I need a little moment to process everything that happened, I have a secret boyfriend now. But not any secret boyfriend, a freaking F1 driver.

I instantly thought about Liv, and how she would rise through the roof if I told her. She knows me too well, and I had been avoiding her calls just because I know that she will end up catching up with my lies. I sigh, as I roll on my hotel bed as if I am a teenage girl in some sort of chick flick, but I can't help it. My stomach is spinning around my abdomen, and there's no way or position in which the organ manages to calm down.

I try to shake my mind and open the curtains that separate me from the big window of my room, as I stare in awe. The beautiful town of Spielberg smiles at me, having kindness for my head-over-heels heart. The trees are clouding the whole background, moving side to side, dancing to the rhythm of the wind.  Without noticing it, I mimic their movement, letting myself go. I find a little bird on my balcony, sitting quietly and admiring the same landscape.

—Hey little guy—. I say as I wave. The bird flies away, and I feel a deep warmth. I missed nature.

I was completely tired and feeling a wave of fear, not going to lie, I've been having a terrifying recurring nightmare about the accident that happened in Silverstone.

The day went by pretty fast, having to work at the medical center. Today was capacitation day for the staff, and we also had several conferences of new updates. I had lunch with my team, and after a few conversation topics, the fact that the accident was really shocking came up. I told them about my reoccurring dreams, and they assured me that it was somewhat normal to think and dream about that, especially when it was so recent.

I returned to the hotel at night, and I was greeted by some amicable faces. Lando, Pierre, and George accompanied me to eat something in the hotel's cafeteria, consisting of two croissants and some tea.  We chatted and had some good laughs before heading to sleep, we all were absolutely demolished.

Thursday came along fairly quickly, I spent the morning walking the track and ran into Charles. He offered to stay with me until I finished up my track notes, and he was craving for a distraction, so I let him stay after the press conference with me. We hung out for the rest of the day, and later on, he had to go back to Ferrari's Motorhome for some social media content and I went back to the hotel and study my notes till I passed out.

I woke up on Friday and directed myself to the coffee machine they place in the hotel room. My hands were almost trembling from exhaustion, and I wanted to end the caffeine sobriety. I made myself a big cup of coffee, and of course, I gulped it down in minutes. My routine was a bit more extensive, trying to arrange my face in order to seem awake and not like I'd been punched in the face repeatedly. I looked at myself and reassured myself that I was going to be able to rest in two weeks, and I was eager for that. Right now, Max was the leader of the championship, but Charles was right behind his back. I firmly believed that he could win this year, he had a competitive car but he was way too distracted by focusing only on his mistakes and lacks as a driver.

I headed to the lobby, where a car was supposedly waiting for me, but it was nowhere to be seen. I approached the lady in reception, hoping for an answer.

—Good morning ma'am, I was wondering if there was a car sent to take me to the circuit. My name's Camila Luna—. I asked, she twitched her face and shook it.

—I'm afraid not, Mrs. Luna—. She smiled apologetically, and I nodded.

I walked angrily towards the doors, cause I wanted to see if I could fetch an Uber. I was wondering, why it happens that when we are busier and in a rush, something has to go wrong. As I thought that, my Uber ride canceled my trip.

—Oh you got to be shitting me!—. I screamed.

—You are struggling a bit there—. I smiled and it felt like the anger drifted away, I turned around to find his green eyes, a little squinted because of the sun, but with the glorious shine, they hold.

—Just a little bit—. I looked at my phone, he chuckled at my very bad luck.

—You are lucky I have a car—. He said as he guided me to the black Ferrari that was waiting for him on the driveway.

—I owe you big time—. I gasped, and he just nodded.

—What about dinner tomorrow at 8?—. He asked, and I blushed.

—I'd love to, but...—. I started, his eyes losing the spark all of a sudden. I looked at my lap, disappointed in myself because I took his glimpse of hope.

—People will talk?—. He ended the sentence for me, and I nodded. Weirdly, he smiled and I furrowed my eyebrows. —People will talk anyway, and friends can go for dinner too.

—Fine, Charlie—. I smiled, his eyes looking daring at my lips. —Stop that! We are going as friends.

The engine roared and we started the journey to the track, his hand wrapped around mine. I felt the electricity, and it just felt like they fit each other perfectly. The trip was over very quickly, and I squeezed Charles' hand when I saw the number of fans waiting for him at the entrance and took my hand out of his in an aggressive swing.  My heart was stomping, the thought of them seeing us holding hands was scary, but I grasped onto the fact quickly and acted accordingly.

