Jo and Charles had spent the whole summer together. He had taken him to meet his family. They saw how much Charles loved her, so they did too.

Jo was in the kitchen with Pascale. She was telling her about the strawberry cake she had made.

"The frosting looks so nice. I'm so bad at decorating cakes." Jo spoke, letting out a small giggle.

"You wanna know my trick?" Pascale asked and Jo smiled nodding. "A plate." She whispered like it was a secret.

"A plate?" Jo asked smiling, her eyebrows raising slightly. Pascale nodded. "You need to teach me your ways. I would've never imagined." She chuckled and Pascale chuckled softly.

Lorenzo and Charles were putting plates on the table. The older Leclerc saw his brother's attention being drawn towards the brunette girl. He saw his eyes glistening and a small smile unconsciously appearing on his face, the look of love if he had ever seen it.

"Mom likes her." Lorenzo spoke up pointing with his head towards the pair and Charles smiled looking down.

"She was really nervous before coming here." Charles mentioned.

"Really?" He asked and Charles nodded. "Well, seems like she adapted perfectly."

"I made an incredible vanilla cake the other day. Charles loved it." Pascale kept telling an attentive Jo.

"You need to give me that recipe." Jo chuckled.

"I have a whole book I can give you actually." Pascale opened a drawer pulling out a book and handed it to Jo.

"Thank you so much. Now I can cook my way into his heart." She joked and Pascale laughed.

"You don't need to. He's already madly in love with you. He speaks wonders about you." She spoke and Jo chuckled, feeling her stomach flutter.

"He's whipped." Another voice spoke and Arthur popped up. Jo laughed. "Oh, nice cake." He tried going in for the frosting but Pascale hit his hand.

"Ow." Arthur looked at her offended.

"Never touch the cake." Jo joked and Pascale nodded.

"Take it to the table." Pascale ordered the youngest Leclerc who had no other option but to follow her mom's orders.

They all gathered at the table.

"This looks so good." Charles looked at the cake.

"Arthur was already going for the frosting." Pascale spoke and everyone laughed.

"So the important question. Who gets the strawberry?" Arthur asked looking at everyone as he pointed at the strawberry at the center of the cake.

"I'm good." Lorenzo spoke and Jo nodded agreeing.

"I want it." Arthur and Charles said at the same time and looked at each other.

"There's just one way to settle this." Jo spoke up.

"Fight." Charles replied and Pascale hit his arm. "Ow." He rubbed his arm.

"That would've been fun but no." Jo replied chuckling. "My money would've been on Arthur." She joked.

Everyone laughed and Charles looked at her offended.

"Really?" He smiled raising his eyebrows and Jo nodded.

"I'm joking." She chuckled and Charles laughed kissing her cheek. "Rock, paper, scissors duel." She continued her suggestion.

"Thank you for making it civil Jo." Lorenzo chuckled.

Arthur and Charles looked at each other.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" They yelled.

Arthur put scissors and Charles made paper. Arthur clapped his hands and celebrated.

"Agh." Charles groaned.

"Better luck next time." Jo giggled as he rubbed Charles' arm.

"It's mine, mine, mine." Arthur celebrated with the strawberry in his hand.

They kept chatting and laughing as they ate cake. The sun was starting to go down as they made a karaoke at the living room.

Arthur and Lorenzo were singing Starships by Nicki Minaj.

"Starships were meant to flyyyy." Lorenzo sang making everyone burst out laughing.

"Hands up and touch the skyyy." Arthur sang in a high-pitched voice making the laughter increase.

Pascale kept laughing and recording, amused at the situation. Charles and Jo were sat together, he had his arm around her. She laughed throwing her head back and Charles laughed looking at her.

The song ended and both brothers got a round of applauses for their "amazing" performance.

"Didn't know you were Barbs." Jo laughed.

"Duh." Arthur replied putting his hand on his hip and Jo laughed.

"My ears are bleeding." Charles joked.

"I won't say anything because mine are too." Lorenzo chuckled as he sat down in the couch.

