Neighbours, Friends, Lovers

10. Wise Valentine

꧁ Charlotte's Pov ꧂

The night was one of that night that you don't forget pretty easily.
That kind of night that you get home and you ask yourself why you deprive yourself of something like these special moments with your friends, made of music, sketches, laughs, stares, jokes, good foods, warmth, and joy that one thing that was so hard for me to feel in the last weeks.

"So are you going?" Valentine asks with her eyes on the road, her fingers gripped around the steering wheel.
I look at her and by the way she's clenching the jaw I get to know what she's talking about.
Bahrain.
"How you know?" I ask furrowing my forehead.
"He asked the entire group and he said he was going to ask you today, so?" he says impatient to know, while I'm too busy with playing with my bracelets.
"I don't think-" I say and when I'm about to tell her my motivations o see her rolling her eyes.
I shut my mouth.
Anger start to go through my veins at the sight of her little gesture of annoyance.
"Why you're rolling your eyes?" I ask giving her a death stare even if she can't take her eyes away from the street.

She take a deep breathe.
"Because I know what you will say." she says and the annoyed voice tone literally triggers me.
"Then enlighten me." I say giving her back the same attitude.
"You will say that it's not the case and that you have a lot to do when we both know that isn't the truth." she says and she gives me a quick look like she was trying to check on me.
"I'm so sorry for saying this but we both know that when you get back home after your Masterclass you don't have much things to do if not be in your room."  she says letting all out not thinking how it would make me feel.
She's complex right even if the half of the time I'm in my room I'm working on the secret project but she's right.

A terrible silence gets between us.

"I'm sorry Char for being so not delicate but I want to make you understand that you have to live a little and you do not have to miss chances like this to have a little fun just because you're afraid of what people will think of you or things that can happen." she says gesticulating almost like an Italian.
She's right. Completely right.
I furrow my eyebrows when I reflect about her last words.
"What you mean with the last part?" I ask not knowing how to feel about that.
"Oh c'mon." she says and just at these two words my mind reminds me of Charles.
"We both know that you got this distant from the group because you're scared." she says and I try to act like a fool.
"Oh, shut up." I say letting out  a laugh.
"No you shut up. I know that the group didn't noticed but I did since I'm your sister. You are scared of peoples gossips and you're scared of getting too close to him." she says with a firm voice.
"Him who?" I ask already knowing her answer.
"The only guy that always treat you right. Charles." she says and her words hit me heart because it's only the truth. The only guy that really treat me right is Charles.

"He's just a friend." I say making her eye roll again.
"He is but it's also okay if he becomes something more. He's a good guy, you both adore each other and he always been a good friend to you."  My heart stops at the word something more.
I'm not sure if I can picture us two as something more. Surely he will treat me right but I don't know, I've always saw him with Gaia and picture myself with him as something more than friends looks so wrong.
"He is but I can't see him in another way. I'm not his type anyway." I say letting my number one thought out.
He was so lost for Gaia and me and here she two opposite ways. She's the white and I'm the black, she is the moon and I'm the sun.
"Then why you're so scared. Stop pushing your friend but especially stop pushing him away and live in the present what will happen leave it for the future." she says raising her voice letting me know how done is she with me.
"When you became this wise?" I ask to let her cool down a bit.
"While you were too busy with ignoring us all so stop and book your flight for Bahrain." she says trying to hide a smile but then when I hit her arm she let's put a laugh.

[...]

I followed my sister advice.
After I ended my exam I literally run to get my stuff and take a taxi for Nice since Monaco doesn't have an airport.
After 20 minutes of taxi and after doing my checking here I am on a plane directed to Dubai where I have 1 hour and 15 of waiting and take the next flight to Bahrain.
It will take me 8 hours in total to get me there and since it's 4 pm I'll get there for 2 or 3 am.

I take my computer once we're up on the air, I pay for the Wi-Fi and immediately connect to see the qualifying.
I forgot how good Charles looks when he's in his racing suit.
When they do some close up on him or just his eyes framed by his helmet makes me melt in a puddle of goo.

The track looks so magical with a beautiful sunset behind, the lights that turns on right before the cars get to start their engines.

The cameramen does a close up on the Ferrari boys and  by the look in Charles eyes I can tell he's in a full concentration mode.
He slowly gets into the car and waits for the opening of the pit lane.

Once it starts my heart beats so fast and I ask myself the same question that I always ask when I watch him drive: who the hell he manage all this adrenaline and pressure, I'm almost dying over here.
My fingers are crossed placed on my lap while I'm trying to not make any noise and not such a weirdo since I have two people sit right on my left.

At 10 minutes from the end of the Q1 Verstappen the 2021 world champion, gets the 1st place and right after 2 minutes Bottas gets so close to him getting the 2nd spot.
"C'mon." I say under my breathe and knowing that people can't hear since I'm wearing a mask and the plane engine is loud enough.

Charles has two purple sectors and I literally start praying.
When he crosses the finish line the 3rd sector paints of green and his name gets up passing Verstappen's.
"Yes!" I say closing my fingers in a fist.

It's crazy. Ferrari seems in great shape this year but I'll not say more since is just Q1.
Carlos gets the second place making a 1-2 Ferrari.

The Q2 gets me so much adrenaline and it's mind blowing how fast is this year's car.
Charles gets the 2nd time but when Carlos crosses the line he makes him slide to the 3rd place.

"Alright Q3. You can do it Charles." I say like he can really hear me.

I watch him talking to Mattia that he literally adores. Sometimes I think they have a really special bond and that he sees Mattia as a father figure.

I watch him lower himself slowly into the car and then after his mechanics gives him the okay he drives his Ferrari out of the box.

My heart start to beat so fast that it almost hurts.
At the first time of the Q3 Charles immediately vote the first time and I start to feel my heart beat almost in every corner of my body.
Carlos crosses the finish line right after him and gets the pole but there still time, 7 minutes precisely and he can do it.
Ferrari seems to have worked their ass off during the winter break and damn it's a hell of a car.
It seems like Carlos and Charles are literally flying.

I'm sure with a little touch of his magic he can get to start from the first place in the grid tomorrow.
I really hope he will get the pole so when I see him I can see his pretty smile on his face.

🫧

A/N: hello my people!
Sorry for making y'all wait!
Hope you're liking the story!
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Love y'all,
-V