—I didn't expect this, I'm so sorry Cam—. Charles whispered, and I shook my head, letting him know he couldn't possibly know. —It's way too early.

We traveled along the path of fans, most of them surprised to see me in his car and probably seeing me blushing as hell. A lot of them saluted me, and I did the same. There were lots of pictures, and with every snap, I knew what was coming. I looked at the Monegasque sitting on my left, and I felt his gaze soften when he saw me, expressing his support for me.

We entered the parking area, and I let go of my breath. We looked at each other and left the car.  One of the photographers was following us closely, and we tried to put up the best friend act.

—Hello Camila, what a surprise to see you arriving with Charles!—. The photographer said as I smiled nonchalantly.

—My ride never arrived this morning, and the number of Ubers that canceled my trips was crazy! I'm lucky he was able to bring me here, I would've had to walk—. I responded, in a chilled tone and parted ways from the Ferrari driver.

@ camilalunaupdates

Cami arriving on track today with Charles 🇦🇹

@ leclerc16: whaaaaaaat
@ f1news233: are they together?

@ camilalunaupdates replied: no that we know of, a photographer said her ride never came by.

@ leclerc16: oh, thank you! I wish they were though.

I watched FP1 and Quali from the car, having nothing to really intervene on. We continued having constant capacitation and different meetings, cause we had to implement new treatments and management because of the porpoising. It was already noon, and I was about to leave my office when the door flew open and I watched the French AlphaTauri driver coming in.

—Bonjour, croissant—. I joked as he rolled his eyes. I laughed, but his face looked really serious. —What's going on?

—Have you checked your phone recently?—. He scratched the back of his head, and I shook my head. I've been really busy and left my phone all day in my desk drawer.

—Uhm, not really, why?

—You know, only a picture of you arriving with Charles to the paddock—. He cautiously put it on the table, and I grinned.

—Yeah, I imagined something like that was going to happen—. I said while I typed the evaluation note on one of the Red Bull's mechanics that came by earlier on. —I explained to the press that I was basically strayed at the hotel and he was kind to take me.

—That's it?—. He said, confused and daring.

—I cannot control what goes around media, Pierre—. I lifted my gaze up to him, and he was frowning. —People will talk.

—Can I ask you something?—. He stated, sitting down on my desk and shutting my computer.

—Yeah sure.

—Is there anything going on with him?—. I knew he was talking about Charles and me, and I was so tired of having to reassure my friend that it wasn't when in reality I wanted to gossip with him for hours. I stayed silent and shook my head slowly.

—We are just very good friends, that's all.

—You know you can tell me anything, right?—. He added, placing a hand over my shoulder.

—Yeah, I know.

—If I'm being honest, I do think he has a crush on you—. The French driver said, instant regret filling his face.

—Whaaaat? Why would you say that?—. I tried to sound surprised and he entered a total gossipy mood.

—I've seen how he looks at you, it's like this glowy eye thing, you know?—. He said, and my heart melted at the thought of Charles looking at me like that.

—I think you may have a crush on him—. I joked, trying to deviate attention to the subject.

—No, Cami, for real!—. He chuckled. —He speaks so tenderly about your friendship, and how he cares entirely for you.

—He's really kind, and we are really close! You guys are my best friends—. I tried to justify everything.

—I know, but I don't look at you like that! Ew!—. He teased, and I punched him on the arm lightly.

—I don't know Pierre, but whatever it is, it will go away—. I said, watching my lap.

—These rules are bullshit—. He laughed and so did I.

They are Pierre, they are.

***

I texted Charles, I was deeply worried about more rumors spreading out, and told him we should have dinner in his hotel room on Saturday after the Sprint Session. He was absolutely down for it, as long as we were together and the waters calmed down. He ordered Italian food, and we opened a bottle of wine. I connected my phone to the speaker and started playing Taylor Swift, only the slow ones.

—I love this song!—. Charles' french accent settled in the words, I laughed at his cute sentence. —What's it called?

—It's All Too Well, a masterpiece of a song—. I said while vibing my head to the music.

—It's beautiful—. He said, and I instantly gasped. He furrowed his dark eyebrows.

—It's so tragic, Charlie!—. I said almost hurt, and he laughed.

—Why is that?—. He sounded surprised, while he listened to the lyrics. —I mean, I find it beautiful that they danced in the refrigerator light.

