Glitter: A Pierre Gasly Story

Chapter 21

ELLIE'S POV

The rest of my time in Portugal with Pierre's family had been a dream. After a not so fun conference call with Sadie, Marie, Jess, and Andre where we filled them in on my run-in with Jackson.

My team had been disappointed, admonishing me for spending even a moment talking to him and giving anyone the opportunity to catch us, despite me insisting that I had been trying to walk away. But Jess had taken it in stride, finding a way to spin it as a positive given Pierre had immediately stepped in and confronted Jackson, pointing out that two men fighting over me would only fuel the fan flames.

I was really in awe of how her mind worked and how she always protected Pierre.

We had all agreed to wait and see if the story broke, and thankfully, it hadn't. A few people had posted about seeing us together, but it seemed no one had been able to grab videos or photos, and so, it had largely gone unnoticed.

The rest of my time with the Gaslys had passed as it had for most of the vacation, and on my last day with them we'd all been sad. The little ones had actually cried when they said goodbye to me and begged me to join them for Christmas. It had broken my heart more than I expected to know that probably wouldn't be the case. Afterall, if all went well, Pierre's contract would be signed by then and I'd be on set for my next movie.

But nothing had been worse than returning to my house in LA.

For so long my house had been my refuge. After I officially left Jackson, I'd bought it from another actress. Tucked away in the Hollywood Hills, I'd been able to focus on myself. I'd spent a lot of time thinking about what I liked and didn't. What I wanted from my career and my life. It was the first time I'd ever really been on my own and it made me feel strong and brave. I'd loved it.

But after the two weeks I'd spent with Pierre and his family, all I could focus on was how quiet it was. I'd once loved that I could sit here alone, for hours if I wanted, and no one would bother me. Now I wanted nothing more than for Pascale to pop in to chat, or the kids to drag me off to play.

Thankfully, I hadn't needed to endure it for too long, because Pierre was heading to the Dutch Grand Prix early and wanted me to join him in Amsterdam. He'd texted me regularly since he'd dropped me at the airport in Lisbon, and I had a feeling he knew how lonely I was.

I figured this was a pity invite, but I wasn't going to complain. Because from the moment I'd touched down in Amsterdam, I'd felt wanted again.

Pierre hadn't been able to pick me up at the airport, there were too many fans given the Grand Prix was coming to town and both our teams had been worried about security. But he'd been waiting when I got to the hotel and the moment he wrapped his arms around me in a welcoming hug, I'd felt at home.

Pierre had gone out of his way to arrange everything for the last few days before the start of the season. We'd gone to museums and coffee shops and just wandered the streets. Occasionally we were stopped by fans, but it'd given us a lot of time to talk and get to know each other.

It's what I'd been hoping for since the beginning. We didn't have to be in love, but we could be friends.

Now Pierre and I were in the back of a car, heading to dinner with some of the other drivers and their partners.

I was looking out the window, trying to ignore the ball of anxiety that was in my stomach. There was no reason for me to be nervous. I'd met Charles, Alex, Lilly, and Carmen before, and they'd all been nice. But I couldn't help but feel like I wanted them to like me, and I was so afraid that they wouldn't.

Which was ridiculous considering Pierre and I weren't even really dating.

"You don't have to be nervous, Ell," Pierre said from beside me, putting his hand on my leg and setting off a searing heat that I felt in my bones. "They're going to love you. Everyone does."