delicate - charles leclerc

the bathroom

d e l i c a t e

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didn't they tell us don't
rush into things, didn't
you flash your green eyes
at me.

.҉    .҉    .҉

"SO," CAROLINA STARTS, "when did you and Charles start seeing each other?"

She's standing in front of the sink, her purse on the counter as she fixes her makeup. Nora's in an actual stall, so I can't turn to her for help.

"Oh—we—Charles—," I struggle, stopping to take a breath to compose myself. "We're just friends."

"Oh," Carolina says with a smack of her lips. "Really?" She asks, turning around and combing her fingers through her long hair. "I just thought with all the Ferrari fan comments you two were together."

"Nope," I answer, "just friends."

"And you are happy to just be friends?" She gently prods, leaning against the counter behind her. "No feelings or anything?"

"Well," I begin, a toilet flushes and Nora joins us outside the stall. She quickly washes her hands then turns to both of us.

"June I think I made a mistake," she starts. I was just happy to not have to answer Carolina.

"With what?" Carolina asks, folding her arms over her chest.

"Okay, so I told you about Mark, the reporter I was hooking up with?" Nora replies, Carolina nods. "So I've been ghosting him but like—I think that was a mistake."

"Is that what you were talking with Stella about?" I ask, standing beside her in the mirror.

"The therapist?" Carolina interjects.

I hum, and Nora says: "I didn't know she was a therapist in the beginning!" She turns to me and sighs, "I don't know, should I call him?"

I shrug, "go for it. But I don't want any responsibility if this goes bad."

Nora hums, "okay," and goes back to the mirror to reapply some blush.

We stay in the bathroom for a few more minutes, sharing bits of gossip and passing around tubes and powders of makeup.

"So June," Carolina starts again, "what is the deal between you and Charles? If you don't mind me asking."

I pick at the side of my nail, looking down at my hands while I try to find an answer. "We're just friends but—I don't know." Nora smiles at me and gives me a little jab in the side, Carolina laughs and I cover my face in my hands. "Guys, he's really sweet."

Nora leans against the doorframe of the stall behind her, clasping her hands in front of her. Carolina doesn't say anything either, silently encouraging me to keep going.

"He takes me out to eat all the time, and he picks me up from the airport..." I trail off, feeling my face heat up. "He always texts me to check up on me, and he jokes with me, and it kind of feels like flirting sometimes."

"He also has a really nice face," Carolina adds with a smirk.

"He does!" I say, shamelessly. "God, he has these dimples, and when he smiles he's just so—" I can't even find the words to describe him. It's occurring to me now that I really like Charles. More than I thought. "Guys, I'm way too old for this."

I turn to the mirror and go to fix my makeup after dragging my hands across my face. Nora comes up behind me and fixes my hair. "You're not too old," she says.

Carolina passes her a comb from her purse. "He looks at you like you're the moon and the stars," Carolina says, taking a step closer and looking at me in the reflection of the mirror. There was a soft smile on her face. Carolina has always been like the older sister I never had.

Nora combs my hair over my ears, gently brushing it out. "You look at him like that, too," she adds with a childish smirk.

I roll my eyes. "Whatever," I reply, dragging out the word. "We should go back out."

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this was a lot shorter but its a double upload today so dont complain

also i've clearly decided to keep this story going, i figured im really close to some key moments i might as well keep going! 

<m3