Eyes Don't Lie | Charles Leclerc

Part 31 | Red Wine Supernova

Aria POV
March 6, 2023

I was hanging on his every word, my heart pounding in my chest, waiting. Was he finally going to tell me how he felt? The way he held my hands, his eyes so full of emotion, it was everything I had been hoping for. All the unspoken words, the tension, the uncertainty, it felt like it was about to finally make sense. 

My breath caught in my throat, and I was bracing myself for whatever he was about to say. But then, his phone buzzed. The loud vibration echoed through the quiet room, shattering the moment between us. I watched as Charles' expression changed in an instant. His shoulders tensed, and his eyes flickered from mine to the phone across the room. The lightness in his gaze was replaced by something heavier, an awareness of the time, of what was waiting for him outside this room. 

He let go of my hands, his fingers slipping away, and I could feel the shift. My heart sank as I realized what the buzz meant. He had to go. 

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. His face dropped, and I knew without him saying a word that he was supposed to be in the paddock for free practice. Charles stood up, glancing back at me with an apologetic look. 

"I, I have to head to the track," he said, his voice full of regret. "I'm so sorry, Aria. I didn't mean for this to-" he trailed off.

I forced a smile, trying to hide the sting of disappointment. I wasn't upset with him. I understood. Racing was his world, his responsibility, and I couldn't, wouldn't, stand in the way of that. But still, part of me felt the ache of being left in the dark once again. 

"It's okay," I said softly, standing up as well. "I know you have to go." 

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine, as if he wanted to say more but couldn't find the words. There was a distance between us now, not physically, but emotionally, a space that hadn't been there moments ago, and it felt like everything we had been on the verge of saying had slipped away, swallowed by the ticking clock of his schedule. 

Charles took a step toward me again, his hand reaching out like he wanted to close the gap, but then he stopped himself, retreating at the last second. 

"We'll talk later, I promise. Please feel free to stay here and use whatever you need." he said. 

I nodded, trying to keep my smile steady. "Yeah, later.... Thanks..." 

But as he grabbed his keys and made for the door, my heart clenched. I couldn't help but wonder if later would ever come...or if I'd even want to stick around for it.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Back to Charles POV

As I stepped into the elevator, frustration churned in my chest, my hands gripping the railing as the doors slid shut. I couldn't believe how quickly everything had fallen apart. One minute, I was on the verge of finally telling Aria how I felt, and the next, I was running out of the room like an idiot. 

The look on her face before I left, it was burned into my mind. I had messed up. Big time. When the doors opened, Carlos was already waiting in the lobby with my trainer. He was grinning, clearly expecting some sort of update on how things had gone with Aria. But the second he saw the tension in my face, the grin faded. He didn't ask. He knew better. 

We walked in silence to the car, the weight of my own thoughts pressing down on me, suffocating me. Carlos slid into the passenger seat, and I took my place in the back, staring out the window as the car moved through the streets of Bahrain toward the track. I should've been focused on practice, on the season ahead, but all I could think about was Aria.