In the Spotlight (Max Verstappen - Book Two)

Chapter Sixteen

I immediately hit a hard surface as I look behind me exiting the door, checking that the two Alpha Tauri drivers are still on the floor. I fall backwards onto the floor and look in confusion at the doorway before seeing a pair of amused blue eyes look at me causing realisation to hit before they leave mine and peer behind me into the room where I feel Daniel and Pierre now standing. "Really? One sick girl got past two of you?" Max chuckles, raising an eyebrow at the pair of them who I can only imagine looking sheepish.

"She's fast!" Pierre protests from behind me as I huff, blowing a piece of hair out of my face.

"You're racing drivers? What happened to having good reaction times?" Max returns, tilting his head as he waits to hear more excuses.

"I'm not sick," I say defiantly as I stand up, brushing my clothes down in case anything got on them.

"Oh really, and that's why you slept for, what? Three hours after a two-hour flight?" Max asks raising an eyebrow at me. I just stay silent glaring at all three in the room. "You're getting there, but you aren't better yet."

"I think I know my body better than you." I retort quickly, annoyance flowing through my body as I clench my fists.

"Do you?" Max challenges as the tension rises at his somewhat suggestive question and we stand glaring at one another.

"Besides, physical exercise will help. You heard Emily the other day, easing back into it will help me regain my strength quicker. Plus, you should want me to push myself, for the team." I say drawing my eyes away from Max towards Daniel and Pierre who are both just standing, eyes wide as they find themselves in the middle of our confrontation.

Max walks over to me and puts a hand on either shoulder as he crouches slightly so that he comes down to my eye level, "do you really think that I care about anything other than you and your health?" He asks lowly and I'm caught in the intensity of his eyes and words.

"She did say she was going to do yoga," Pierre said quietly pulling us out of the trance and Max steps away as I trade him a victorious look while his eyes just travel down my body, lighting me on fire slightly with his gaze as it moves inch by inch down me until he looks back up, smiling smugly at me.

"With your running trainers, huh? New yoga routine includes the treadmill?" He questions crossing his arms as he questions me like a toddler.

"It's my body, my health, my training. You are not my trainer, you are not my doctor. You have no authority here." I say, my voice raising as my frustration grows.

"I am your teammate. Like it or not, I care." He says, matching the volume of my words to the alarm of both the AT drivers who walk towards the two of us, Daniel towards Max, pulling him into the room and closing the door behind him as Pierre comes to stand next to me, gently putting a hand on my shoulder to try and calm me down to my annoyance. I quickly shake it off and to my delight, he doesn't try again as Max and I are still engaged in some sort of staring competition.

I go to open my mouth, ready to retort with something brutal until my eyes drift from Max's to Dan's and he shakes his head lightly, warning in his eyes and I remember who I'm talking to, softening almost instantly when I look back to Max and see the passion in his eyes. "I'm sorry, of course, but you don't get to dictate what I get to do and what I don't, regardless of how much you care. Those are my decisions." Max scoffs but I see Daniel squeeze his shoulder in warning for him to not push it. "You can come with me and we can do the yoga all together if you want? And yes, I was going to have a quick run on the treadmill to see where I was in terms of health. Nothing challenging, simply trying to gauge it." I tell him as I slide the trainers on my feet and pick up my RB hat from the counter beside where I'm standing.