Charles
Yesterday I was angry with Max, and I know I shouldn't have been. When I ran out crying, I was almost in a state of screaming that he was ruining my life again, even though it wasn't true, and then I got the contract that would make me give up on him and I calmed down. Suddenly I wanted to drop everything and run to him to apologize and beg on my knees not to sign it. I took a risk, feeling that he loved me and would definitely not choose Formula, after all he promised me. I made a fool of myself by calling everyone at Ferrari, and eventually, when I was done yelling, they stated that they didn't want me to leave because this contract was a FiA extortion and they wanted to help me somehow and preferred to wait until I calmed down instead of interrupting me. I knew people would find out at some point, because we weren't particularly careful with what we showed outside, but seriously? A fucking elevator?
"Max, eat something." I said quietly, slipping the plate of food I had prepared in his direction. Since we entered the dining room, the loud conversations have quieted down, everyone is whispering, and I nonstop feel someone's gaze on me, as if we were monuments in a museum. I know they probably have some kind of ban, because Max and I are suspended until the case is solved and we can't even sit in the fucking garage.
I'm worried because the boy has gone quiet since yesterday. He didn't eat dinner or lunch because he decided he wasn't hungry. Now he is also immersed in his thoughts, and only when I speak to him does he come back to reality, glancing absently in my direction. I know it's hard for him when his father behaves this way and not the other way, and on top of that our friends have started to avoid us, which I won't say, it hurts me too, but I realize that Max is more affected by it. After all, he and Daniel have been almost brothers for a long time, and he would probably want to talk to him, not me.
"I'm not hungry, Charles." He pushes the plate away again.
"You need to eat something." I add, looking at him carefully. I don't know how much I look at him like that, but he finally softens under my gaze and takes the plate back to himself, beginning to reluctantly scoop the pasta onto his fork. "If you feel unwell here, we can go back to the room."
"That's not the point, Charlie." He sighs, putting the fork aside and wipes his face with his hand. "When I approached Daniel today while you were preparing the food, he acted as if he didn't know me." I bite the inside of my cheek, looking at him sadly. I know how much Daniel means to him and I feel like strangling him for leaving Max in such a terrible situation "And he wrote this." He takes it out of his pocket and pulls it toward me.
"Unlock." I say as he hands me the smartphone in his hand.
"The date of your birthday." he mumbles, returning to his food. I hold my breath, glancing at his face, and notice an almost invisible smile.
"Since when do you have such a password?" I ask surprised, unlocking the phone.
"I don't know, since we reconciled." He shrugs his shoulders.
From: Daniel
Don't come near me again.
I furrow my eyebrows, reading this message several times. As I lift my gaze to Max, the boy finishes eating his pasta, which makes me feel better, but him not so much, so my perfect plan pops into my head.
"I'm taking you out for the day." I say, handing him the phone. He looks at me confused as I smile, like a fool. "And we can take P if you want." I add, knowing that her presence will also improve his mood, and I like this girl, so I have no problem with that.
"What are you making up?" he asks curiously, and I pretend to zip my mouth and shrug my shoulders, getting up from the table.
On the way to my room, where we both have all our stuff and Max's room is empty and neither of us has been in it once, the boy calls Kelly, who came with P to the race. As we enter the floor, Pierre is standing at the door waiting for us. I furrow my eyebrows as I walk up to him, and he puts the phone in his pocket, smiling.
"Are you all right? I'm sorry I didn't sit down with you, but the teams forbid us from showing up in public with you until this shit is resolved." He looks at me feeling guilty. I lift the corners of my mouth, wanting to show him that I am not angry, which he immediately notices. His gaze shifts to Max and he tightens his lips into a thin line. "Max, you know how much Formula means to him. He almost lost it once and doesn't want to..."
"He doesn't mean anything to me anymore." my boyfriend interrupts him, and shivers run through my back when I hear his voice devoid of any feelings. Pierre and I look at him, and he walks into the room without waiting for anyone.
"Will they reconcile?" I ask concerned.
"I don't know, Charles. They had a fight yesterday and..."
"Did they argue? Max didn't say anything." I furrow my eyebrows. I thought it was just about the message," he said.
