The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

SEQUEL - Chapter 31

Hello and welcome back. In terms of chapters, surprise, we have a chapter. We means me and my 7 other personalities if someone wondered. Anyway, so, new chapter huh? Did I know what I was doing, I hope so. But yeah. I just really wanted to update something but I'm working on a tiny surprise for you guys, I'm not saying what it is because if I do it will surely fail, so yeah. I haven't been working on this story a lot and with personal life coming into the mix, it's a mess. My life, this book only partly. But yeah. Comments are nice, make me feel appreciated a lot and yes, enjoy this chapter. Cheers! 

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"Why are you grinning like that?" Joanna wanted to know while looking up from the menu the waiter had handed her and over at Max who just shrugged before taking a sip of the water, still grinning which he tried to hide with a well-placed glass right in front of his face, but Joanna knew him which also meant she was aware what amused the father of her unborn child.

"No reason," Max answered which earned him a look from her, before she rested her broken arm on her belly. They were waiting for Daniel and Sebastian to arrive after Max made sure to ask them to meet up for dinner to which both men instantly agreed leaving Joanna uneasy.

"You, Max Verstappen..." She spoke, while pointing at him subtly after checking over her shoulder if anyone was paying them any attention but her eyes were still narrowed slightly causing Max to put the glass down, the grin never leaving his lips. He was highly amused by Joanna's sudden fear of looking into her dearest friends' eyes.

"...are enjoining this way too much." The Austrian added causing Max to reach across the table to rest his hand on top of hers.

"Oh, come on," Max said. "Let me have this moment. You won't be bothered at all while officially meeting my parents but this bothers you so let me enjoy it. I sweat through my dress shirt as I met your father, and he grilled me about my intentions concerning you."

"A fond memory," Joanna noted. "At one point I was sure you would start to shutter." The Austrian added causing Max to take his hand from hers to return to the menu.

"Charming." He muttered under his breath, causing Joanna to roll her eyes at him affectionate before silence settled over them for a long moment, both of them busy with going over the menu until Max watched Joanna over the rim of the menu as she reached for her glass of water and took a slow sip, her hands unsteady.

"He liked you." Joanna then stated as if it was the most natural thing to say which caused Max to raise an eyebrow not understanding right away what his girlfriend meant, but then realisation struck him.

"I can't say I ever understood my father, but I know that in the end, he was glad I had you," Joanna said, earning herself a conflicted look.

"At the end, when I left you alone," Max muttered causing Joanna to reach over the table to take the Dutchman's hand, so he would look at her.

"Hey." She murmured, their eyes meeting for a brief second. "That wasn't your decision."

"I should have been more persistent. I know you better than myself, I should have seen what was behind it. I should have been more sensible."

"I can't ask you to hold up the world for me, Max. We both did all we could." Joanna's words were met with a soft look from Max.

He wanted to. He really wanted to hold up the world for her as Atlas did for the humans, but Joanna was right, he couldn't. All Max could do was be there for her, holding her hand and going through whatever may come their way together. It might not be much, but it was all he had to offer.

Reaching out to pull Joanna's chair closer to him, the Austrian watched him for a moment, his face mere centimetres away from hers, one of his arms on the back of her chair, the other gently rested on her baby bump, causing Joanna to rest her hand on top of his, before smiling at Max. It was the Dutchman who leaned in first, but the Austrian did not hesitate to meet him in a soft kiss either, raising her hand which was resting on his on the baby bump to his cheek to hold him closer.