this is me trying || charles leclerc

All The Things She Said

Charles' apartment was so big that it made mine feel like a closet. It had high ceilings, white walls and big windows, making it even bigger. It felt like no one really lived there.

That morning I woke up to Charles working out. I could hear him running on a treadmill. Where did he find the energy to run at 6 a.m.?

I got up and checked on Chiara. Even though we moved she was still sleeping through the night, which was great. I made myself breakfast and ate it on the balcony.
After a while, I heard Charles' voice.
«You're up early» he said.
«You woke me up»
He came over to the table and stole a few blueberries from my plate.
«Those were mine» I said.
«I bought them»

It had only been a few days but living with him was unbearable. We spent limited time together but when we were in the same room, all we did was bickering.

After breakfast, I took a shower and got ready for the day. In the meantime, Chiara woke up. She was crying and when I heard her I ran to her room to find Charles awkwardly holding her.
He was keeping her as far away from him as he could.

«I don't know what's going on. I came to check on her and she started to cry. I took her but I don't know what to do»
I laughed for a moment. It was a funny sight.
«You need to change her diaper»
He turned pale and I laughed even more.
«I don't know how to change her diaper»
«Well there is a first time for everything»

I led him to the changing table and put everything he needed in front of him. Then I guided him throughout the whole process.
«Congratulations, you changed your first diaper»
«It was disgusting» he said with disgust.
«You'll get used to it»

To my surprise, he asked me out to lunch. The three of us together. I wasn't going to start a fight so I accepted, with a smile on my face.

We went to a nice bistrot near the Prince's palace. We decided to walk there since Chiara's stroller did not fit in his Ferrari. We stayed silent most of the time. We didn't really know what to talk about.

«Did you have fun in Sochi?» he asked while we were walking.
«Oh yeah. Carlos is really fun, I had a great time with him and Isa»
He stared at the pavement. I know he was replaying the weekend in his head.
«I'm sorry about her. I explained our situation a million times but she doesn't want to understand»

It was nice to hear an apology but I wanted to listen to it from her, not him. Charlotte had been awful since I set foot in Russia. She was jealous and controlling. I couldn't even talk to Charles after the race because she wanted some "alone time" with him.
Even the team was mad at her.

The lunch went smoothly. We mainly talked about the last race and his future engagements. It was surprisingly pleasant. As we were walking home we bumped into Hugo. They were both weird, almost irritated by one another. They exchanged a few words while I didn't want to let Hugo go.
Unfortunately, he had to leave us as he was heading to practice and was already late.

Once we got home Charles tried to talk to me.
«I hope everything's okay between you and Charlotte. It would mean a lot to me if the two of you got along»
«Well, we don't Charles - I answered - She is impossible. Since you got together she has been threatening me. I don't even know why. We are not close friends, we barely talked to each other before»

«She threatened you?» He was surprised. When she is with him she is always loving and caring.
«She thinks I'm a menace to her and your relationship»
He was uncomfortable. He told me that he would talk to her again.

In the afternoon he left with Andrea, his athletic trainer, to go to the gym.
Pascale came to visit. She wanted to spend some time with me and the baby.
We have been talking a lot. She has been a great confidant: she always knows what to say so I decided to tell her about Charlotte.

«I never liked that girl. And I don't think that Charles is in love with her. Every time they are together it seems staged. Something is not right about them»
She went on to say that she doubted Charlotte since they met.

«She is awful to me. And to Chiara as well. Once I overheard her talking with her friends: she said that Chiara is the ugliest baby she had ever seen in her life, that I'm going to ruin her, that I could never raise her right...she was one of Marta's closest friends. Was she faking the entire time?»

Pascale took my hand. «And you listen to her? You know those are all lies»
«I know. Even if I don't care about her, all the things she says get to me and play tricks with my head»
«That is simply nonsense. If she ever dares to say something about you, she will have to deal with me»

I hugged her tight. What would I do without her?

From Hugo:
We need to talk. When can we meet?