"They argued about you." The boy is tired of all this combing his hair, and I shake out my eyes, listening to what he says. "Daniel, when Max accused him that Formula was more important to him, he blamed it all on you and said they wouldn't be friends because Max left their friendship for you. Of course you know what Max is capable of doing for you, that's why he didn't leave it without comment and ended up in a terrible argument."
I stand in complete shock, listening to my friend's words. When he sees my face, he starts laughing, which amazes me even more. I know what Max has already done for me when Lewis misbehaved. He even treated that awful Nathaniel badly when he started calling me names. So I shouldn't be surprised that he didn't let anyone call me a bad name this time either, but this continues to be Daniel. His friend for a long time, with whom he is as close as with his brother. I didn't think that instead of listening to him, he would decide to do something like this. I thought I was lower in his table of important people than Ricciardo.
"Don't stand there so surprised, because you look like you don't know how much he is capable of doing in your defense." He says amused.
"I didn't think even Daniel." I said frankly.
"Daniel? Man, he even has a war with his father over you! You're in a relationship with him, and you still don't see it." He shakes his head brokenly.
"I don't see what?"
"That he will literally do everything to make sure nothing happens to you. That's why I'm calm, because I know you chose well and I don't have to run and defend you. I'll finally relax." He pretends to sigh in relief. "Go to him, Write me in real time what you have agreed with the teams. We will meet in the evenings at the hotel, otherwise I will be thrown out."
Before I have time to respond, he walks quickly toward the stairs. Further in slight shock I enter the room, Max is standing at the window, looking at the views outside the glass. Seeing him, I immediately have Pierre's words in my head, so with a wide smile I walk up to him and embrace him from behind.
"Are we going?" I ask as he glances in my direction.
"Where?"
"Surprise, come on."
He rolls his eyes displeased, at which I parry with laughter and take the keys to the car. After a while we walk down to the garage in silence and I hand the keys to Max, getting into the passenger seat. I prefer it when he drives, if we're going somewhere together. I don't know how to put it, but I'm comfortable enough with him that I'd rather be a passenger than a driver. The amused boy also gets into the car, and I search the navigation on his phone for the address where we are supposed to go.
When the Ferrari starts playing on the radio with a wide smile I turn up the music, starting to sing the lyrics. Max closes the windows he opened and bites his lip to keep from starting to laugh.
"Turn it down." He says, glancing in my direction.
"My car, my rules." Proud of myself I straighten up as he raises his eyebrows. "Well, what about the sun?" I add, and he stops holding back his laughter.
A moment later, at the intersection, someone forces priority, causing Max to brake violently, and I, through the lack of a seatbelt that I had completely forgotten about, know that I will fly forward, so I uncontrollably clench my eyelids, waiting to collide with the glass or the dashboard, but I feel his hand on my stomach and hold me down, causing me to avoid bruising my forehead.
"Thank you." I say quietly, opening my eyes.
"Belt." He ignores my words, focusing his gaze on the road, but glances at me to see if I'm okay. "Don't smile stupidly, Charles, just fasten your seat belt, because I'm about to brake on purpose so you'll have a bruise." He adds, and I realize that I have actually been looking at him with a smile for a good dozen seconds.
I buckle my seatbelt, and the rest of the way we listen to songs and I browse through Instagram, seeing fans happy about our relationship. Every now and then I smile, reading the comments aloud, which also improves the Red Bull driver's mood. We're both mildly nailed by the fact that everyone is currently at the track in training, and we can't be there because we fell in love with the wrong people, according to FiA.
After a while we arrive in front of Kelly's hotel, where P runs out when he sees the car. Before I can get out of the car, she's already jumping into the back seats. An amused Kelly approaches from Max's side, so the boy opens the window and takes the little one's backpack from her.
"Officially?" she asks.
"Well, I'm not likely to post pictures of us kissing, so yes." he answers her, and I only realize from his words that it's about our relationship.
"You know what awaits you when he stands weeping in front of my door, don't you?" the girl asks me, pointing her index finger in my direction.
"I guess." I reply amused, to which he nods with a smile and heads back to the hotel, wishing us a good time.
In silence we leave again for the main street and Max, looking at the navigation, drives towards the place I've chosen.
"Then what about my fucking unicorn?" asks P. Suddenly we both glance at her and burst out laughing, making her smile as well.
