Race & Rally // Charles Leclerc

37.00

Slight trigger warnings for this chapter (check intro chapter <3)

...

After a long night of making up for lost time, I'm now watching the rise and fall of Charles' bare chest in bed next to me.

I begin tracing the outline of his muscles, feeling so grateful to be able to be this close to him again. If I could hold him tight enough to the point where we become one, I would.

I smile, turning over and grabbing my phone from the nightstand to make a few text messages.

-

Aria
Charles is finally home
Everything is much better now

Arthur
That's good to hear
Call me if you need anything

Aria
Even more good news
I'll be staying at your place for your mums birthday :)

Arthur
Oh cool!
See you then

-

I frown at his bluntness. Usually Arthur would be more expressive with his messages. I decide to ignore it and move onto my next contact.

-

Aria
Charles is home
We're not going to lose each other
We're going to fight for us
Just like you said

Jude
That's what I like to hear!
Happy for you Aria
See you soon for the Nike thing :)

Aria
Yes see you then!

-

I switch off my phone, happiness still radiating from within me. I fall asleep with a smile on my face, listening to the sound of Charles' gentle breathing.

-

Now that my problems with Charles have began to resolve, it's time to focus on another problem; my tennis career.

Antonio had somehow agreed to let me go to Monaco with Charles, and then to the following race the week after to keep the media quiet, but only if I trained every single day until then.

I'm aware of how much work I have to put in to get where I need to be, but it's completely draining. It's addictive, but it's exhausting.

I'm no longer gaining muscle, and instead I'm losing weight. I've had to skip certain meals because Ant wanted to lengthen out the training session.

Even Charles is beginning to notice how bad it's getting, especially when I come home and collapse into my bed, not even able to say a word to him before falling asleep.

He's tried to bring me lunches on the days that I stay out on the court, but the truth is, I don't have enough time to eat them. I usually throw them away at the end of the day so that he won't be offended.

I don't mind the hunger, because I'm hungry for a win. This is the level I need to be at. The level that I need to stay at.

I've had the pleasure of playing against some amazing players that Antonio had set up for me. Ons Jabeur was one of them, and I had picked up multiple new tricks from her playing style.

It was a tennis lifestyle that I had never experienced before. Wake up, train, analyse my techniques, analyse other player's techniques, train some more, spend some time with Charles, sleep, repeat.