Faded Love

8

Emilie held onto Charles until he was ready to let go. One thing she had learned about hugs was that she didn't know how much the person she was hugging needed it. Which is why she never let go first.

After he was ready, Charles nodded his head slightly and slowly let go of her. Wiping his tears Emilie gave him a soft smile, "Do you like ice cream?"

"Yeah," Charles laughed, knowing what she was going to insist.

"I know this wonderful ice cream spot not far from here, it's right by the port. Do you want to get some? My treat," she smiled.

"Of course," Charles responded, nostalgia overpowering all his senses. Whenever something bad had happened to Charles she would take him to the same ice cream spot to cheer him up. It had become a tradition of there's for years. He was glad that she still offered the same condolence.

"Carlos, do you want to come with?" Emilie asked, turning to look at the Spaniard.

Quickly standing up, Carlos beamed, "I would love-" Charles quickly shot him a deathly glare. Catching on to what his teammate was thinking he stuttered, "Actually nahhh," he laughed nervously, making his way to them. "I have stuff to do, you guys have fun though. BYE!" Carlos said kissing Emilie on the cheek and patting Charles on the shoulder before sprinting out the door.

"Carlitos," Emilie laughed, "He has some loose screws don't you think?"

"Some? I think he has more than some," Charles responded bluntly. Her laughed filled his home, her beautiful and overpowering laugh.

~

Emilie and Charles decided to walk to the ice cream spot, per Charles request. He had done this because he knew they would have more time to talk with each other. Which they had been doing.

"You know I dream of opening a ice cream shop?" Charles said, looking down at the ice cream in his hand.

"Really? Why?" Emilie asked, completely caught off guard. Charles had told this to her before, but of course that all went away with the accident.

"I'm not sure. Yuki has talked about opening up his own restaurant. Which I thought was amazing," Charles began to explain. "Carlos has his karting company. So I thought what I could do."

"And you choose ice cream," she giggled, looking at him as they walked through the streets of Monaco.

"What about you?" he asked, even though he knew the answer already.

"I want to open up a school," Emilie smiled softly, looking down at her ice cream.

"A school?" For Charles, this was first. She had always said that she wanted to open up an animal shelter. She had never mentioned anything about opening up a school.

"Yeah. Whenever I am in a country for a race my papa and I like to go out into the countryside or outskirts of the city and see the people," she described as she looked out into the streets, almost picturing it all. "I've noticed that in many of these places don't have a school or their school is in extremely poor conditions. I haven't told anyone this, not even my papa. But I've talked to some people who are helping me plan out everything."

"Seriously?! Since when?" Charles asked, completely amazed and in shock by what he was hearing. The Emilie he thought he had known was not who he thought she was. But in a good way. Why had she hidden it from him?

"It's been a couple months since we've been working on paperwork, permits, and all that other legal stuff," she laughed. "We are looking at about ten different countries right now. Hoping and praying that we get approved for more."

Stopping in his tracks, Charles looked at Emilie in awe. He couldn't believe it, she had made him fallen in love with her even more.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned to look at him, "Charles?"

"Emilie... you're more amazing than I thought you were."

Emilie's heart skipped a beat. Had she heard him right.? Was she dreaming? She couldn't believe what he had said or how he was looking at her. With such admiration and respect. A blush creeped onto her cheeks, his words showing him the effect they had on her.

Seeing this Charles' eyebrows lifted at the same time his hope did, "Can I show you something?"

Without a word, Emilie nodded her head and Charles swiftly grabbed her hand and lead her through the streets of Monaco. Laughing as they swerved through people and cars.