Fragile Heart

46

Landos pov

Finally.

We're not fake anymore, but we're also not quite real yet either.

I haven't formally asked her to be my girlfriend yet, but when I do, she'll be my first true partner. In the past, I never really dated, I just fucked around and moved on. But Stella has changed me in ways I never expected. She's transformed me in just a few months, showing me a different side of life. It's crazy how a fucking Leclerc has changed me.

I pick her up, her legs wrapping around my waist as we make our way over to the ladder. Climbing up, I carry her back onto the boat where everyone is either playing games or simply relaxing. The warmth of the sun, the sound of laughter, and the gentle sway of the boat create a perfect moment, and with Stella in my arms it's even better.

I sit down, and she settles right into my lap, cradling her book against her chest before opening it up. As she becomes engrossed in her reading, I retrieve my notepad and pencil, with each stroke of the pencil, I sketch the most beautiful thing in the world.

|~~~~~|

We make our way off the boat, Stella and I swinging our hands together as we walk down the path. Choosing to stroll back to the villa and savor the afternoon breeze, we enjoy the peacefulness of the moment.

Stella then leans her head on my shoulder, and I glance down at her, noticing the way she's nervously biting the inside of her cheek. It's obvious she wants to say something.

"Say it," I say softly, encouraging her to speak her mind. Immediately, she releases her cheeks.

She takes a deep breath in before speaking. "You know, we aren't official yet," she says calmly, her gaze fixed ahead of her. I nod, understanding her words, and smile down at her.

"I understand," I murmur gently. "But I want to make it official when we finally go on a proper date, where it's just us in our own little world. I want to gaze at you all night, seeing you as the most beautiful girl in the world. Perhaps we could have dinner at a place in Italy, maybe after the race." With those words, she halts, taking me with her as she pulls me back. We both turn to face each other, and I notice a faint smile forming on her lips as she looks up at me.

"I would absolutely love that," she replies softly, her cheeks flushing with the loveliest color.

I gently cup her cheek, leaning down to lightly kiss her forehead.

With that moment shared, we continue our stroll to the villa, laughing together and reminiscing about our childhoods. Stella brings up the Barbie incident with Lorenzo again, and I can't help but burst into laughter at the entire story. Charles was certainly a drama queen.

Before we realize it, we've already arrived back at the villa. It seems the others have returned before us, but we intentionally took our time to cherish each other's company. As we walk in together.

"Look who's back," Carlos calls out, and I chuckle as I bring Stella into the living room.

Taking a seat, I settle onto the couch, and Stella sits on my lap, relaxing against me as we both gaze at everyone in the room.

"Right," Charles clears his throat.

"Me and Alex will go to bed now," he announces, taking Alex's hand as they make their way upstairs.

Stella and I share a giggle as we watch Rebecca and Carlos also getting up and heading upstairs. What weirdos.

Now that we were alone, perhaps we could do something together. "Do you want to watch a movie?" I ask softly, brushing my fingers up and down her arms. She smiles at me and nods in agreement.

Before I knew it, she was scrambling off my lap, snatching the remote and holding it close to her chest. "I'm picking though! Don't complain," she declares, pointing her finger at me. I simply nod, chuckling. I don't even care what movie she chooses, as long as she's in my arms.

She leans over, retrieving some fluffy blankets from the basket and draping them over the couch. I leave my arms open, ready for her, and as she settles into my embrace, I wrap them around her waist, pulling her close.

"We're watching Finding Nemo," she giggles as she turns on the TV.

And I'm completely fine with that.

|~~~~~|

A.N- This is just a filler chapter so it isn't that great!

Alsoooo I chose to do intense smut for this book! So I hope yall are okay with that!

Love yall!