Always

Chapter 23

It's the day of the Monaco Grand Prix, and like always the Monégasques fans are in high spirits, and me a little less. Everyone knows about the Monaco curse, yet at this very moment that is the least of my worries.

" Alexander calm down, we are just walking into the paddock together it's not like I'm asking you to marry me." Max says, what is it with everyone and talking about marriage these days?

Shaking the comment about marriage away, what Max said was right tough and besides he has more to worry about than me, I've been openly gay for 5 years this shouldn't be such a big deal yet still I'm afraid, but knowing Max will be beside me is what is calming me down at this moment.

"Yeah you are right,come on let's go." I give him a quick kiss and then open the car door.

The moment everyone realizes that me and Max not only were in the same car but are walking together down the paddock everyone starts shouting questions and screaming at us. We aren't even holding hands, god knows what they will do the moment we announce our relationship.

I see Max looking at me making sure I'm okay, I give him a smile and a nod reassuring him I'm fine. He and I quickly part ways as he signs stuff and I see Lando arriving so I go and greet him.

" Hey, Lando!!" I yell getting his attention. He notices me and almost runs me over at how fast he charged at me. He hugs me tightly and whispers into my ear, " You whore! I can't believe you and Max of all people are dating, you are living the enemies to lovers trope." I shove him off me playfully.

" Shut up, and you know I have always been a sucker for that trope!" I say making sure nobody can hear us. He laughs at me and invites me to the McLaren garage, but I decline knowing my brother will have my head if I'm not there for him today.

I approach Max, telling him I'm going to the Ferrari garage, and of course me wishing him good luck, even though he doesn't need it, giving his arm a tight squeeze with my hand hoping it will show him how much I mean it and by the sly smile of his face I can tell he knows how much I mean it.

The moment I am in the Ferrari garage I am met with a frantic looking Charles, clearly worried about the clouds and the weather predictions for this race. " Alex, thank goodness your here, I could like really need one of your odd motivational speeches at this moment."

As I open my mouth to reply Carlos chips in, " Me too, I can also use one of your weird philosophical speeches." A seeming really tense Carlos asks.

"Okay first of all, my speeches isn't weird they are just different and secondly if I can somehow get Max Verstappen of all people to date me you can get in that fucking car and drive, besides think of it this way Fear is the product of your own imagination, and it is not the real thing if you stop imagining it.Look at you. You are not that weak to allow your fear to kill your  dream. You need to fight back. Fight for what you love. Fight for what you dream of. Fight for your life.
Fight against your fear. Don't let some stupid 'curse' defeat you instead make it your bitch."

By the end of my 'speech' I am breathless and honestly in need of some water. I see both my brother and Carlos just staring at me with big eyes, " stop staring and acting like little children, go you your engineers need you."

They both snap out of it with mumbles of thank you's and a side hug from Charles. Where would half of this grid be without me wacking some sense into them from time to time? Probably flipping patties at McDonalds, I mean Ferrari isn't far from it with those hideous new clothes of their, that was definitely a choice.

I make my way towards where my mom and other brothers are sitting, I can see they are just as anxious, I really don't think I have another, 'it's going to be fine' speech in me.

"Alex! See I told you he would be here on time" Enzo says towards Arthur. " Surprised I haven't seen a leaked photo of you and Max kissing yet that's all." He says with a teasing smirk on his face.

"Oh yeah? Kinda how I haven't seen a photo of you and that other girl? Would truly be a shame if someone sent in a photo of you too canoodling on a yacht, wouldn't it be?" I say wiping his smirk right of his face.

"Would you two stop it!? I am already under enough stress with Charles and your bickering isn't helping, and oh so help me if I get another wrinkle because of you I will not hesitate to give you both a slap against the head." My mother scolds causing all of us to shut up.

The race starts and the cars takes off, I feel my mom griping my hand tightly for support so I give her hand a squeeze of encouragement, knowing how much she needs it.

Of course like always Max leads and holds down the P1 position. I feel a sense of pride washing over me, I mean that is my fucking boyfriend?!

Yet, I am worried about Charles, Carlos and the rest of the drivers the whole race. But after many panicked moments, countless worried glances from me towards my brothers to Max crossing the finish line first and Charles sixth, the race ends.

Me and my whole family make it towards Charles car and give him a big family group hug, and lots of I'm proud of you's. He may have come sixth but regardless he raced amazingly today.

"Go congratulate him." He says to me as everyone pulled away from the hug. It takes me a moment to realize what he meant but when I did I give him a smile and run towards the redbull garage.

I see Christian and he smiles at me and point towards where Max is being congratulated by his engineer. I mouth him a quick thank you before going towards Max.

The moment he realizes I am here he pulls me into a bone crushing hug, "Congratulations, you deserve it, you were amazing today, well you're always amazing but you get it." I say and I feel him chuckle against the skin of my neck as I ramble on.

"Thank you for this, I wouldn't want to win if I didn't know you would be watching." His words shouldn't have affected me so much but I can feel the blush on my cheeks.

I jokingly push him away telling him he stinks but he could see right through me. Soon I watch him hold up his trophy on the podium next to Fernando and Esteban and a bigger smile couldn't have made its way on my face.

In this moment I realize, Max is the truly the one, the one I want to experience everything with, his wins and his losses, him teaching our kids how to race karts, us growing old together. I want it all with him. I love him. Always.

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Author note:
THANK YOU FOR 10K reads. Love you all SO much❤️❤️❤️❤️
Also I just had to slander those yellow and red Ferrari suits and shirts, I'm sorry but I hated it😭
And can we take a moment to appreciate how I like to include the title of the book in quite a few chapters, I feel like it brings everything together so nicely.