Red | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 20

There it stood. The old stone farmhouse glowing in the afternoon sun. It had been raining here; the slate roof wet and puddles dotted the ground. The car rolled to a stop and crunched in the gravel.

"Hope you don't have white shoes on," I jumped out of the car. I ran over to the door and found the key hidden under the plant pot.

I turned it in the lock and stepped into the hallway. Charles walked into the house behind me. I looked around at the pictures that lined the wall. Charles walked past me and looked at them.

"Who's this dog?" He pointed at a picture of me sat in a field with a puppy.

"Bambi," I smiled at the old picture. "He was my first pet that my dad let me take care of on my own. He died just before I left."

He smiled and walked through into the kitchen. "So where is your dad?"

"It's 3:30pm, he won't be in for a couple of hours," I looked out of the open door onto the rolling hills.

"Oh right, so we have a whole farmhouse to ourselves?" He smirked.

"Stop it," I couldn't help but grin. "Wanna get the bags and take them upstairs?"

"They're in the hallway," he turned around and picked them up.

"This way," I lead him up the wooden stairs and along the narrow hallway to the end of the landing where my bedroom door was. I stared at it, the only place in the house I felt truly safe. "I have to warn you, my room will be covered in posters of Tom Holland."

"He's an attractive man," he shrugged and I laughed.

I opened the door and looked around the room. I had missed it, even if it had only been a few months. My photos of me and my friends and my sheep lined the walls and bookshelves. I smiled at a picture of young me and Caitlin playing with a chick in the back garden. I walked over to the window and started out onto the fields.

"Wow, when you said covered I didn't think you meant this much," Charles put the bags down and walked over to the walls. "You're obsessed."

"Was obsessed," I corrected him. "I have a new obsession now."

"What are you trying to do to me?" He groaned laying down on the bed.

"Dad's gonna be here any moment," I lay down next to him. "Come on, let's go and get ready."

"He's coming!" I jumped up off the couch and ran over to the back door. "Ready Charles?"

"I think so," his face looked sheepish.

"You're cute when you're nervous," I smiled at him.

"I am not nervous."

My dad walked into the room. I ran up to him and hugged him.

"There's my little girl," he said as he hugged me tightly back.

"I've missed you so much," I smiled up at him, his hat was crooked on his head and his green coat was dotted with mud.

I snapped back into reality and noticed Charles stood behind us.

"Oh right, Dad, this is Charles Leclerc," I smiled at them both as they politely shook each other's hands.

"It's nice to meet you Mr y/l/n," Charles looked nervous as he spoke to my dad.

"Do you love my daughter?" My dad started at him.

"Dad?"

"Erm yes I do," Charles replied.

"You promise to treat her right?" He asked another question.

"Yes I do, I wouldn't let anything happen to her," Charles looked at my dad dead in the eye, I knew he meant it.

"Then welcome to the family!" My dad grinned and brought him in for a hug.