Lights Out • 1 • Formula One ✔️

Chapter 46

"Hey!" Kudzai snapped her fingers in front of my face, breaking me out of my daydream. It had been an hour since my confrontation with Max and I had been trying to keep as far away from him as possible.

"Sorry." I tucked my hair behind my ear and apologetically looked up. "I'm a bit distracted."

"Yeah, no shit." Kudzai rolled her eyes. She moved the bench slightly so that she could sit next to me at the table. Luckily my brother had found some people his age who were being really kind and welcoming to him. I think they might have been Daniel's cousins or something, I didn't quite hear what my brother had said before he ran back to join them. "What even happened?"

"Kudzai, I really don't want to talk about it right now." I let out a sigh. "I'll tell you later when we're not at the party, okay?"

She stared at me for a moment, as if trying to read my emotions, before putting a gentle hand on my arm. "Just know I'm here whenever you need it."

"So," I began, wanting to change the subject. "Have you had any more thought about what you want to do with your, uh," I glanced down at her stomach and then back up, raising my eyebrows to give her a pointed look, "situation?"

Kudzai let out a chuckle at my not-so-subtle attempt to bring up the pregnancy before letting out a deep breathe. "With everything going on at the moment, I don't think it's fair to drop this bombshell on him. Maybe I'll start hinting at it so subconsciously he's more used to the idea? But I'm definitely going to tell him by Hungary."

"Well I'm babysitting Daisy next weekend so-" just as I was about to suggest she bring up Daisy as a way to introduce the idea, I suddenly remembered. "Shit! I was meant to be doing it with Max - I can't look after a kid alone for long!" Kudzai, the bitch, laughed at the look of horror on my face. I know I have spent a day with Teddy, who is a similar age to Daisy, before, but I barely made it out of that with my sanity. Over a weekend, I know I'm going to lose my mind.

"Haha, sucks to be you!" Kudzai laughed. "Esteban is taking me back to his parents house in France because he hasn't seen them since the Grand Prix. It's so beautiful over there, and I don't have to watch anyone's kids so I guess I'm winning."

"Have I ever told you that I hate you?" I said with the fakest smile on my face.

"You haven't even got Marcus or Damien since it's a race weekend. I think they're in Germany."

I dramatically put my head in my hands. "Fuck me." I sighed. There was a soft laugh from behind me so I turned around to see Charles Leclerc.

"I mean, I would, but I'm sure your boyfriend would kill me." Charles joked, sending Kudzai into a fit of giggles. I tried to look annoyed by his comment but was betrayed by my smile. Letting out a breathy chuckle, I rolled my eyes. "But I'm all seriousness, what's up? You seem stressed."

"There's this young girl I'm supposed to be babysitting next weekend with Max." I began, as Charles sat down in the seat next to me with his beer. He took a sip and nodded for me to carry on. "Well things with Max are... complicated, at the moment, which means I'll have to babysit on my own. Now, this girl, Daisy, is lovely, but oh boy can she be a handful. I won't be able to last the entire weekend without going insane."

"Ah," Charles nodded knowingly. "I used to look after my little cousins all the time. I know what it's like."

"Hey!" It was as if a lightbulb went off in my head and I looked at Charles with a grin. "Are you free next weekend?"

"Yeah, But-"

"Charles!" I whined. "Please."

It took a few seconds of puppy/dog eyes before the Monégasque let out a sigh. "Fine, I guess I can spare one night."