"I'll buy you a unicorn." I promise, to which the girl begins to enjoy and sing song lyrics with me. We dance, or rather move our hands and shout, instead of singing the lyrics. Max merely smiles, leading the way. I don't force him to do anything, because I know that this smile is still a lot, looking at how he feels. I didn't think he would do that much for me. "I have an empty house when I return." I mumble suddenly.
"You always have, Charlie." He replies amused. "You are no longer seventeen years old for your family to be there.
"Indeed." I sigh, leaning back against the seat. "Then will you stop by?" I add with a smile.
"I'll stop by!" shouts P.
"The door is wide open." I turn toward her.
We spend the rest of the trip talking, singing and having a pleasant silence. It's been a long time since I felt as good as I do today, even though the problems haven't escaped. But that's nothing. Today is all about having fun before we return to gray reality.
When we get there, P starts squealing with happiness. I decided to take the two of them to the beach, next to which there is an amusement park. I know Max has never been here, so I've decided to make it my goal to take him everywhere my parents took me when I was young. I want him to know the childhood I had, because I know he doesn't remember it well.
"First the carousels or the beach?" I ask, getting out of the car.
"Carousels! Please!" shouts P, grabbing Max's hand.
We both nod, and maybe that's a mistake, because for the next few hours we take turns with her on every possible roller coaster until we've ridden them all. Only then does a tired P state that we can go to the beach.
"Everyone will be looking at us." says a discouraged Max as I spread out a blanket for us, as P lying on hers has already managed to fall asleep.
"No, because I rented it for a few hours." I shrug my shoulders.
"What?"
"Nothing." I wink at him and sit down on the blanket. "What are you doing?" I ask as the boy starts to take off his shirt. "Don't undress, just because there are no people here doesn't mean..."
"I'm going to the water." he interrupts me amused. "But I like your train of thought." He adds, taking off his pants. "Did you take underwear or are water attractions not on our schedule?"
"In the car you have." I lie down on the blanket, closing my eyes. I feel good, so carefree and normal, and this hasn't existed in my life for several months.
After a while, I hear Max getting into the water. I don't even know when I fall asleep, tired from these two days. First I didn't get any sleep because of the date, then because of this situation with the leaked recordings. I have to finally sleep off these days, or else I'll go back to taking medication again.
That's right, medication. Since I have Max next to me, I can't remember the last time I took it. I fall asleep like a baby whenever the boy is around and I don't know how it happens, but I'm not complaining. He didn't either, especially since I made him aware of it, and he was satisfied that in that case he couldn't leave me alone.
After a while, I feel cold water dripping onto my sun-warmed body, or rather onto my shirt, which is already glued to my body. I shudder and open my eyes lazily, seeing Max's smiling face. He has his legs between mine and rests his hands on either side of my head and looks at me.
"I'll be wet, come down." I mumble, wanting to push him away, but he moves closer and places a quick kiss on my lips.
"But great!" exclaims P. "You mean you're together?" he adds, running up to us.
"Exactly." Max responds when I glance at him. It's funny, but I feel more confident, because although it's a baby, it's a very important baby to him, and I know that by telling her this, he's confident in his words and us. "And you get up, because we have to go back. Kelly wants to take P to the track." He adds, lifting himself up from me.
I roll my eyes when I see my wet clothes, but reluctantly get up. I doesn't even comment on the fact that they both have all wet hair. Of course, I texted Kelly and she knew to pack P a bathing suit, so there was no problem swimming, as you can see from the rest. I don't know how long I slept, but I know a long time when I see their pale skin from the cold water.
We get our things and I pack them into the car while they went to the bathrooms to change.
"So what are our plans for the evening?" I ask as we all get into the car.
"Christian called, we have to go to him." He leaves the parking lot, placing his hand on my leg.
"All right." I nod. I hope our lives will soon return to normal. At least it's a good thing that Max has reconciled with his mom and sister, and Hamilton has let him go. It's just a shame that we got more problems in return.
On the way home, we pull up to the store, and I buy P a large plush unicorn, which means all the way to the hotel, we listen to the girl enjoying and talking to him, or rather talking to him, and Max responds, making the girl think that the unicorn is magical. I look at nothing with a smile again thanking in my head that I have Max next to me and he is not going to run away from me anywhere.