Call you mine - Charles Leclerc

Chapter 33

6th of July

As Ellie was walking towards her London apartment, that she had moved into only weeks before, she saw a familiar man with brown hair and a silent confidence about him. As her gaze met his she felt ill. Here was her past coming back to haunt her, the last one she anticipated to encounter, outside her home no less.

"What in the world are you doing outside my apartment building?" She asked, not able to hide her shock, or irritation.

"What, I can't stop by to visit my friends new place?" He asked taking his sunglasses off, giving her a smirk, a smirk she once found charming, now grating her nerves as no other.

"How do you know where I live? No, let me rephrase that, how do you know I moved here?" She asked dumbfounded, as she fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Lando let it slip to Carlos while we were playing paddle last week" he gave her a arrogant smirk. How on earth Lando let it slip is beyond her, and she couldn't comprehend why he was here. Why that would lead him to show up.

Ellie cant shake the dumbfounded look on her face, still no closer to understanding why he's here. "Ehh, okey, why on earth would that make you track down my address and show up here ahead of a race weekend?"

"He's a mess since we last saw you, and your not exactly open to talking to any of us. And even though he denies trying to contact you, i know him better than that. Just like i know your ignoring him like you are everyone else"

"It's not like we were best friends to being with Pierre." She looks at him with a tried look. They may not have been close, but there was a shared history between them, one that couldn't be ignored.

"We got off on the wrong foot, i agree. But you need someone to talk some sense into you, and it seems everyone else is too afraid of upsetting the cancer patient, which i know you dont want"

Ellie's heart raced as she stared at Pierre, a mix of shock and anger coursing through her veins. "How dare you presume to know what I need?" she snapped, stepping away from her, towards the entrance of the building. "You think you can just waltz in here and play the righteous hero standing up for your best friend, but you have no idea what I'm going through. You have no idea what i feel. Your best friend moved on 3 weeks after we broke up, after making me believe i was crazy for thinking there could ever be something between them"

Pierre's expression faltered, hurt flashing in his eyes before being replaced by determination. "I may not know the details, Ellie, but I know you're hurting. And pushing everyone away won't make it any easier."

"Well, what do you expect me to do, Pierre?" Ellie's voice cracked with emotion. "You want me to go running to my ex who didnt even give me a second thought after I left? I am trying to live my life. It's not as black and white as your making it out to be"

Pierre took a step closer, his voice low but resolute. "No, it's not simple. But shutting out the people who care about you won't solve anything either. You're not alone in this, Ellie. What about Lando? Alex? They care so much, but since everything happened your like a ghost to them, only talking when needed. And Charles may have a new girlfriend, but that does not mean he cares any less about you. And after everything, i think you owe him at least a conversation"

Ellie felt a surge of frustration bubbling up inside her as Pierre spoke, his words hitting too close to home. "You don't understand, Pierre," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Dont you dare try to make it seem like either of you understand what i have been going through. You don't know what it's like to be facing your own mortality, to have your whole world turned upside down. And you certainly don't know what it's like to watch the person you love move on with someone else while you're left here trying to pick up the pieces. And then when your finally starting to create a new life for yourself for it all to come crashing down on you."

Pierre's expression softened, his gaze filled with empathy. "You're right, Ellie. Not me, and not Charles can pretend to know exactly what you're going through. But I do know that shutting people out won't make the pain go away. You have friends who care about you, who want to be there for you through this."

Ellie shook her head, her resolve wavering. "Your trying to make it seem like I am pushing everyone away, like i am alienating myself from everyone in my life. It comical when you didnt even know who i was a couple of years ago, none of you did. So you dont know what support i have or who i am pushing away. If i remove myself from an environment because i cant be bothered seeing my ex, with the girl he told me not to worry about, or the friends and brother that cant stop making me feel bad for putting myself first, that's entirely within my right."

Pierre reached out, gently placing a hand on Ellie's shoulder. "I get that they hurt you, but you not giving them a chance to fix it, is hurting them just as bad. And if there's one thing I've learned about you, it's that you're more gracious than you that. And you've already faced so much, and you can face this too."

Just as Ellie was opening her mouth to answer, someone interrupted from the side. "Is everything alright her Eléa?"

Both Pierre and Ellie turn to the person interrupting, to see three of her friends standing with coffee, looking confused, clearly knowing who Pierre is and their history.

"It's fine Ben, Pierre here was just leaving" Ellie said walking towards Ben Chillwell, walking straight into his arms, taking one of the coffees from his hand while he takes he's now free hand over her shoulder.

Pierre giving her a defeated look nodded, and started to walk away, but turning around again after a few steps once he heard her saying behind him. "I'll see you this weekend Pierre"