On Top of the World [Max Verstappen - Book 3]

10

Monaco, 2027

God...Monaco.

This city, well country, was my home for four years and now this was my first time back since I left on the 4th of January, it's now late May and I'm here for the Grand Prix and honestly...I wasn't sure about it. Liv had insisted that I stay at my flat for the weekend and now I was just standing outside the door, realising I had never told Max to leave.

Max.

I still hadn't spoken a single word directly to him. The both of us were being pretty good in the press, not saying a bad word to one another but I was well aware of the headlines that surrounded us, our fallout and his relationship. Sofia. I also hadn't spoken to her since the New Years' party we attended together, nor did I want to. I didn't even know if she actually knew about Max and me or if she, like everyone else, just assumed that Max had finally decided to stop pining over me. That was the public perception, that I was a cruel temptress keeping Max under some sort of spell-like I wasn't the one totally broken. Max had started the season off great, only not winning the races that his engine failed to the shock of everyone. Well, everyone but me. I knew what he could do when he was focused.

I was struggling, the Mercedes drove so differently from the Red Bull and while I was closing the gap there was still some disconnect between me and the car. I look down at Senna who has begun pawing at the front door, that's how long we've been standing here and I groan, finally turning the keys in the door and pushing it forward, Liv behind me sighing in relief that she would finally be able to sleep. She, Nick and Dani piled into the flat while I stood at the door, watching them switch the lights on as I just look around, for some reason expecting Max to be around the corner which I knew was insane.

I'd heard from friends he'd moved back into his old flat within a week of the breakup. One week. To be fair, he did a lot in that one week. He moved out, got a girlfriend and had a kid. Got his proxy family immediately after we broke up.

It helped, knowing he got what he wanted.

It still fucking hurt as well though.

I sigh as I push away the discomfort in my chest and walk in, feeling a dull ache as I look around and feeling glad that I had chosen to stay away for as long as I had. This sucked.

No Sas or Jimmy. I didn't even like cats, and neither did Senna but right now I missed them and their howling for food the second I walked in the door. I glare at the apartment before my eyes meet Liv's and I realise that I need to stop and so I just sigh, dropping my bag by the door and following them in, noticing how clean everything was.

I chewed my lip in confusion. No one had been here in about five months, so why was the place spotless? "Liv, did you pay a cleaner to come?" I call out to her in the kitchen as I walk to the living room, drawing a finger along a surface and seeing nothing come with it.

"Er-no?" She calls back and I try to shake it off, turning around and walking over to the island, chuckling at the sight of Nick already making coffee for the four of us. I just shake my head, not asking the question as I inspect the kitchen, also spotless. "Okay, quick game plan then. Wednesday tomorrow, you're meeting with Lewis and you're going to go over the car and the track until your head hurts and you can't do it anymore." She tells me and I chuckle, nodding. "Thursday is media...Sky is running a programme on you because you're the most successful driver on the grid currently in Monaco having won it three times and the Amber Lounge fashion show event. Then Friday, Saturday, Sunday drive."

"Sunday, party," I correct and she rolls her eyes.

"Not the Red Bull one?" I wince and see her instantly regret the question. "Right, sorry, obviously not."