Lights Out • 1 • Formula One ✔️

Chapter 55

"Honey, I'm home!" I jokingly called as soon as I opened the hotel room door. Immediately I could smell the food that Max has been cooking, it's aroma drifting my way in the draught from the open window.

His head popped out from behind the wall that separated the kitchen from the main living space with a smile. "Hi, schatje. How're you?"

I dropped my bag down with my jacket and greeted him with a kiss. "It could've gone better." I shrugged. "But well done on the podium, I'm so proud of you." His arms wrapped around my waist and he smiled into another kiss.

"Thank you. You did good, too."

I rolled my eyes. "No need to lie. I was shit today. During quali, I easily had the pace to be competing for a podium. Shame I lost all those places at the start."

"Schatje..." Max frowned, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I need to be doing better if I want to have a seat next season. If I keep performing how I am, I'm going to end up losing my seat to fucking Stroll and go back to F2." I folded my arms across my chest and sighed. "Sorry for ranting."

"Don't be." He rubbed my arm gently before turning back to the saucepan on the stove. "Hopefully some food will make you feel better." I hummed in response, moving to the couch to finally sit down. There would be no point in offering to help as I know that he'd just say no.

I opened up Instagram on my phone and selected the group photo that we had taken earlier. After adding the usual filter, I added a caption: 'Tea and Tiaras 👸 // Lovely time meeting some amazing new people.' Everyone that was in the picture was tagged. I glanced at Max before I hit the upload button - how will he react to finding out I met his ex? Is it even a big deal? I decided that I'd deal with it as it comes and posted the picture anyway. The comments immediately came flooding in, especially from those who were quick to notice Dilara.

I shut my phone off before I read any more of the comments as Max walked into the room with a steaming plate of food. With a smile, he handed the plate to me. I mumbled a grateful thanks before we both tucked in. About halfway through the meal, however, Max had picked up on the side glances I would give him every time he checked his phone.

"Everything alright? You seem a little odd." Max put down his fork so that he could place a hand on my knee.

"Uhh," I looked down at my plate, "I met Dilara today. She seems nice." He fell silent, unable to form a response. After a few moments, I finally looked up at Max to see him staring at me.

Finally, he spoke. "She didn't say anything about me, did she?"

"No, she just wanted to apologise for Monaco." I replied. "She said that she didn't know you had a girlfriend and wouldn't have done anything if she knew. Also, she said that she's seeing someone so I don't need to worry about her."

Max seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"Nothing, schatje. I'm just glad that she wasn't mean to you or disrespectful in any way."

"You know, I thought I'd be angry at her for what she did to you, but I wasn't. Call me selfish, but if it wasn't for her mistakes, I would never have had you."

Max let out a sigh and squeezed my hand affectionately. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too"

***

"I'm telling him today." Kudzai excitedly grinned. She was unable to stay still in her seat despite the fact I had told her to chill since I was currently driving us to the airport. "As soon as we land, I'm going to give him a box with the tests and scan in as well as a baby grow."