Say It's Me ☾ Charles Leclerc

9 | What I need

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Astrid S - It's Ok If You Forget Me:
'I don't feel sorry for myself, care if your hands touch somebody else. Wouldn't get jealous if you're happy, it's okay if you forget me. I don't feel empty now that you're gone. Does that mean it didn't mean nothing at all? But I'll tell you what the worst is: It's the way it doesn't hurt when I wish it did.'

"Oh, Charles, another thing.. Please don't tell Sophie". Noelle giggled when she saw him hold up his pinky again, knowing that he wouldn't tell his cousin about their newly arranged meet-ups. She waved as she walked down the hill slowly before they hung up and a big smile appeared on Noelle's face when she placed her phone back in the pocket of her joggers before picking up the pace of her run. She loved that he had called to check up on her after it had been a tough few weeks where she wasn't really too sure how to feel about everything. The note Charles had left her the night it all happened was sweet. He told her that she had fallen asleep and that he went home but that he enjoyed their time together, closing off with an 'x' on the paper and she had smiled when she found it on her kitchen counter the next morning.

After he didn't contact her the first few days, Noelle told herself that he probably regretted that it ever happened and she totally understood why. They had been such good friends for years and neither of them ever anticipated it to turn into something more. Also, she hadn't really known what it was that they started. 'Were there feelings involved? Was it just a hook-up?' Noelle knew Charles was busy and she noticed on his Instagram that he had flown to Bahrain for his pre-season testing, explaining the silence between them as he was focussing on much more important things than their night together and she decided to allow him some space before she would talk to him eventually.

Her mind wandered through their conversation when she ran down the hill, enjoying the beautiful night in Monaco under the stars. Her heart had started to beat faster when Charles admitted that there was something that made it impossible for him to stay away from her and Noelle immediately knew she felt the same. It wasn't really butterflies that she had been feeling the past couple of weeks, there was just an undeniable magnetic attraction, something she had tried to talk herself out of, but just couldn't anymore. She figured Charles probably would never see her as 'girlfriend' material, just because she was Sophie's best friend and she didn't want to make him feel guilty or regret their night together at all.

They didn't have to be together like that. She had figured out that there were no actual feelings involved at the moment and Noelle had really enjoyed his company then, seeing as she trusted him completely, something she had struggled with after her ex-boyfriend broke her heart last year. She knew Charles would never do anything to intentionally hurt her and who better to be around than someone she had known almost her entire life? Noelle knew it would be the hardest thing she would ever have to do if they tried to stay away from each other, so she gave in to her feelings when she suggested seeing each other casually. A smile appeared across her face when she thought about his expression after she told him that.

She had almost slapped herself when he didn't answer immediately, afraid she had misread the situation completely, but the look in his eyes gave away everything she needed to know. They wouldn't be able to hang out, just as friends, anymore. His caring and protective side had come back when he made her promise to tell him if she wanted it to stop or when he was treating her unfairly and that was exactly why she trusted him so much in the first place. The only thing Noelle was afraid of, was her own heart. She had promised herself not to fall in love with anyone as quickly anymore, protecting herself from another heartbreak that would set her back in her confidence journey. But this arrangement was dangerous and even though she knew it could end badly, Noelle had never felt this excited about anything in her life.