Charles Leclerc 02

Charles and you have been friends since childhood. You've been by his side through the best and worst of times, accompanying him through every stage of his life. You've always watched him from afar as he went from relationship to relationship. At first, you didn't mind; he was your friend. Every time he started dating someone, you took a step back out of respect for his partner.

He recently broke up with his last girlfriend, but he didn't want to tell you why. Still, the reason wasn't hard to guess: he liked you. However, he wasn't going to admit it. He tried hard to deny it, afraid of losing you if he confessed.

Sometimes you accompany him to his races. You don't travel much, but when race week is in Monaco, you're always there.

This time, Charles was giving an interview. He'd gotten his first podium finish and was thrilled about it. However, when he looked away from the camera and saw you chatting animatedly with Oscar, his expression changed subtly.

The interview ended and he headed toward his motorhome. You followed shortly after. Hearing you enter, Charles spoke without looking at you:

"Are you Oscar's friend now?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

I don't know when I started looking at you differently. Maybe I always did, but I refused to accept it because you've always been there. You were always my refuge, my constant. The only person who knew all my sides and never walked away... and that scared me. Scared of ruining it if one day I said what I really felt.

I've been through relationships, yes. Some lasted longer than they should have, others were just distractions. But the truth is, none of them were you. And even though I tried to convince myself I was okay like this, deep down I knew I was just hiding from the obvious.

Today, as I celebrated my podium finish, I felt like everything was fine. Until I saw you laughing with Oscar. It wasn't jealousy... or maybe it was. But it was more than that: it was realizing that you too could leave, that at some point you could turn that smile on someone else... and that I'd still be here, biting back my words, pretending we're just friends.

I don't know how to hide it anymore. Every time you're around, I feel more at home. But every time you move away, even a little, I feel like I'm losing something I didn't even dare to ask for.

When I asked you if you were Oscar's friend now, it wasn't just a question. It was a clumsy way of saying I care. That I care more than I should if this were just friendship.

And even though I don't know how to continue without risking what we have... I don't want to keep pretending it doesn't affect me. Because it affects me. Because you matter to me. Because, without realizing it, you became everything.