—Well, that is romantic, not going to lie—. I chuckled but remained invested in the subject. —But it all goes downhill from there, yes there were beautiful moments, but he was so rude and gaslighting her!

I continued talking about Taylor's romantic life, and he paid attention to every single detail. He asked about this and this other guy, and that's how we spent the first half hour. Later on, we continued talking about our days and what our plans for the next week were, the gossip about us going around, and how we needed to come up with a plan to slow them down.

—I wish I knew how to stop them from talking, but there's no way—. I said, and he agreed.

—We'll think about that later—. He assured me and stood up from the little table in the center of the 'living room' of his hotel place. —I want to do something first.

I took his hand hesitating, but curious as to what he meant. He asked me for my phone, searched for something in it, and couldn't let me see what he was doing. The speaker made a dry noise, and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" started playing. He sprinted towards the light switches and turned off the lights, the room suddenly getting dark and unrecognizable. I curled up my lips when I saw him opening the mini bar's door, it wasn't a big refrigerator, but I see what he did there.

—Come here—. He grabbed my hand, as I placed my head on his chest. He brought me closer and supported his head on mine, our hands linked together. —I want to experience this.

—This song...—. I started off, but he finished the sentence.

—Is the one we danced to in Imola—. I nodded, knowing he just read my mind. —I remember that moment, it was so... confusing.

—Confusing?—. I arched an eyebrow, as we continued to sway in the dark. He laughed nervously, aware of how funky that sounded.

—It's just that I remember being so close to you, and feeling something I hadn't felt in the longest time. But, this time was completely different, you know?—. I hummed for him to continue explaining, cause I wasn't grasping what he was saying.

—Different how, Charlie?

—Remember what you told me when Chloe broke up with me? That I was going to find someone who made sense? I remember dancing with you, and looking into your eyes... and I was like, this makes sense. You make sense, Mils—. My cheeks cramped from the smile forming widely on my face, I couldn't handle the intense care I felt towards him. —It was always in front of me, and that day I just opened my eyes.

—I felt it too—. I confessed, and he seemed startled. —Like it was you all this time, it just hit me.

He hugged me tight, and we continued waving to the compass of the song, enjoying our freshly confessed selves. Without noticing, a few tears stained his shirt and a sob interrupted our dance. He grabbed my chin and lifted it up.

—Hey, what's wrong?

—I just... I've been having this horrible recurring dream about the accident Zhou had last week and...—. I started pouring out, confessing what was troubling my mind. —I'm so afraid, I'm so afraid every time you go inside that car. I don't want to lose you.

—Why didn't you tell me about this before?—. He said while wiping the tears off my face, and I instantly felt ashamed for turning such a beautiful moment into this, but the feelings got onto me.

—I thought it was going away, but it's been there every day.

He grabbed my face with both of his hands, the dim light of the minibar highlighted his delicate features, and I felt vulnerable but safe.

—Mils, you know how safety has increased over the years, and I know that I'll be okay.

—Yeah, I know Charlie... I guess it was just shocking, it's good to get it off my chest.

—I promise you, I'll always do everything in my power to go back to you—. I nodded, the lump in my throat disappearing softly.

—Always?

—Always—. He reassured me and kissed my lips softly. A rising warmth inside me appeared, knowing I was right where I needed to be. If love felt this way, I want to stay like this forever. —You can stay the night, it'll help with the nightmares.

***

Sunday started off in a fucking rush, my alarm never rang and I woke up with Charles' one. I hurried up, cause I had to go back to my hotel room and dodge anyone that could see me escaping my boyfriend's room. I didn't notice until I arrived at my place that I was wearing his gray sweatpants and Ferrari hoodie, thank God no one saw me.

I was thankful that today my drive arrived on time, and I flew to the circuit. The team was waiting for me but were comprehensive about my late arrival, we got to work and finish setting everything for the race. I had a little meeting with all the personal coaches of the drivers to assess the progress and any complaints the sportsmen had. Finishing that was quick, and I headed to the car in order to get ready, I saw Charles in the distance and he directed a wink to me, flashing me back to last night.

Charles grabbed me by the waist, as I rested my head on his chest. His scent filled my lungs and worked like oxygen. He stayed silent for a while, and I enjoyed the stillness.

—I really want to win tomorrow—. He said, caressing softly my hair. —I think after the sprint today, I really can do it.

—I believe it, Charlie, anything is possible when you feel confident in yourself.

—I just have this wave of... positivity. Like I feel something good it's coming.

