Fifty Shades Of Red | Charles Leclerc

30. The Real Thing

Charles' pov

I reach over to take some pancakes from the plate in front of me, but my mum slaps my hand away with a disapproving look "Uhuh, no pancakes for you!"

Arthur, who's seated in front of me grins, adding some whipped cream on his pancakes, making my mouth water.

"Come on maman..." I complain "My personal trainer doesn't have to know."

"That's not why I'm not letting you eat my deliciously cooked pancakes Charles." She says and places some on Lorenzo's plate.

"Why don't I get any then? It's unfair."

"Because you hid your relationship from me for months." My mom hits me on the head with her spatula.

I groan in annoyance by the fact that for the entire hour I've been back in my childhood home, I've spent 59 minutes of it getting lectured by my mother and laughed at by my brothers.

"The least you could do was bring her over for breakfast so we could meet her officially and get to know her." My mom places some pancakes on my plate anyway and I grin in satisfaction, my mouth watering.

"I told you maman, she was sleeping peacefully when I left and I didn't have the heart to wake her up."

My mom's 'anger' at me seems to fade away after my comment and she thankfully decides to drop this entire situation.

When me and Hailey started our pr relationship, it kind of got announced to the world right away because I guess we didn't handle our situation in a proper way. In between all of that, I didn't have the chance to explain to my family at that time that it was fake and now....it's a bit too late for that.

"What's gotten into your head Cha?" Lorenzo, my older brother asks and I shrug.

"Nothing, just thinking." I smile and we continue eating breakfast while making conversation and filling each other in on our lives to make up for the time we've spent apart, everyone busy doing their own job.

After eating and spending some time with my family, I get up to leave, rushing to get to the paddock on time for practice and excited to see her.

"Next time, don't show up without your girlfriend with you." My mother warns me as she squeezes me tight into a hug.

"I wouldn't even dare."

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Hailey's pov

"What's different about you today?" Daniel asks me as he's walking me to the Red Bull motor home.

"What do you mean?" I ask while I get stopped by a fan, asking for a picture. I quickly pose and sign a shirt, leaving them happy.

"I don't know..." Daniel continues when we start walking again "I haven't figured it out yet but you look...more happy?"

"Well, I guess I am."

It's true. For the first time in awhile everything seems to be working out for me.

"And where is lover boy?" Daniel asks and hits me playfully with his elbow right in my rib.

"Charles left before I even woke up to spend the morning with his mom before practice. He texted me a few minutes ago and he should be here anytime now."

"I heard your mom is here too." Daniel says and I nod.

"She'll be watching me race for the first time in person this Sunday."