"Sing something for us so our ears can heal." Charles nudged Jo and she laughed shaking her head.

"Come on Jo." Arthur supported the idea.

"We haven't heard the pop star sing." Lorenzo encouraged her and she smiled.

"We would love to hear your voice." Pascale clapped.

"Come on Jojo." Charles whispered and she chuckled.

"If you insist." She joked shrugging and stood up. "What should I sing?" She asked.

"California Girls." Arthur spoke up immediately.

"What's with your white girl songs?" Lorenzo chuckled frowning.

"No, actually, that's a great suggestion." Jo spoke and Arthur clapped.

Charles put the song on with a smile on his face.

"Are you ready Jojo?" He asked and Jo nodded.

The song started playing and Pascale clapped.

"Wait, I need a backup dancer." She spoke and walked towards Charles.

"No." He laughed as she extended her hand to him. "Jo." He laughed harder when Jo pulled him.

"Bring out the moves Charlie." Lorenzo joked and Arthur laughed.

"I know a place. Where the land is greener." Jo sang and they al clapped.

"Give us a twirl Charles." Arthur yelled earning a glare from his brother.

"You could travel the world." Jo sang grabbing Charles' hand and spinning him around.

They all laughed amused as Charles shook his head with a smile.

"California Girls we're unforgettable." Jo sang as she moved Charles' hands around, trying to get him to dance.

Charles laughed giving in.

"The backup dancer is shit!" Arthur yelled earning a glare from his mother and brother.

Lorenzo and Jo laughed.

The song ended and Charles chuckled wrapping his arm around Jo's waist.

"You have a beautiful voice honey." Pascale told Jo and she smiled.

"She's actually planning on releasing a song." Charles told her mom.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but it's not quite done yet." She squinted.

"I'm sure it will be amazing." Lorenzo spoke.

"You'll be the first ones to hear it." She spoke and they smiled.

[...]

Charles and Jo had gone back to Charles' apartment after saying goodbye. They walked in and Jo sat on the couch.

Charles took off his coat and sat besides her. He wrapped her arm around her and she laid her head on his chest. She felt comfortable, she smiled softly realizing how much he enjoyed being with Charles.

She loved him.

Suddenly, the thought of the summer break ending haunted her thoughts.

"I don't want you to go." She whispered and Charles' heart pounded at her words.

Realization hitting him too.

"Don't worry. I can't wait to bring you with me to every race." He spoke and Jo looked up at him with a smile.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded.

"I would love to see you in the garage. To see your smile and hug you and kiss you like nobody's watching." He spoke and Jo's heart raced.

"I like that." She chuckled smiling.

Charles leaned in and kissed her softly. Jo put her hands on his face as their lips moved in synch. Their breaths got heavy. They panted against each other's lips.

They stared into each other's eyes, seeing their entire world. Jo put her hands on Charles' face and kissed him again, she kissed him with desperation, wanting to keep the taste of his lips in her mouth.

Charles slipped his hands in Jo's shirt. He traced up his hands through her body, wanting to get to know every part of it.

Jo felt Charles's cold hands in clipping her bra and breathed heavily.

"If anything feels wrong you stop me, okay?" He talked to her with a soft tone and she nodded.

"Everything with you feels right." She whispered and Charles smiled at her words, going in to kiss her again fiercely.

Jo got on top of him, sitting on his laps as his hands slipped to her waist. He slipped his hand in her skirt. She took a sharp breath feeling his cold hand getting nearer and nearer to her inner thigh.

He kept kissing him, her breath ran short as he felt his fingers in her. She opened her mouth letting out a soft moan against his lips which turned him on even more.

"You tell me how to touch you." He whispered and Jo grabbed his other hand and put it in her shirt, Charles understood and slipped his hand to her breasts.

She moaned as he moved his fingers. Charles watched her, every expression of pleasure on her face making him feel pleasure. Jo grind her hips as she felt closer and closer to climax.