—And I'll be there to watch you do it—. I smiled and lifted my head so I could see him.

—If I win, I want you to know that I'll be dedicating it to you.

The loud roaring of the engine made me come back to reality.

—Everything good, Camila?—. Dr. Roberts asked in a serious tone, probably scared that I was going to faint again. I assured him everything was good and we got ready to set up our vehicle.

The race was intense between Max and Charles, passing each other by and gaining back their positions. I was on edge, and it got worse when we saw Carlos' car on fire. We were held back, so the marshalls could enter, and they did. He was able to climb out, and they took him off to the medical center on a motorbike. I was dearly scared, but somehow it was easier little by little. Charles was winning, and there were two laps left when his radio turned on. I felt cold sweat dripping off my forehead when he said something was wrong with the car.

Come on, come on! Push!

He crossed the line and took the victory, he knew and took it. We finished setting up the car aside and parked it inside the designed garage, and we left for the celebration. I stood under the podium, next to the rest of the Ferrari crew. I watched him climb out of the car, and I smiled at the view. He pointed his finger to the sky, and the crowd went completely wild. I clapped and cheered on him, I hugged both Max and Lewis, waiting for Charles to finish weighing himself and turning off the engine of the car.

He came by, and I felt my heart ringing in my ears, wanting to make him feel my pride. I made a little wave with my hand, and he smiles widely, his dimples shining through the cameras. He walks towards us, everything feeling in slow motion, in one motion his arms wrapped me around, I felt his warmth surrounding me and I was ecstatic.

—This one's for you, Mils—. He whispered in my ear, and my arms were covered in goosebumps. He let me go and looked right at me, giving me a wink and moving on to his team.

We celebrated the podium, and I retire to the medical center to finish my responsibilities. I wanted to finish everything, cause I was sensing a celebration coming. As if they read my mind, Lando called me shortly to announce the big celebration clubbing, and I agreed. I went back to the hotel and changed into the nightgown (that consisted of a beautiful red dress with little heels), and headed to the classy nightclub.

I was well received, Pierre and Lando waiting with champagne glasses. Charles, George, Max, and Alex arrived after a few minutes, finishing the lineup for today. We all raised our glasses to the victory of the Monegasque, and podium for the Dutch. We danced all night and laughed uncontrollably and I really felt so in contact with friendships. Pierre was trying to call Kate so she could hang out through face time, but she didn't pick up. I was having the time of my life, dancing and twirling with the boys, and the time stopped ticking.

Charles came closer to me, and I stepped back. He was already flowing because of the alcohol, but I was still sober enough to maintain him at a public distance. He smiled and understood.

—Not here Charles, please—. I begged, and he raised his hands in surrender.

—You have no idea how much I would want to scream that you're my girlfriend...

I covered his mouth with both of my hands and whispered a big "shhh". He laughed underneath my grip, and I removed both of my hands from his face. I laughed and he came a little closer, and make sure I knew that we were safe. But even with that, I wasn't risking anything, and I declines the generous offer of a public kiss.

—Hey hey, gather for the photo!—. Lando yelled, instantly, Charles, Pierre, and George surrounded me, as we smiled and posed. His cellphone clicked, and the photo ended up saved to his camera roll. —It's actually pretty good, let me post it.

My phone vibrated inside my pocket, and I took it out.

@ lando.jpg tagged you in a post

Cheers to the victory, Charles! 🥂@georgerussell @pierregasly @charles_leclerc

@user123: ugh, I love this.

@ leclerc16: so beautiful to see them together :3

@gaslysteam: best group ever, can't change my mind.

I loved the photo, and when I was about to turn off my phone, a little notification grabbed my attention and gaze. God, when will this stop?

@ camilalunaupdates story

@lando.jpg post reposted!

@camilalunaupdates

Charles and Cami tonight in Austria 🥂
Credits: @ thaliagrs, a fan on the same club.

@ charlessss16: yeah, I can't buy the friends act anymore.

@ iveneverlookedsogood replied: they appear to be talking, nothing else.

@charlessss16: idk  🤷🏻‍♀️

I sunk into my internal chaos, letting glasses of champagne make me forget what I would have to deal tomorrow with. I wish it was easier for us, it would be easier if I quit this job.

But I love it too much to do that.

A/N: ohhhh, guys! This took me a while, I've been facing writer's block massively. But somehow, the chapters are appearing to be longer. I hope you are loving this, as much as I am, and have a Merry Christmas and new year!!

Love you, Gigi.