Eyes Don't Lie | Charles Leclerc

Part 38 | The Prophecy

Done in Aria POV
June 5th, 2023

Life with Charles had been nothing short of blissful, more than I ever could've imagined. It felt like a whirlwind, and now I couldn't imagine my days without him. I found myself smiling at the little things, the moments between the races and the media frenzy. The off days spent in each other's arms after. 

I hadn't known what it was like to feel this full, this happy, until him. Charles made me feel safe, understood, and loved in ways I hadn't expected. It wasn't perfect, of course. We had our challenges, his life in the spotlight being one of them, but we had built this bubble around us. A safe haven where, for just a little while, we could pretend the outside world didn't exist. And in that bubble, I had never felt more at peace. 

I was standing in the middle of the store, checking the list on my phone for the hundredth time, trying to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. It was a typical sunny day in Monaco, and Charles was in Canada for the next race. I hated that I couldn't go with him, but work had been overwhelming lately, and I couldn't travel far due to some local shoots. So, I tried to distract myself by running errands and staying busy. 

I tossed a few items into my basket, but as I moved toward the checkout, I felt like I was being watched. I noticed a few people starting to look my way, some whispering to each other, and a couple even pulled out their phones. At first, I thought I was just imagining it, but then I heard it, the clicks of a camera. 

A group of girls was nearby, one of them waving shyly in my direction. "Excuse me, are you Aria? Charles Leclerc's girlfriend?" 

I paused for a moment, giving them a small smile. "Yes, that's me." 

Their faces lit up, and one of them asked, "Could we take a photo with you? We're huge fans of Charles, and we've seen you with him after the Monaco GP! You guys are so cute together!!" 

I nodded, trying to push aside the slight nervousness inside of me. "Of course, I'd be happy to." 

They were respectful, keeping a polite distance and waiting patiently as I set my basket down. I posed with them for a couple of photos, and as they thanked me and moved on, I realized this was becoming my new normal. Ever since Charles and I had gone public at the Monaco GP, photos of us had been circulating everywhere. 

People knew who I was now, more than just from my modeling...and though it felt strange at first, I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would. The fans were kind. They didn't overwhelm me or make me feel uncomfortable. Instead, they seemed genuinely excited and supportive, which put me at ease. 

I picked up my basket and continued toward the checkout again, but I could still feel eyes on me as I passed a few more people, some filming me from a respectful distance. As I waited in line, I scrolled through my phone, checking social media. Every other post on my feed was of me and Charles, either from the paddock, the race, or us walking hand in hand through the streets of Monaco. 

The media attention had exploded after our public appearance, and I'd been featured on several F1 fan pages, with people commenting on how "adorable" we were or how happy Charles seemed. At first, it had been overwhelming. I wasn't used to this kind of attention, but over the past few weeks, I had grown more comfortable with it. Charles had warned me that the media would be relentless once we went public, but we both knew it was inevitable. Hiding our relationship any longer wasn't something either of us wanted. 

As I finished paying and headed out of the store, I put my sunglasses on, more out of habit than anything else. It still felt surreal sometimes, how much my life had changed since Charles and I met again, but in the best way possible.