down bad | c. leclerc

TWENTY ONE

as abu dhabi grew closer, kennedy was on edge.

"whoa!" peter said as he put a hand on her should and she jumped.

"oh, sorry." she said sheepishly as he put down her coffee.

peter just gave her a small grin, "is everything okay? you seem a little stressed."

kennedy just sighed, "no, it's not. actually, it's horrible."

peter just gave her a confused look as she shook her head.

"peter, you are such a great guy, you're everything i want in a partner. but, i don't know, there's just something not there." she explained and peter gave her a small smile.

"i know, kennedy. don't get me wrong, you're a great person and such a strong woman. but i agree. i think we just live in two different worlds." he agreed, making the model smile.

"do you still want to be friends? i do enjoy your company and you are a great person." she asked and peter nodded.

"i would love to still be friends." he agreed.

the two chatted about life for an hour or so before peter asked what she was doing next weekend and if she wanted to go to joe's movie premier with him.

kennedy grimaced, "josie convinced my dad to go to abu dhabi, so i'm going with them." she explained and suddenly, it all seemed clear to peter.

of course she ended things, charles is and always will be on her mind. i'm not too priority for her. peter thought.

"and seeing charles?" he asked, making the blonde quickly shake her head.

"not if i can help it."

peter nodded slowly, "i take it back kennedy, i can't be friends."

and with that, he picked up his coffee and walked out the door, leaving the american model in a state of confusion.

"what the fuck?" she mumbled to herself as she shook her head.

she texted josie that she was heading home and stood up, throwing her coffee out.

as she walked home, she thought she saw glimpses of the ferrari driver, but shook those thoughts out of her head.

"josie, i'm going crazy." kennedy announced as she walked in the door.

"oh? why's that?" josie asked, sitting up from lewis' arm.

kennedy kicked her shoes off and sat next to them on the couch.

"i'm going to blame you both actually." she said and lewis laughed.

"what's happening?" the driver asked her.

she sighed, sinking into the cushions, "i broke things off with peter, and we had agreed to stay friends. then, we were talking and he asked me to come to joe's movie premeir with him but i said i was going to abu dhabi with you guys and my dad and he asked about charles, then he said he can't be friends and walked out on me. am i just guy repellent?" she ranted.

lewis burst into full on laughter, both women looking at him.

"what is it?" josie asked and he kept on laughing.

"lewis! this is serious! i'm in danger of becoming an old cat lady!" kennedy exclaimed.

lewis calmed down for a second, pulling out his phone and texting someone. after looking at the reply, he looked at the two women with a smile.

"kennedy, give me your phone." he said, holding his hand out.

"what? no!" she exclaimed.

lewis just shrugged, "well then i guess i won't tell you what i know."

with that, kennedy handed over her phone and sat patiently with her arms crossed.

lewis scooted away from the blonde and his fiance before he started, "so, carlos and charles might've done a bit of stalking in brazil, and they might've found peter's instagram. and, um, they might've sent him a little message. and by they, i mean charles did. don't blame carlos he was just witness." he explained and kennedy grew red.

"give me my phone hamilton." she said, her voice low and full of anger.

"no!"

"give me my phone! that stupid fucking bastard! he is ruining my life even when he's ignoring me!" she yelled and josie put a hand on her arm.

"to be fair, he did try to reach out." she said and kennedy stood up, storming into her room.

she sat right down at her desktop and opened up imessage, drafting out a text to charles. but when she was done, her mouse hovered over the blue send button.

she sighed, realizing she couldn't send it.

why?

because still, everytime she saw his name, her chest would be filled with a warm fluttering sensation. and everytime she thought of him, the picture of his smiling with dimples of full view would enter her mind.

so as much as she wanted to hate him, she couldn't.

"god! stupid fucking boy!" she shouted, standing up and throwing herself on her bed.

after a million washes, she finally got the smell of charles' aftershave out of her bed, but she was now somehow missing it.

so, instead of moping in her sadness and anger, she decided to use her anger in the gym.

"where are you going?" josie asked as kennedy threw open her bedroom door.

"gym." she said simply, not wanting to see anyone right now.

"okay, we're going to dinner, do you want anything?" she asked and kennedy shook her head.

"no."

josie sighed, "okay kens. well, we're leaving tomorrow at nine for the airport, so if you want, i can help pack tonight."

kennedy nodded, grabbing her water bottle from the fridge and walking out the door.

she pushed herself to the max in the gym, trying once more to get the green eyes she missed out of her head.

just as she was finishing her workout, lewis came into the gym, the girls phone in one hand and a take out box in the other.

"kenny." he said cautiously, approching the girl as if she was a wild animal.

"lewis." she greeted, sitting down on a bench.

"here," he said handing her the phone, "i'm sorry for not telling you when i found out."

kennedy just sighed, taking the phone, "it's okay, it wouldn't have worked with peter anyways."

lewis nodded and gave her a smile, "well, james is excited to see you kens."

kennedy snorted, "so are all my friends just getting friendly with my dad now?"

"yeah basically!" lewis grinned, offering her a hand which she took happily, "now, c'mon, josie was scared you might kill me."

the two headed back to the apartment, kennedy warming up to the man once again.

"ah, i'm glad you didn't kill my fiance kens. i was getting worried there for a moment." josie said with a laugh as the two walked in.

"yeah, well, it was tempting for a moment there. but, here we are!" kennedy said happily as she walked into her room.

she started her shower and got off all her sweat, exiting out and starting her packing, all her anxiety coming back.

god abu dhabi would be hell for her.