She let out another moan and her eyes fluttered close. Charles put his hand on her face to keep her stable. He slipped his hand to her mouth and put his thumb in her mouth making her moan in pleasure.

Her whole body trembled around him and he breathed heavily as he moved his fingers faster. He leaned in Jo kissing her. She breathed heavily.

They started undressing each other. Charles got on top of her. His chain dangled over her. She pulled him in, their lips meeting again.

"I love you." Charles whispered as he kissed her neck, marking her.

"I love you too." She breathed heavily as she passed her hands through his hair.

Their eyes were filled with lust. Jo put her thumb on Charles' lips and stared into his green eyes. Charles went in her and she took in a sharp breath.

He started going at a slow pace. Jo felt him thrust into her and scratched his back as she let out a moan.

"Faster." She whispered breathless and Charles smiled.

"So you want it rough." He whispered and she smiled nodding.

"Fuck me really hard." She spoke passing her hands through his hair, messing it up.

Charles thrusted harder and she moaned. He moaned feeling her.

"You feel amazing." He moaned softly.

He thrusted harder and Jo moaned holding onto the side of the couch. Charles grabbed her hands and pinned them down as he went in faster and harder.

Charles moaned going faster, he grabbed Jo's hips pulling her in even harder. They both finished and Charles went in to kiss Jo.

"I'm scared of loosing you." Jo admitted.

"You're not loosing me." Charles assured her as he brushed his hands through her hair.

Jo smiled closing her eyes as she felt Charles' arm around her.

[...]

Jo had gone to her apartment for some stuff. She was basically living with Charles at this point, she was barely at her own place.

Charles had an important meeting with PR.

"So Charles." Silvia started. "Are you going out with someone?" She asked.

"Silvia." Charles did a joking tone and she laughed shaking her head. "Yes, she's my girlfriend." He smiled at just the mention of her.

"We've seen, you need to be more careful with that." Mia pursed her lips and Charles frowned.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"Charles, I'm sorry but you can't be seen with her. With the popularity you've been gaining it's not going to be good for you or for her." Silvia spoke, she felt guilty.

Charles didn't have words, he was confused.

"We're not asking you to break up with her. But this season Ferrari is shooting for the championship and all the attention is going to be on you. So just keep it on the low for a bit, yeah?" Silvia spoke in a soft tone.

"I...okay." Charles swallowed hard.

"We're so sorry Charles, I'm sure she's amazing. Just give it some time, okay?" Mia spoke and Charles nodded.

After the meeting was over he closed his laptop and sighed passing his hands through his face and his hair. He shook his head remembering what he had told her before.

How was he gonna tell his Jo that they can't be seen together? He just wanted to love her in front of everyone.

"Fuck." He cursed knocking a notebook from the table.

[...]

Jo, Nash, Charles, and Rose were playing a board game at Charles' place.

"And you're on my property, pay up Anne." Nash joked, making Jo roll her eyes at the use of her middle name.

"What if I don't want to?" She fired.

"Oh no." Rose mumbled knowing what was about to happen.

"You're going to jail. Criminal." Nash pointed at Jo and she hit his hand. "Ow!"

"Your stupid property can fuck off." She stuck her tongue out.

Charles was zoned out during the whole interaction. He didn't know how to break the news to Jo. Rose noticed this and waved her hand in front of him.

"Give me my money!" Nash yelled and Jo laughed.

Charles looked at Rose.

"Is everything okay?" She mouthed and Charles nodded pursing his lips.

"Fine!" Jo yelled throwing the money at Nash and they laughed.

"You don't have anymore money. You're doomed." Nash laughed.

Jo laughed and her eyes fell on Charles. Her smiled faded when she noticed his expression.

"Are you okay Charlie?" She asked and Charles looked at her.

"Yeah, just...." He stood up from the couch, putting the fake money on the coffee table. "I'm going to the bathroom." He made his way out.

Jo watched him walk away and looked at her friends.

"I'll go check on him." She whispered and they nodded.

She walked towards the bathroom and saw Charles on the hall. He had his head laid against the wall.

