Your Love is Mine

Old Habits Die Hard

Max made it to the sand and dropped the board as he fell down to his towel and lay on it.
It wasn't until he felt his sun being blocked that he looked up.

Max: What?
Lando: What was that?
Max: What was what?
Lando: The tantrum. I thought you and Charles were okay after last night.
Max: We wer- We are.
Lando: So... Why is he so concerned about you?
Max: Ask him mate.
Lando: Open up Max. That's all I can say.
Max: What do you mean?

By this time Max was sitting upright and Lando moved to sit next to him. Out on the water Charles and Pierre were still surfing.

Lando: I mean it's been years. You can't keep everyone shut out and only let in who you want.
Max: Lando, with all due respect you have no idea what you're saying. I don't shut people out.
Lando: You do. Can I ask something? Where did this whole thing with Charles even start? You guys had to have realized after last night how much better it was when things were normal.
Max: Lando, I'm not answering that. Not now. Not ever.

Max lay back down without another word. Lando fell back next to him, unsatisfied with how this has ended.

Lando: No. You will. Now. What happened? Without knowing that I can't help.
Max: You're a good mate but I don't know why you have to try so hard here.
Lando: I care about both of you and enough dodging. We've had this conversation.
Max: Fine. If you must know it's all on Charles.
Lando: How?
Max: He started all this. The rivalry, yeah, it's all him.
Lando: How so? It usually goes both ways.
Max: I never wanted a rivalry to happen. I thought we were best friends at one point. Then one day it all just stopped. The plans, the chats, the gaming... I reached out but never heard back so I gave up trying. He made me the enemy and I have no shame in giving him what he clearly wanted.
Lando: You two drifted apart... is that why you hate him? Did you feel like he gave up or-
Max: -I don't hate him. I couldn't, I just hate what happened. He disappeared out of my life and I'd moved past it and then he came to formula 1...
Lando: And it all came back?
Max: He blamed me for the distance, he clearly saw no benefit in what we had and unless he was going to lose out on anything he wouldn't have disappeared like that. So that's my point, he had saw no reason to stay. He doesn't care for the price of anything unless it affects him... even with others included in the price.
Lando: I never knew any of this. Damn Max. You guys clearly have history.
Max: You have no idea...

Pierre: HEY LOSERS! GET BACK OUT HERE! WAVES ARE GREAT!

Max: You should go. You and Pierre deserve to have fun. I'm going to go back to the hotel.
Lando: Nope, come on we're both going.
Max: Lan...

Charles: COME ON GUYS! PLEASE MAX!

Max: What the hell. Let's go.

He and Lando ran back to the waves grabbing the boards along the way.

Pierre: Took you guys long enough. What were you doing?
Lando: We were just talking
Charles: Listen Max about earlier-
Max: -It's over, don't worry about it. But if you wanted to win so bad you should've just asked me and I'd have given you the wave.
Charles: Oh please! You think I can't beat you on the same wave?!
Max: You can't.
Charles: You're on Verstappen...

*****
Once lunchtime came around the four of them had gotten changed out of their swimwear and were seated at a restaurant overlooking the beach.

Pierre: Well surfing was fun don't you think?
Charles: I enjoyed it. Especially when I beat Max.
Max: Yeah yeah. Whatever. I'm still beating you and your little Ferrari in the title fight.
Charles looked up and examined Max's face as if trying to find signs of humor or amusement...
Nothing...
It was very quiet now.

Lando: Uhm... this just got awkward...
Pierre: Yeah. That's my cue to get some more drinks. Lando?
Lando: Let's go.

Charles: Really Max?
Max: Sorry, old habits die hard.
Charles: Speaking of...
Max: Charles, careful.
Charles: I- I want to say sorry.

These words caught Max so off guard he had no words to say.

Charles: Sorry for prying last night. Things were going so well and I kinda ruined it. I won't anymore. Tell me everything when you're ready.
Max: Charles I-
Lando: -You're talking again. Great!
Pierre: Did we interrupt something? I can just see the tension.
Max: No we were just talking. Right Charles? We're good?
Charles: Yeah definitely good.
Pierre: Perfect. Well tonight we're going out so there must be no arguments okay?
Max: There won't be.
Charles: Agreed

The two of them shared a look before returning their eyes to their plates.
It was in that moment something happened inside Max's mind and he didn't understand what exactly it was but he knew it couldn't be a good sign...