LOVE OR RIDE | LESTAPPEN

Chapter thirty-three - family reunion

"What?" I ask finally.

"Have you seen the way he looks at you?" the woman smiles broadly.

"Everyone keeps telling me that." I says.

"Because no one has ever seen a person look at another with such eyes." Mom glances toward the door, where Max has gone. "Take care of this relationship, Charles. Don't let him go, because you will never meet someone as good as him." she adds.

"I know, mom. You don't even know how grateful I am to have him." I also smile. "And I'm glad you liked him." I add.

"I don't want to be unkind, but why don't you give him painkillers and water instead of alcohol?" says Lorenzo as Mom stands up, taking wine out of the dresser. The woman looks at me with raised eyebrows.

"He's talking about Max." I say quickly, to which the woman nods and puts the alcohol on the table. After a while, she goes to the kitchen and returns with the pills and water.

"Are you drinking?" my brother asks me, to which I nod. Yesterday I was dealing with two idiots, so I deserve to relax.

"So when are you going to live together?" mom sits down again across from me.

"We live together." I hear Max's voice.

Surprised, along with my surprised mother, we turn in his and Arthur's direction. They walk towards us smiling, and Max looks in my direction, ignoring everyone around him. Well, except for my mom, whom he glances at when he says those words.

"We live?" I ask, to which Lorenzo parries amused.

"Charles, have you been sleeping alone for several months?" he asks raising his eyebrows.

"Well, no, but... It wasn't official living together." I say confused. Yes, I would like us to live together so officially, but it's not that easy. We have races, other rooms, our own homes....

"Charles Leclerc, will you officially live with me?" he asks seriously, to which I slap my hand over my face, which elicits a laugh from Arthur.

"Yes, Max Verstappen, I will live with you." I smile broadly.

"Officially." prompts my mother.

"Officially." I repeat after her amused, which elicits that beautiful smile from the Red Bull driver.

"So when's the wedding?" asks Arthur.

Suddenly there is silence and we all look in his direction, and after a moment he understands that he said something stupid, as he mumbles something under his breath, returning to the room. Wonderful day.

***

"May I know where you're leading me?" I ask amused, glancing down at our intertwined fingers. Max, with a smile, has been leading me in an unfamiliar direction for several minutes. We flew to Japan two days ago because I recently mentioned to my boyfriend that I would like to explore the country. I'm beginning to wonder if I should keep quiet next to him, because everything I say, he remembers and fulfills it. "Max, everyone is looking at us." I add, however, it doesn't spoil my mood. The boy said that since everyone already knows, we don't have to hide at all that we are in a relationship, and despite my fear, I agreed, because after all, having him next to me will be fine.

"Are you surprised at them? I'd look at you myself, even if I were seven years out of wedlock." He winks at me. "Come on, it's not far now." He adds, climbing the stairs.

"God, don't say that... Now I'll have it in my head that he's signing caps to his fans who would gladly divorce me if I wanted them." I wince at the thought.

"So what if you would want them? I wouldn't let you out of the room." He smiles, opening some doors and we enter some room. "Remember when you said you had a terrible date at the movies?" I nod, confused. "Then it's time to make that change." he adds, turning on the light.

I look around the huge, empty cinema hall. In the middle, Next to the seats there is popcorn and drink, and Max lets go of my hand and walks in that direction, glancing if I follow him. Only after a while do I move behind him, still stunned by what's happening.

"Where is everyone?" I ask, sitting down next to the boy.

"Everyone is already there." He shrugs his shoulders, so I look at him like he's an idiot. "No one else is coming, because I rented the screening just for us." He rolls his eyes, specifying the answer.

When I want to speak up to tell him that he spends too much money on me, he stuffs popcorn in my mouth, at which I start laughing.

"Don't spoil my date with your whining." He crosses his arms over his chest. "So, you were supposed to go with Pierre to a new movie, but he stood you up. In fact, I told him to get you here, because everything was already planned then." He says, moving closer to me, as we sit on a two-seater couch.

I look at him in shock, and he places a kiss on my lips with a wide smile and glances toward the screen where the movie starts. He leans his head against my shoulder, embracing me at the waist, and I kiss the top of his head. I swear this man is the fulfillment of all my dreams. I have never met a man who loved and appreciated another as much as he does. After a while, I rest my cheek against his head and we watch the movie in this position.

Already at the beginning Max has fallen asleep, because I know perfectly well that it's not his kind of movie, so I appreciate it even more. Halfway through the video, the boy awakens, and as he moves, he accidentally drops the drink that was standing next to me. I jump away as if burned, and a sleepy Max looks at me confused. Only after a while does he realize what he has done.

"Damn, sorry." He says, wiping his face with his hands.

"I'll survive." I smile, taking off my sweatshirt. Fortunately for me, the shirt is dry. The only problem will be the sweatpants. "And how will I go out to people..." I sigh, looking resignedly at the wet chair. "What are you doing?" I ask as he starts to pull off his pants. If his plan is for us both to walk around in boxers, I'll thank him.

"Swap." he says, handing me his sweatpants. Surprised I want to refuse, but seeing his look, I nod in agreement. I take off my wet sweatpants and put on dry ones.

"You look like you peed yourself." I say amused.

"Mega nice." He says seriously, but after a few seconds he smiles, looking at the screen where the closing credits are already on. "Super movie." he adds suddenly.

"Yes, especially that moment where Pierre's dog appeared." I make up to see if he knows anything of what was going on.

"Yes." he nods, at which I start laughing. "There was no such moment, was there?" He asks embarrassed, to which I nod. "Well..."

"Maybe let's go buy you some pants. I'll pay this time." I say, extending my hands toward him. Suddenly I take a step sideways and fall on the popcorn, almost toppling backwards, but Max quickly grabs me around the waist and pulls me toward him, causing me to avoid falling.

"Soon I'll be the one who has to pay for putting your bones together." he parries amused.

"Don't spoil the date with your whining." I repeat after him and catch his hand, intertwining our fingers. "Come on honey, I'll take care of you, because you look like the seventh misfortune." he says.

"I wonder by whom."

"Because of you." I parry, walking toward the exit.