"Charles?" Jo spoke with a worried tone. Charles turned his head towards her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Jo." He spoke and she furrowed her brows walking towards him.

"What's wrong?" She asked putting her hands on his face and he shook his head.

"I..." He choked on his words.

"Talk to me." Jo whispered softly.

"I had a meeting with PR and..." He paused swallowing hard and Jo looked at him expectant. "They told me we can't be seen together." He went straight to the point.

Jo's heart dropped to her stomach.

"What?" She furrowed her brows.

"I get it if you're mad at me because I had promised to take you with me but then these happened and I just..."

Jo cut him off by kissing him.

"It's not your fault." She whispered and Charles closed his eyes for a second and shook his head looking away. "It's not." Jo put her hands on his face, making him look at her. "I get it. We are still together, right? We can make it work."

"I want to love you in front of everyone."

"You will, maybe not right now. But what matters is that you love me and I love you."

Charles smiled softly at how comprehensive Jo was being.

"You have no idea how much I love you." He whispered and she smiled.

"How much?" She asked and Charles chuckled softly.

"Can't say a number. Infinity." He whispered as their noses touched and she smiled kissing him.

[...]

"Are you sure you're okay with that Jo?" Rose asked after Jo told her and Nash everything.

They were having breakfast at a cafe near Charles' apartment.

"No." She admitted and Rose rubbed her arm, seeing the hurt in her eyes. "But I love him and he's worth it."

"Is he?" Rose asked.

"Yes." Jo replied immediately.

"Jo, you're really in love with him and that's amazing but..." Nash took a deep breath. "You're putting you heart on the line, you know that, right?" He spoke and Jo swallowed hard. "I would hate to see you hurt."

"I know, but you know him and he has always shown how much he loves me." She spoke and they nodded.

"He loves you Jo, no doubt. But sometimes love is not enough." Rose spoke and Jo took a deep breath. "Just promise me you will walk away if he hurts you."

"I promise." Jo nodded and Rose smiled softly, holding her hand to comfort her.

[...]

The moment Charles and Jo dreaded had finally hit their love bubble. Nash was helping Charles put his things in the trunk of the car.

"Thanks man." Charles patted his back.

"Hey, good luck mate." Nash told him and they hugged shortly. "You better win the Championship." He joked and Charles laughed.

"I will, just for you." Charles joked and Nash laughed patting his back.

He looked at Jo that was talking with Rose.

"She loves you a lot." Nash spoke and Charles smiled. "You're a great guy, take care of her." He told him and he nodded.

"Always." He looked at Jo.

Jo and Rose walked towards them.

"Have an amazing trip." Rose told him and he smiled giving her a short hug.

"Thank you."

"Tell Carlos and Lando that I will beat their asses on golf." She spoke and Charles laughed.

"I will." He chuckled and Rose smiled.

He looked at Jo and his heart dropped to his stomach. He pulled her in a hug, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't want to let go of her.

"I'm gonna be cheering for you from here." She told him and he smiled.

"That's all I need to win." He whispered and Jo chuckled kissing him.

"I can't wait for the winter break." He spoke grabbing her necklace.

"We should go skiing." She started making future plans, making Charles feel calmer.

"We definitely should. And bring Rose and Nash."

"And Andrea and Joris." Jo named his friend and he smiled. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too. To infinity." He whispered and she smiled kissing him again.

He let go of her slowly, not wanting to. He got in his car and started it.

"Bon voyage!" Rose yelled.

"I'm still cheering for Max though." Nash joked and Charles laughed.

He looked at Jo. His Jo.

She waved at him and he had to force himself to step on the gas, not wanting to leave. He started driving away, looking at her through the rear mirror.

Jo saw Charles' car disappear into the distance and felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. She put her hand on her chest like it physically ached.

Nash wrapped her arm around her, comforting her. Jo smiled softly at him.

Rose grabbed her hand also comforting her. She smiled and leaned her head on Rose's shoulder.

[...]