Intertwined | Charles Leclerc

CHAPTER 9

This last week has been a whirlwind, I came out to Monaco so unaware as to how unhappy I was and now I'm leaving the happiest I've ever been. I envisioned myself on my own with my friends around me but happy, when in reality I just couldn't bring myself to trust in anyone other than my closest friends. I was stuck with the idea that all men would be like my past experience and I wouldn't put myself through that again and if it meant me being single forever, so be it. But I've met Charles and he's changed my whole outlook on my future.

We spent our last days in Monaco together. We drove around and Charles showed me where he grew up and went to school, I cooked for him at his place, we had a leaving party on his yacht with all our friends which made the early morning wake up for our flight nearly impossible. Aspen decided to stay an extra few days with Pierre, they seemed to be smitten with each other and wanted those few days alone together. She had no jobs lined up and said it would be perfect for her to get some content to boost her reach as well as get to know Pierre more. Elle, Ruby and Grace all flew back with me, Ruby, Elle and Grace all headed back to London as Ruby had to get back to work, being a junior lawyer meant she sometimes struggled to take a break and Elle had some events she had to attend, some invitational and some working as the photographer. Grace had some editing she had to do being an author for a news outlet, she had a lot to catch up on. I ended up driving back alone to my parents to collect Echo before heading to my northern home. I couldn't face driving back to mine and Elle's apartment in London just yet, I had no reason to be there while I wasn't working so the countryside it was.

I'm sitting on my sofa, the evening summer light fading as the orange hue of the streetlight illuminates my drawn curtains. Echo is curled up next to me on the sofa, her legs wiggling as she dreams. For so long I've been content with this quiet, this loneliness but now it feels so wrong. In the 4 days I've been back I've missed the presence of Charles, the comfort of waking up beside him, his smile, those eyes and our conversations. I really think I've fallen hard for him, I never felt like this with Bradley even in the early days.

Most nights since I got back Charles and I have called or video called each other, I gave him a video tour of my house, which in comparison to his in Monaco is tiny but this little cottage is the first thing I could call my own. He sent me a playlist with some of his compositions that I've been listening to whilst I've been working out in the gym. They are soothing and they've really helped me push myself. Classical has never been a genre I've listened to, but every time I've just imagined that night where Charles was sitting at his piano in the middle of the night playing and I sat and listened and it brings me a sense of calmness.

Right on queue my phone calls as I've just hopped into bed, I look at my screen 10.45pm Incoming Video Call - Charles. Like an excited kid at Christmas I swipe to answer and I'm met with his face smiling at me, his head already squished into the pillow and the sheets pulled up to his chin. I smile back, "Mon amour, so good to see you." He says as I lay down in the bed and twisting onto my side to mirror him. It almost feels like we're back in bed together, almost. "Hey you, how are you?" "Better for seeing your face, and you?" "I'm good, I'm missing you. It's too quiet." I sigh. "I miss you too, more than you know. But only 3 days left." He's right, I only have to go 3 more days without him before I fly out to Italy and I can finally be back in his arms. "I know I can't wait." I say excitedly. "I'd like you to bring that red dress with you, I'm dying to see you in it again." he winks. The red dress I wore on our night out, thankfully Aspen stayed true to her word and let me keep it. "I will, that reminds me, you haven't sent me my plane ticket yet, you said you'd organised it?" "I have, it will be at the airport for you, just go to the customer service desk and they'll give you everything you need." We laid and spoke to each other for about another hour before we decided it was time for bed. I had a call with my agent in the morning about my upcoming press, Charles had a morning workout planned from his trainer so neither of us wanted to be exhausted.