Bad Reputation

END.

Francesca did leave after our fight and when I got back to Monaco, her stuff was already gone from my apartment.

She left her key of my apartment on the kitchen counter. With nothing else. No note, nothing.

I just didn't get it, didn't understood it at all.

I grabbed the key from my kitchen counter and walked out.

I couldn't believe I was walking after her, even though she made a bet about me.

Drove straight to her house, wanted to confront her, wanted to ask her why she would leave. It just didn't make sense.

The good thing about her apartment was that she didn't need to buzz me in, I could just walk straight to her door.

So that's exactly what I did. Walked to her door and knocked on it.

It took her a while until she finally opened the door, didn't take her long to close it immediately in my face again.

Or she wanted to at least, but I quickly put my hand on the door, pushing it open.

"Francesca, we need to tal-" I said as I walked in. "I don't wanna talk" she immediately said.

"Why? Why don't you wanna talk?"

"Because I just don't wanna talk about it, Lando" she sighed. Grabbed her purse and quickly put some stuff in it.

And it was only then I noticed the suitcases in front of the door, the empty apartment. Or pretty much empty at least.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I am leaving, back to England"

"And when are you coming back?" I said as I looked around. Pretty dumb question because it didn't look as if she was coming back at all.

"Never" she said as she grabbed her suitcases. "Can I go now? I don't wanna miss my plane"

"No" I said as I stood in front of the door. "Why do you wanna go? Do I really mean nothing to you?"

She looked up at me and for the first time in a while, I recognized the Frankie I fell in love with.

But then her eyes got dark again. Like it was someone else who was standing in front of me again.

"Yes, you mean nothing. You were a bet, a stupid bet" she took a step closer. "Can I go now?"

I took a step to the side, looked at her as I felt my heart break.

"Do you need a ride?"

She turned her head to me. "You don't hav-"

"I will take you there"

I don't know why, don't know why I would offer her a ride to the airport. Maybe because I thought I could change her mind?

But I couldn't.

The whole way there, she looked outside, made a bit of small talk, but she was desperate to get out of my car as quickly as possible.

I stopped in front of the airport, got out of my car and opened the trunk, put her suitcases in front of her.

I sighed, looked at her. "So this is the end?"

She nodded. "I am sorry"

"Right" I nodded, bit my lip to hold back my tears. "I hope you find everything you need"

"You too" she said softly. Grabbed her suitcases and walked away.

I was really nothing more than a bet. She used me to win a bit of money, to get a better job, so she could save tons of money.

Because she wanted to go back to England, to study.

She didn't want me, never did.

And I hated it, I hated that I couldn't hate her. I hated that I loved her more than I love myself.

I wiped my tears away, walked back to my car and got in.

I slapped the steering wheel. She played me like a deck of cards.

Turned out she was the reddest flag of them all.

I grabbed my cap and put it on backwards. Guess the old Lando was coming back after all.