Starting Again (A Charles Leclerc Fic)

016 : down bad

The events of this chapter took place a day after the Instagram post which was roughly a day or two earlier than the previous chapter which was written in Charles' Point of View.

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Katrina's POV
(Day after the Instagram incident)

Katrina knew she had been a bit petty the night before when she blocked Charles and his friends. But despite the hour-long lecture she'd received from Mavi and Sammy about overreacting, she couldn't help how she felt. She understood their point of view, but emotions weren't always logical, and this time, her feelings had gotten the best of her.

When she moved to Monaco, it was supposed to be for a fresh start. A new chapter, away from the prying eyes of those she didn't know. She'd always been aware that welcoming Formula One drivers into her life would bring back a level of attention she was trying to escape, but she never imagined how quickly it would happen. The idea of living simply as Katrina, not Luna, had been appealing, but Charles had blindsided her. A little warning, a heads-up, would have helped her prepare for the sudden changes that came with it.

Then there was the post he'd shared—her picture, with a caption saying he couldn't do this anymore and that he was waiving the white flag. The words echoed in her mind. What did he mean by that? What exactly was he giving up on? Was he giving up on their friendship? Had she done something wrong? Was this the end for them?

Charles had become one of the most important people in her life. He was a good man, driven by passion and a career he loved. Raised by a family that cared for him deeply, he was attentive, protective, and affectionate, especially toward the women in his life, whom he called "his girls." Spending time with him had made it impossible to remain indifferent to him. Slowly, without even realizing it, Katrina had fallen for him. One day, she woke up with feelings for the young Monegasque driver that she hadn't expected, overwhelming her in ways she couldn't ignore.

Her mind raced with these thoughts, keeping her up through the night. As much as she hated to admit it, she was counting down the days until Charles returned from Maranello. She needed an explanation from him. This uncertainty, the vagueness of his post, was driving her crazy. He couldn't just say things like that and expect her to wait silently for him to explain.

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You have 31 new messages

George
Hey , Charles is really worried about you, can you perhaps unblock him so he could talk to you?

Alex
I know that the others has been trying to contact you but our group chat has been active since last night

Sofia
Knock knock, open the door Trina

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She looked out of the window and saw Sofia standing in front of the door. She walked slowly to her front door before letting Sofia into the apartment.

"You're here very early"

"Promise me you won't get mad at me" She said the moment she entered with her hands behind her back

"Why would I get mad at you?" I asked her confused

"Just promise me first"

"Fine, I'll try not to get mad"

"Okay that's good enough..."

She gradually revealed her hand and handed over a small bouquet, which included a printed picture of Charles holding a sign that read, "Sorry, please unblock me." A small smile appeared on her face without her realizing it, finding his gesture unexpectedly cute.

"My cousin is an idiot sometimes... but he always mean well. I won't excuse what he did because when he explained it to me, I was also on your side completely. It's not my story to tell but he's been through a lot. I hope you won't stay mad at him for long. He also wants you to have this because he said max talked to you and that you were sad because of him. He said this was your comfort food, he was mad at himself for making you sad" Sofia handed her a pint of the ice cream they had taste-tested at Lumiere. A smile spread across her face as she recalled how Charles had remembered something she had mentioned casually, thinking he hadn't been paying attention.

She explained calmly, "I'm not mad at him, Sofia."

"You're not?" Sofia asked, surprised.

"I'm not. I was just as confused as anyone else in the comment section of his post. I asked him for an explanation, but he told me he's not ready to give it over the phone and that I should wait for him to explain in person next week. It made me frustrated and anxious, but that's it... I can never stay mad at Charles."

"Looks like he's not the only one down bad. Why block him if you're not mad at him?" Sofia asked.

"I know that once we talk and he asks for it again, I'd just say yes to him."

"Why block the others, then?" she pressed.

"Because I know he'll use them to talk to me, and he already tried that last night. I think the only one I didn't block from last night was Max. Today, George and Alex kept texting me, but I just ignored their messages."

"You know you need to talk to him soon, right?" Sofia reminded her.

"I know, and I will. I also told Max that I understand he's not ready, and I respect his request to delay whatever conversation we need to have."

"If that's the case, why is he still bombarding me with messages?" Sofia asked, puzzled.

"Well... I also kind of told Max that I want him to respect my decision of not talking to him until he's back," she explained.

"It's scary how much you and Charles are alike. You're both stubborn and have a huge tendency to be extremely petty," Sofia observed.

"So I've been told..." she said laughing with the younger monegasque