Driven by Fate- CHARLES LECLERC

The Morning After

POV: Carlotta Damian

The morning sun filtered through the curtains of the room, casting a soft, golden light over everything. I stirred, feeling the warmth of the bed beneath me, and the even warmer presence next to me. I blinked my eyes open and saw Charles, still asleep, his face peaceful, almost angelic. His chest rose and fell slowly, his arm loosely draped over me.

The events of last night replayed in my mind, and I felt a flush of warmth rush through me. It had been perfect—every moment, every touch, every word between us. I turned onto my side, letting myself take in the sight of him. His hair was tousled from sleep, his lips slightly parted, and a faint smile played on his face, even in his dreams. He looked so young, so innocent, like a child lost in a world of wonder.

Unable to resist, I leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth, my lips barely grazing his. To my surprise, he responded, still half-asleep, but his lips moved against mine, soft and sweet.

"Good morning," I whispered, pulling back slightly to look at him.

Charles kept his eyes closed, but a lazy grin spread across his face as he murmured, "Good morning." His voice was deep and raspy from sleep, and he pulled me closer, wrapping his arm tighter around my waist.

I laughed softly and kissed his neck, letting my lips trail down to his chest, leaving a soft kiss there before looking back up at him. His smile widened, and even though his eyes were still shut, I could tell he was fully awake now. He pulled me into another kiss, his lips lingering on mine as if he couldn't get enough.

We stayed like that for a few moments, wrapped in each other, savoring the warmth of the bed and the comfort of being together. But as much as I wanted to stay like this forever, reality was beginning to creep in. Today, we had to go back to the paddock one last time before the season officially ended.

Reluctantly, we pulled ourselves out of bed, our fingers lingering on each other for a moment longer before we both got up to get dressed. The air in the room was filled with a comfortable silence, the kind that only comes after sharing something intimate, something real.

When we arrived at the paddock, the mechanics and team members greeted us with smiles and congratulations. It felt surreal walking through the garage, knowing this chapter of my career had come to a close, but also knowing that the future held so much more.

"Congratulations, Carlotta!" one of the mechanics said, giving me a high-five. "World champion—what a way to end the season!"

I smiled and thanked him, feeling the weight of the accomplishment settle in again.

Another mechanic turned to Charles. "So, where are you spending the holidays?" he asked with a cheeky grin. "Anywhere exciting?"

Charles smiled back, his expression teasing. "Well, I was thinking of spending the holidays with my girlfriend... but I still need to ask her." He shot me a look from the corner of his eye, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

Everyone laughed, but there was an underlying tension. They didn't know about us, not yet, and even though Charles was joking, I could feel the question hanging in the air. Was he going to ask me to spend the holidays with him?

Then, another mechanic turned to me. "And what about you, Carlotta? Any plans?"

I hesitated for a moment, glancing at Charles before answering, "I'm probably going to spend the holidays with someone important to me." I smiled, keeping it vague but hoping he'd catch the meaning behind my words.

After a few more goodbyes and well wishes, we were finally alone again. Charles turned to me, his expression soft. "So... will you spend the holidays with me?" he asked, his voice low, almost shy.

"Where would we go?" I asked, curious.

"New York first, and then somewhere warm, like Hawaii," he replied, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

I laughed and nodded. "That sounds perfect."

But then, he put on a mock-serious expression. "Wait, weren't you supposed to spend the holidays with someone important?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone sarcastic.

I playfully smacked his arm. "You're an idiot."

He grinned and leaned in to kiss me quickly, mindful of the fact that we were still in public and didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.

Back at the hotel, we packed our things, getting ready to leave for Monaco before heading to New York. Charles had insisted that we fly back together on his private jet. As we made our way to the airport, he stopped me before boarding.

"I'm going to tell the crew that you're my new girlfriend," he said casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Why?" I asked, a little thrown off by how nonchalant he was being.

"So they won't bother us. Plus, it means we can kiss all we want on the flight," he said, winking.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Fine."

When we boarded, Charles immediately informed the flight attendants. "This is Carlotta, the new Ferrari driver for next season... and my girlfriend. Oh, and no one knows about us yet, so... keep it quiet."

The crew nodded, promising to keep our secret, and we settled into our seats. I pulled out a book I had been wanting to read for a while, but Charles, ever restless, struggled to get comfortable.

After a while, he groaned. "I can't sleep."

I looked over at him, amused. "What do you want me to do about it?"

He pouted like a child and then, without warning, laid his head in my lap. "This," he mumbled, closing his eyes as if that would fix everything.

I laughed softly and put my book down, my fingers automatically threading through his hair. "You're impossible," I whispered.

He sighed contentedly. "I know... but I'm very comfortable now."

I couldn't resist leaning down to kiss him, gently pressing my lips to his forehead. "You're ridiculous," I teased, but I kept running my fingers through his hair, occasionally kissing him as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

When we landed in Monaco, Charles took me to his apartment. It was a beautiful space, modern and sleek but still cozy in a way that felt very much like him. He showed me around, pointing out all the little details that made it his home.

"Tomorrow, we'll head to New York in the afternoon," he said, leaning against the doorframe as we stood by the entrance.

I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "Sounds good."

We said our goodbyes quickly, but this time without a kiss, aware of how risky it was to show affection in public. Even though no one had seen us, the fear of being caught lingered in the back of my mind.

As I walked away from his apartment, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Tomorrow would bring new adventures, new memories, and the start of something even bigger.

But tonight, I just wanted to savor the feeling of being with Charles, of knowing that no matter what came next, we'd face it together.