The Guy Down the Hall- F1

i'm sorry, what?

I didn't know charles has a girlfriend and only found out today so ill change her for this story. Her name won't be the same as well.

"A guy was stalking me the other day" Ilaria suddenly comments after a long pause of silence of just listening to the waves crash against the boat. "His name is Lando"

Charles instantly laughed, his mind going to the bubbly guy he loves to spend time with. "You know Lando?"

"You know him as well?" She leans on her elbows so she could look at Charles laying on the other side of the boat.

"Yes" he turns to her matching her same confused expression."But I thought you weren't into Formula 1"

"I'm not" she shakes her head, she could care less about the sport and so far she's made it clear to Charles. "What? Why are you asking me this"

"Because I-Wait, which Lando are you talking about"

"I don't know. Slightly tall, nerdy, sweet smile, green eyes- I don't know"

The description fits perfectly for the Lando he knows, causing Charles to start laughing at Lando stalking Ilaria. He may be awkward and shy but he definitely is not a weirdo who follows girls around so maybe it must be someone else."What did he want though? Did he ask for your number"

Ilaria goes back down staring up at the bright sky. She couldn't be more glad than her friendship with Charles returning back to normal, maybe sometimes it does get awkward because they dated but more than anything she appreciates to finally have her friend back after years. "No, not that I gave him a chance. I've seen him a few times already but he's nice, nothing to worry about"

Charles nods humming to himself eyes dropping shut hearing the waves hitting the boat until he remembered he promised some of his friends to hang out with them today. Lately he's been spending all his free time with Ilaria, even forgetting about his own girlfriend that by now was starting to suspect he is cheating. "What are you doing today?"

"I don't know. I have this week free of work" she replies slowly, the warmth of the sun pulling her to a sleep but she kept on fighting. "I don't know how to spend my days without my grandma or her friends"

"Come with me and some of my friends" Charles suggests. Knowing Ilaria she probably was going to say no, the antisocial she is, but her answer surprises him more than anything.

"Sure. Is your girlfriend going? I would love to meet her"

"She is... but she thinks I'm cheating on her"

Ilaria wanted so bad to say once a cheater always a cheater. Knowing Charles history of dating, Ilaria is on his girlfriend's side of this. He's been practically by her side all this week, and he barely even touches his phone so no wonder his girlfriend is worried. "Should she be worried?"

The question ran deep within his mind, should she? Ilaria is amazing, and probably his feelings for her could grow once again since they never got the closure they needed in their relationship, but leaving his girlfriend for his childhood best friend at the moment seems impossible. "No... I love her very much"

At the gloomy tone of voice Charles said this Ilaria couldn't help but laugh at him. "You sound so sad Charles, are you alright?"

The last time someone asked him the question with such sincerity was his mom, but for a reason he couldn't confess to her how incredibly sad he's been feeling lately.

"I feel like- I feel like I'm empty" he sits up, and when she notices how serious Charles turned Ilaria sat up as well going to his side of the boat. "Nothing I like doing has brought me happiness... but then you came. You came and it's like I'm ten once again. I haven't been able to leave your side because the moment I do so I go back to feeling, to feeling this horrible things"