The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

Chapter 34

"How is this supposed to work?" Jenson suddenly spoke up and pulled Joanna away from her thoughts.

"Should we tell stories or are we going to sit in silence in the dark and get drunk? I don't want to judge anyone, I just have no idea how this is going to work." Jenson added and to be true, Joanna felt the urge to box him. He was as insensitive as she was sometimes.

"What about stories?" Sebastian offered softly before gestured for the others to come over as well. Soon all people present were gathered around the couch and listening to one of Seb's stories. Joanna knew that one already, but she loved it nevertheless.

Jules had come to Sebastian before his first F1 race ever, totally panicking, but way too cool to tell Joanna or Daniel, so he went to Seb with him being one of the two GPDA directors. Seb had to calm him down and promise him that he was good enough to be here and that he deserved it before Jules finally got all his confidence together to get into his car. 

It was a fun story, the way Sebastian told it, but it caused Joanna to realize that Jules always had feared not to be good enough, even back then, when they were still young and stupid. When mistakes still didn't seem to matter and they were way too competitive. 

All the people present laughed at exactly the right moments, even Daniel apart from Joanna and Charles. The young Monegasque was still hovering in the back a restless expression on his face, he seemed to notice the same thing Joanna noticed. Jules was never truly meant to drive an F1 car. They shouldn't have let him. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean that it's right for you. 

"What about you, Josie? Want to tell a story?" Nico Rosberg asked after a few other people told stories, Daniel, also. She hated the pizza bet story, but Daniel loved to tell it, so she had to listen to it again. 

"I'd rather pass. Excuse me a moment." Joanna said before getting up and leaving through the french doors, walking until she was standing on white sand. Kicking her trainers off, Joanna stepped into the now already cool sand, before wiggling her toes a little bit. She understood why Jules loved the sand so much. Looking up at the stars, she wished he would be with them. She wished she would have stopped him. Would have called someone.

"You knew him." An unfamiliar voice called but Joanna knew right away who it was. She didn't even have to turn around. So she wasn't imagining all these glances, Charles had really been starring at her.

"We all knew him." She called back, still not turning around, but the boy was stubborn. Joanna could hear the steps getting close and heavier in the sand. Charles didn't bother to get rid of his shoes as she did.

"No. You really knew him." He said as soon as he was standing next to her, a hopeful glance in his eyes. She liked that one better than the hopeless and cold gaze he was having before. But what did the boy want from her of all people? He should better talk to Daniel if he wanted to cry over Jules with someone, who truly knew him.

"Let's go for a walk," Joanna suggested nevertheless. The Austrian didn't wait for a reply from Charles, she simply started to walk closer to the sea, the Monegasque hot on her heels as soon as she freed himself from his frozen state.

"I've seen you at the funeral but didn't dare to talk to you. I feel out of place without him." Charles added as Joanna still said nothing, she simply walked through the wet sand, with the shoes in one hand.

"So do I." She admitted, shortly looking at Charles. Funnily enough, the young Monegasque had the exact same expression as Jules when he was worried. What a coincidence. It fucking tore Joanna's heart apart. Well, she had to live with that.

"I understand, you know. Why he did it." The boy muttered after a few more steps, before stopping totally. He clenched his hands at his sides into fists, his eyes painfully closed as if trying to suppress the tears. Joanna turned around as she noticed that Charles wasn't following her any longer. Tiddling her head to the left, she watched him with watchful eyes.