impermissible (Charles Leclerc)

t w e n t y t h r e e

"Oh Toto let them sit down before you start gruelling them." Susie told him as she ushered us towards the two empty chairs, opposite my dad.

Rosas mouth remained wide open as she looked between Charles and I, Benedict was sat sadly looking down at his plate of pastries.

As we sat down silently Jack came running into the room, "Charles!" He shouted as he recognised him from all of the time in the paddock.

Charles smiled at him sweetly as Jack climbed up onto my lap, my dad had put the dots together as to why Jack and Charles already had a relationship "You." My dad stated as he watched Jack and Charles interact.

"Hey Jack, go play with Rosa." Susie told him as he grabbed Rosas hand.

She shook her head immediately "No I want to hear this.. play with Ben." She told him as Jack then ran over to Benedict who didn't even respond to him and stayed where he was.

Susie sighed "Jack come with me... Toto watch it alright, be nice." She warned as he kept his eyes trained on mine, trying to be intimidating as Jack was taken out of the room.

As soon as the door shut my dad was on it "So how long has this been going on?" He pointed between Charles and I.

"We've been friends since the race in Australia um we chatted on the night out." I admitted and that was the honest truth, we spoke for the first time then.

He figured "Since April... this has been happening under my nose since April."

I groaned "Oh my god, I've been friends with Lewis since I was ten and you aren't bothered, the second I have a friend from another team it's a problem."

"We both know this isn't.. a friendship." My dad retorted, Rosa nodded along kind of assuming that we're together.

"How do you know that?" I asked him "I'm friends with loads of male drivers, I chat to them all the time just because I went to lunch with one of them doesn't mean we're together."

Rosa interrupted "When Susie and dad were at all the past couple of grand prixs you've been so suspicious... I kind of assumed you were in a relationship but I didn't know."

My dad pointed "Evelyn, the way you're both sat right now tells me this isn't a friendship."

Charles finally piped up "Actually sir, Evelyn actually rejected me, yeah it was in late May I think it was the 22nd."

My dad rolled his eyes "And you're still here? Tell me are you using my daughter for sex?"

"Dad what the hell?" I groaned shoving my head into my hands, Rosa audibly gagged and Benedict just sat there uncomfortable as always.

I'd had enough pretty quickly "Look dad, we aren't in a relationship but I like Charles, I like him a lot. He's a good person, genuinely one of the best people I've ever met. I confide in him a lot and he always has my back, so no we aren't together but I wish we were. I rejected him in May because I didn't want to hurt you.. I wanted to be with him because I really fucking like him but I stopped myself for you. I told my heart no, and do you know how hard that is because I don't think you do. So whatever you want to say just say it because I'm not changing my mind..."

"Get out." My dad muttered.

I didn't move from my seat and neither did Charles "I don't understand why it's such a problem to be with a driver on another team? You were just fine with the whole rumours around Lewis and I and he's old enough to be my dad."

"It's like you have to turn on Mercedes and defend another team, as my daughter that's an insult." He admitted holding his head in his hands also.

I sighed "Mercedes is always my team, dating a driver from another team wouldn't change that and we aren't even together anyway."