The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

Chapter 18

Nico kissed his temple without so much of a word, before gathering his phone and wallet from the nightstand. He quietly opened the door and turned around, giving the room one last look as Lewis spoke up quietly, the Brits face still covered by the pillow. "Promise me you won't sleep with her."

Lewis wasn't asking. He told him too, but Lewis knew that Nico would sleep with Vivi when she wanted him. And Nico was aware that Lewis thought that he knew him that good, but it still hurt him because it wasn't true any longer. The only one he slept with in the last three months was Lewis Hamilton. Even when Vivi had wanted him, before they decided to break up, he was fast to find a reason why they shouldn't or even couldn't.

"You know that I don't promise things." He said without looking at the Brit. The only thing he ever promised was that he would never lie to Lewis and he failed terribly. Breaking this promise yet again would mean breaking the last crumble of trust they hold for each other and he would never risk that. Not again.

"Yeah. I know, but don't expect me to greet you when I meet you in Monaco." He smiled cheekily, before remembering that Nico might not be able to see him and the Brit was right. It was still so dark he could barely make out the shape of the man he loved but it was easier to see him in the middle of the bed as soon as Lewis looked back at him, his gentle brown eyes were reflecting the light from the hall.

He loved that side of Lewis. The cheeky, carefree man, who was always looking for his next adventure. "Stop that or I will have to join you again!" The Mercedes driver ordered him, which caused the other man to laugh before he threw her pillow at him. "God damn it, Nico. Leave."

And Nico did leave, but not without leaving a message on the bedside table. He couldn't tell Lewis himself that he would get a divorce, but he could leave back the piece of paper, with the confirmation of the appointment. If Lewis cared, he would be able to figure it out. It was a shit thing to do a few hours before a race, but Nico couldn't leave Austria without Lewis knowing. Maybe he broke his promise to himself to finally set Lewis free. Maybe he tried to cheat on fate itself, but in war and love, everything is permitted.

-------------

Max never believed himself to be a good person, not really. He had spent a lot of time in his life doing stupid, reckless things and saying words before he thought about them thoroughly. He was hot-headed, immature, and an overall menace. That's what he'd been told, at least.

He lived 19-or-so years of his life with that in mind, the vision of himself created by the regret of acting before thinking. He couldn't help himself, though, as his tongue seemed to work faster than his brain, and often would he say things he did not mean in the heat of the moment.

Leaving his room at the Red Bull facility, Joanna was still on his mind. For the first time in so long, he felt unsure. Not knowing how to speak with Joanna, how to make things right again. Normally, his path was set. If he unintentionally upset a sponsor, he was told exactly what to say to apologize, but now he was on his own. No one could help him. Max would never ask for help either. 

Maybe he really had overreacted. He should just try to talk to Joanna, explain to her how he saw things. How things felt to him and how he understood them. You could talk to Joanna, she was a reasonable woman, he just didn't know if she ever wanted to hear his apology. Maybe he was just a toyboy for her and she simply was no longer interested in him.

Not looking where he went, Max ran right into his ever smiley teammate, but today the Aussie wasn't smiling. Maybe a week ago, Max would have asked Daniel what the problem was, but now he couldn't care any less. 

"Watch where you're going," Max growled at Daniel, before brushing past him, but Daniel was fast to get a hold of his arm. Pulling Max back, the Dutch protested, but Daniel wasn't having any of it. He tracked Max back to the facility and into a room, which happened to be Christian's office.