Fifty Shades Of Red | Charles Leclerc

Epilogue

Hailey's pov

Post Race

The clock hung on the back of the wall strikes 11 pm and it's only then that I realise that the ice on my now empty glass has completely melted. How long has it been sitting here? I ignore the ache on my lower back from sitting down for so long and shift my gaze to the entrance of the small coffee shop, my eyes glued to the door.

He'll come.

Those words repeat over and over in my head like a prayer, almost as if I whisper them long enough I'll conjure his appearance and he'll walk right in.

I stare until my eyes start burning, until my legs grow tired, until my hopes start shattering.

He has to come.

The bartender switches off one of the lights of the bar, getting the place ready to close. He cleans the surfaces, unaware how I am silent-begging him to wait a little bit longer. The young man was kind enough to let me stay past closing hours, but I can't blame him for hurrying up to get home. Walking past my table to the next one, he cleans the top of it with a table cloth, not sparing me even one quick glance as if out of pity. I turn my attention back to my phone, the screen opened to the messages I had last sent.

ME
meet me at Sunset café, 8 o'clock.
I'm ready to talk.
Hailey x
seen

There were a lot of other things unsaid that couldn't be sent over a text message. I wanted to look him in the eye and tell him how much I have missed him. How now I'm ready to face whatever step we would choose to take together next.

A disappointed sigh leaves my mouth as I get up from the table, grabbing my bag. The bartender finally looks up and I imagine the thrill he must be feeling at the sight of me finally leaving. I take out my wallet, leaving a tip on the table as a gift for not kicking me out.

"Thank you for letting me stay." I tell the bartender when he approaches my table. He gives me a soft, encouraging smile which doesn't quite make me feel any better.

I head for the door.

It wasn't fair of me to expect of him to show up. He has every right to hate me or wish to never see me again, even though that's not possible anymore. I just wish things had ended up differently.

I reach for the door knob, defeated, the fact that he did not show up slapping me across the face. Just as I'm about to close this chapter one more time, to turn the page, to leave this all behind, the door opens...

The warm gust of wind welcomes itself inside and I struggle to catch my breath. The sight of the familiar figure standing at the entrance sends my heart racing, my knees trembling, my hands sweating. I don't move, not even an inch, studying his stance in order to have an idea of what to expect. But to my surprise, it's not what I was expecting at all. There is no wry eyebrows plastered on his face, no sign of a frown.

"Hello Charles."

Charles smiles.

—————

YEARS LATER

"And what happened next daddy?" The little girl asks, tugging impatiently at her father's shirt. Charles chuckles at his daughter, mirroring the same look on her face. Her dimples match his whenever she smiles brightly, warming Charles' heart, but it's her eyes that he adores the most.