beyond the grid - max verstappen

part forty.

so sorry i havent been updating this story, i havent felt all that motivated 

the first day I spent alone in this flat, I enjoyed the solitude. I embraced the feeling of not having anyone relying on me, the lack of pressure relaxing me.

now, I stare at the ceiling not a thought in my mind. with shaky hands I pull myself off the lounge, unsure how long I had been laying there. I place my head in my hands going over the article again and again in my mind. Im sure more people had read what my mother had told the Australian gossip sights as more articles seemed to be popping up every day.

lando hadn't mentioned anything of it so Im sure neither daniel or bella knew about it either. I knew as soon as they saw anything there would be email after email from them offering to be there for me if I wanted to talk about it.

I grab my phone off the small coffee table, holding the button down to turn it back on. my body stiffens as the notifications seem to be rolling in. the odd message from both mclaren drivers, pierre and bella, but nothing out of the ordinary from them.

I scroll through the rest of the notifications, ignoring all social media apps just focusing on the texts. one contact caught my eye in particular. max.

hey didn't catch you before you left the airport

wanted to see if you were around this week

ace?

why are my messages going green?

lando said you went to Switzerland

is everything alright?

let me know when youre back in Monaco and we can go to the beach in eze

my chest fills with warmth at his simple words, checking in with me and if I was feeling better than I do now, I would reply instantly taking him up on the offer.

just as I am about to turn my phone off again, the front door swings open and the dutchman that I was just thinking about walked through the door way. he didn't notice me as he tried to shove the key into his pocket, balancing a cardboard box in his other hand, so I had a moment to take in his appearance and consider mine. it wasn't often that I saw him out of his usual workout wear or redbull uniform. but today he had on a black tshirt with DADDY written in white writing and a pair of plain black shorts. with a quick look down at myself, I instantly want the ground to swallow me whole, I was still wearing the same pyjamas I had put on at the start of the week, which also reminded me I had not cleaned the flat at all. bowls and cups laying all around, and when there were no more clean glasses, I had started to use mugs. the place was a mess.

he jumped slightly as he noticed me sitting on the lounge. his eyes then scanned over the room, taking in the mess that I had created and the content look he entered the flat with changed quickly to confusion, then worry, and finally sombre.

"how did you get in?"

"what are you doing?" we both speak at the same time. he scrunches his eyebrows together at the sight of me dangling off the side of the lounge.

"the lady at the front desk let me in" he shrugged still standing in the door way cardboard box in hand

"okayyyyy" I pull myself off the lounge and make a subtle attempt at picking up all the dishes around me. "why are you here?"

"I tried to call you..." his eyes remained on me as I place all the dishes into the kitchen sink. he still hasn't moved an inch.

"I turned my phone off. Ive been really busy"