was with Charles the world seemed nicer, simpler to her. Charles had this ability to make her feel protected, safe and Y/n loved this feeling.
After about three hours, the two returned to the hotel. They had never stopped laughing and joking, those three hours had flown by and they only had to return to the hotel because the pub they had gone to after the restaurant was about to close. Y/n lost herself in his stories, she enjoyed the sound of his voice, his gestures, the gentleness with which he moved, his small talks, his charm. Somehow she was attracted to this.
They returned to the hotel and continued talking until they got to bed. The pillow barrier no longer existed and the two could look each other in the eyes. The light from the lamp illuminated Charles' eyes and created shadows on his dimples.
"I was thinking that we didn't ask for another room anymore. At least one must have been vacant since we arrived, right?" asked y/n voicing her thoughts
"You want to ask for another room?"
"I don't know..." y/n didn't really know. She liked being with Charles but maybe it was not so normal for two best friends to be together like this.
They fell asleep.
*Y/N POV*
In the morning y/n woke up quietly, there were no activities scheduled so she stayed in bed as long as she could. Charles was definitely already at the gym but y/n had decided that she would not work out that day.
She calmly got up, took her time to wash and dress and go downstairs for breakfast.
She entered the hall where she saw Carlos sitting, intent on devouring dozens of sweet and savory things on his table. Carlos's breakfast is a canonical and sacred moment, y/n knew this well so she walked past him thinking only to greet him, but Carlos addressed her.
"I'm leaving today."
"Already? Weren't we supposed to leave together?" Y/n did not know whether to be extremely happy or extremely sad about it. Either way, she could not explain this sudden change of plans.
"They called me from Maranello so I have to go back to work earlier than planned" he lied.
"Can they do that?"
"Apparently so" Carlos was annoyed, not looking her in the eyes, rather rolling them and grimacing. Y/n was not understanding much.
"So, we'll see each other from time to time in the paddock."
"Probably..."
The air at that moment was completely different from the one on Carlos's doorstep the day before.
Y/n was quite tired of Carlos's mood swings that had led them to break up, so she decided not to pursue the matter any further. The day before he had made her believe who knows what, the next day he decided to leave earlier than planned. Fuck off, Carlos.
*EARLIER THAT MORNING - CARLOS POV*
"Good morning mate" Charles came up behind him while Carlos was working out that morning.
"Morning" Carlos had been training for a while so he was more tired than Charles, and a bit out of breath.
The two continued to train alone, both were very focused and did not talk to each other very much. Then suddenly a member of the hotel staff walked in.
"Mr. Leclerc we wanted to inform you that a room has just opened up. If you want, we can transfer either you or Ms. Horner to the empty room, so you won't have to share it anymore."
Carlos had heard everything and could not believe his ears. They had been sleeping in the same room all this time, in the same bed. Blood rose to his eyes; he was so angry he would have punched the wall to destroy it. He didn't. He remained silent, watching the scene of Charles talking to the other boy.
All he had in his mind were vomitous images of the two of them together, he thought that he was about to fuck yet again with y/n. Good thing he had restrained himself. Fuck off y/n.
When Charles finished talking to the boy, he approached Carlos, who had been staring at him for a while already.
"I was going to tell you as soon as you got here."
"And why would that be? It's none of my business."
"I know but..."
"But...? Is there anything else you wanted to tell me since I arrived?"
The two looked at each other fixedly. The time had come for Charles to throw out everything he had accumulated.
"Actually, there is something I need to tell you."
"Shoot."
"Well...y/n and I kissed."
Those words fell like lightning on Carlos. He knew it, had suspected it from the first second he arrived at the hotel.
"Good for you."
"Don't say that, Carlos. I feel like shit about this."
"Why? She is not my property. If that's what you wanted, I'm happy for you two."
"I don't know if it actually is what we want."
"Find it out then."
"What do you mean?"
"Ask her out, figure out what you want"
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"Absolutely."
Charles looked at Carlos, he wanted to apologize but didn't, he didn't have the courage.
He went back to his station and resumed training. Carlos followed him with his gaze. He took off his hat, wore his hair back, then put his hat back on. He looked down, fixed, he was angry, disappointed, but he couldn't help it, he had caused all this.
Carlos decided that he would return to Maranello earlier than planned, he did not intend to spend one more day together with the two of them. Advising Charles to ask y/n out was the most masochistic thing he could do, yet it was the only thing he could think of.
*DURING BREAKFAST*
Y/n finished her breakfast and then she wanted to go outside to admire the snowy landscape when she heard Carlos' voice behind her.
"Can I just tell you one thing?" Carlos had followed y/n out of the hotel's large terrace.
"Tell me" the two were close.
"He's not the right one for you, and you know it too," he said in her ear.
"And since when have you known what I think?" Y/n turned toward him and pulled away from Carlos even though she had chills all over her body.
"Because I know you well, I know what you like and I know he can never give it to you" he spoke softly.
Even though there was no one around, both of them were talking in low voices, as if even the mountains should not hear them.
"Are you referring to yourself, Carlos?"
"I'm referring to what you like" the last words were practically whispered by Carlos. She got goosebumps even on her brain.
"Leave me alone, it's none of your business anymore."
"You're right, but in the end, I'll be right" Carlos stepped back, with a swagger, as if he knew exactly what was going to happen.