set fire to the rain//charles leclerc fiction

Chapter 3

After this embarrassing moment, I decide to take a nap in my room. 

Well, I try to, but I keep getting woken up by some Charles-related dream. Charles here, Charles there. I try to ignore the idea of him running to kiss me after a race. The idea of him presenting me as his girlfriend to his friends. The idea of him next to me. 

I try, I really do. But yet I can't manage to get him out of my mind. This can't happen again. I'm not 20 anymore.

It's been four years. I can't. He already hurt me once. It's not gonna happen a second time. I really don't need it.

After yet another 15 minutes of trying to go to sleep, I hear a gentle knocking on my door.

I roll my eyes before getting out of bed. I slowly open the door, expecting to see Livs, but I am surprised by Charles' green eyes looking back in mine, causing a butterfly eruption in my stomach.

"Hey, I just wanted to apologize for.. well you know" He says, showing off his cute dimples. He's so handsome, a woman can only take so much. 

"Don't worry about it. It's alright" I say in my sleepy voice. 

As soon as I ended my sentence, his face lights up and he leans his head and upper body against the door frame. 

At that very moment, I feel like I'm straight out of a Wattpad fanfiction. 

"Were you sleeping?" He asks with a chuckle in his voice.

I lean against the frame at my turn, causing our faces being a few centimeters away.

"I don't know" I say, a yawn following my answer. "Was I?" I add, while feeling a piece of hair falling down on my face. 

I don't even have time to feel it that Charles already has his hand around my face, tucking my hair behind my right ear. I feel my cheeks burning, as I notice him chuckling discreetly. 

We stay there a few more seconds, smiling and looking into each other's eyes, until we are interrupted by the voices of Olivia and Arthur. We hear their voices approaching. 

"So I have this idea, but you must tell NO ONE" Olivia says while going down the yacht's stairs. 

The curiosity takes control over my body. I quickly grab Charles' arm and drag him into the bedroom. I press my finger on my lips indicating him to go silent. He nods and chuckles, silently.

Livs and Arthur's footstep are becoming louder and louder, so I decide to go hide in the closet, followed by Charles. As we close the closet door, the bedroom one opens, letting in my best friend and the young Leclerc. I look through a crack between the door and the frame, and see Olivia and Arthur sitting on the bed. 

"So you're telling me you want to match up my brother and Reb?" Arthur says. 

I feel the embarrassment heating up my cheeks for the millionth time today. 

"Are you sure it's gonna work?" Arthur asks. 

"Of course! I know Reb, and you know Charles. Think about it for a second. Wouldn't they be so GREAT together?" Olivia exclaims.

I feel Charles' hot breath going down my spine, reminding me that I wasn't all by myself. 

A part of me doesn't want to look at him, but the other one begs to turn around. For the first time today, I make the best decision for me and listen to my first thought.  

I keep my focus on the conversation between the two people sat on the bed, but I keep getting distracted by Charles' body heat. I try to listen and understand what Arthur and Olivia are saying, but my mind keeps getting back to Charles. 

When I finally get my thoughts back, Arthur and Olivia leave the room. I wait a few seconds before jumping out of the closet. I stay in the middle of the room, speechless. After some time, Charles finally speaks up.

"So apparently, we would look good together" He says, with a side grin. 

"No, Charles. Don't. You know how it's gonna end up." I say, with a sad tone.

"Hey don't be defensive, it's just a joke! Beside, we both know, you and me, that it could never-ever, in a billion years, work out" He explains. 

I just smile and nod. 

From the outside, I look indifferent, but from the inside, I feel like screaming. 

Never in a billion years? What does that even mean? What is it, I'm like, not good enough for him or something? Not pretty enough? Not smart enough? He only sees me as his little sister, is that it? 

I can't deal with this right now. I leave the room in a hurry, looking for Olivia. 

Where is she now? I search the whole boat, only to find her in the kitchen with my mother, preparing the diner. I fight the tears from rolling down my cheeks. 

"Olivia! Viens avec moi s'il te plaît." I say in a wannabe-enthusiastic way. 

[Olivia! Come with me please.]

"Coming!" she jogs out of the kitchen. "Everything alright?" she asks.

I lead her to the bathroom, lock the door and start crying my eyes out. I explain to her everything. 

The flirting in the cockpit, the dreams I had, the conversation we heard, and the one we had afterwards. The "never in a billion years" and the sadness, deception and anger followed by it. 

I don't know why, but this whole thing affects me so much for nothing. It's not like I'm in love with him or something!

Olivia does her best to comfort me, but it seems impossible.

"Can you tell everyone that I'm tired and I'll just skip dinner and sleep instead, please?" I ask her.

"Of course, Reb. Don't worry it's alright" She says while hugging me.

We stay there a couple of minutes, not saying anything. 

When I feel ready, I leave the bathroom and head out to my bedroom. As soon as I enter, I close the door behind me, change in my pajamas, and actually go to sleep. 

No fake scenarios, no "what-ifs", no dreaming. I find myself in a numb state of mind, and I don't feel like changing it right now. 

A/N: Hey guys so sorry for being inactive! Honestly, I've forgotten a bit about this story, until I checked my notes a saw drafts of the story, and I really wanted to get back to it, so I did. It's a quite short chapter (sorry), but I did also updated the two first ones, so if you wanna go check them out, feel free to do so! Also, I forgot the password for the tiktok account, but if i find it and/or do another account, I'll let you guys know. Thank you so much for the support, ily xx

-hopelesswriterxoxo