Apex | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 76

It's my birthday today! And I just realized that we're fourteen days away from this book's one-year anniversary. I'm posting this early for today's update because I wouldn't have time to do so later.

Also, we hit 700k a few days ago!! WOOOOOOO thank you so much for all the love you have given to this story. This is probably one of the most difficult plots I've ever thought of because of the heaviness that the characters carry. There were days when I had to take a break from writing it.

We've only got three more chapters before the epilogues 😉

Enjoy!

*****

July 26, 2028 - Monaco

Trying to calm down Charles felt like trying to persuade a jury that someone who committed a crime is innocent.

It's far from easy.

It didn't help either that when we got home, we found Gabby, Max, and Mick inside our apartment, most likely having used the spare key we gave to them.

We were all in the living room and the boys kept talking about what we can do, having been more experienced than Gabby and I when it comes to tackling a media disaster. My best friend was sitting beside Max, listening to the conversation, although her eyes were trained on me.

I never told her.

With the thoughts swirling in my head and the plans I was making for the next week, I knew I had to because she can't hear it alongside everyone else. It's possible that she'll get mad at me for waiting almost three years to tell her, but I can take that.

Gabby is my second sister. No matter how long we've known each other or the amount we spent together doing foolish things that she always manages to think of, she is one of the few people I trust the most, and her opinion is one that I want to hear.

The guys were too busy to notice as I gestured my head towards the kitchen and Gabby nodded, the two of us standing and leaving the other three in the living room. I opened one of the cupboards and took out two shot glasses before grabbing the opened tequila bottle from the alcohol Charles and I kept here in the apartment.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Gabby asked, her voice low, as I poured us both shots.

"Not one bit." I gave her a sad smile, and she kissed my cheek before picking up her own glass.

The tequila burned my throat, but it didn't help one bit to give me the liquid courage to tell Gabby everything. This was the fifth time I was going to tell someone about what happened in Monza and I don't even know if I'll have the energy to tell Max and Mick. A part of me wishes that after this, Gabby would know that I don't have enough strength within me to do it.

She didn't utter a word the entire time and I couldn't look her in the eye as I began speaking. The two of us just stayed there, standing side by side in front of the kitchen counter. If I was going to finish this story, I have to act like that's what it was– just a story. I've recognized it as my reality more times than I can count and repeating it over and over again just allows it to keep digging a permanent grave in the back of my mind.

When I finally finished, silence wrapped around us. I began counting in my head to keep myself from turning around and facing Gabby, not knowing what reaction I'll get.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.