Unexpected Love - Max Verstappen

Chapter 8 / Sofia & Max's POV

I'm still sitting in my room, leaning against the door. It's getting harder and harder to breathe again.. I'm doing the only thing I can think of that can help me now... I quickly put on my jogging clothes and start jogging through the city.

I don't know how long I've been running but notice that the pressure on my chest is not getting any better... slowly I become desperate... otherwise jogging always helps, so why not today? I stop completely out of breath. ..my heart hurts I let myself sink to the ground... The pressure on my chest is getting worse and worse. I feel helpless..Tears have been running down my face again. I notice that I'm getting dizzy... I try to hold on somewhere but I have no strength. I sit on the path next to the road... no one far and wide.... nobody to help me... I would like to scream but I can't...Why didn't I take my phone with me??I'm getting more and more dizzy...but then I see a light from far away.

Max POV

I couldn't believe what I just heard from Charlotte's mouth. We all sat there in shock.. nobody said anything.. Sofia got up and left the room. Charles yelled at Charlotte in French.. I didn't understand a word of it until the two left the room..

"What shall we do now?" Lando asked after an eternity of silence.

"Shall we tell George?" asked Lewis.

"Or we give her time to calm down and let him know tomorrow?" Lando said but the uncertainty came out.

"You're right," says Lewis. I say nothing about it.

Everyone goes to their rooms after the action... I'm in my room but I don't feel well... I saw how exhausted Sofia looked... I should make sure she's better...I made my way straight to your room.What should I say to her when she opens the door? I didn't think about that..

I knock on her door several times but no one opens. I put my ear to the door but I can't hear anyone in the room.. hopefully nobody will come by now, I look like a creppy stalker standing here at the door.

On the way back to my room, a thought occurs to me, she said she goes jogging when everything is too much for her. It must be she is jogging.. but how do I find her? And where did she go? I'll take my car.. maybe I can find her faster that way..

It's late and the streets are really empty. I can't see her anywhere I'm really worried.. but why? actually I hardly know her..Suddenly I see a person at the very end of the street.. She is sitting on the sidewalk.

My heart is beating faster and the closer I get to her I can see how exhausted she looks. I just park on the street, there's nothing going on anyway. I open the door and walk straight to her. I kneel down and just take her in my arms..

"I was hoping to find you, Sofia" was all I said. She trembled and barely moved. I could tell she wasn't able to speak right now. "You don't have to speak, just try to breathe and listen to me" I just started talking, I told her about my time in karting and how my dad and I traveled from race to race. I always had special fun to drive in the rain.. when we were on the way back and it was raining then my father turned around and i drove as many laps as possible in the rain, i enjoyed going to the limits. I don't know why I told Sofia about it, it just gushed out of me.

"So you were a normal kid after all?" I heard her say and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" I asked her in surprise.

"I mean every kid loved to play in the rain" she said and I could see the faintest of a smile on her lips.

How cheeky she was made me smile too. "I'm glad you're feeling better, do you know how much I worried when I saw you sitting on the floor" Ah did I really just say that out loud?

Sofia's POV

It calmed me down when Max took me in his arms and just told me tight. He speak so passionately what impressed me and distracted me from my panic attacks. Of course I couldn't resist a cheeky joke. Only now did I realize that I was still in his arms, I had also leaned my face against his chest. He held me so tight, I just felt so safe.. it's so illogical and yet I hardly know Max.

I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him "Do you know that you are a very good hugger?" He smiled a little and replied, "I have to admit, Daniel has told me that more than once before."

We just looked into each other's eyes, although it was dark, his eyes were shining.. and since when did he have such an incredibly cute smile?

"I'll be honest, I was really worried and I hope for Charlotte that I don't see her in the paddock tomorrow"

"How did you actually find me?" I really wondered that.

"Well, long story short. You weren't in your room, so I remembered that you go jogging to clear your head. And well, I thought I had a better chance of finding you by car," he said and continued to look at me deep in the eyes.

"Thanks" was the only thing I got out first "I'll be honest I've never had a panic attack under control as quickly as I did right now." I added.

"The most important thing is that you feel better, shall we go back to the hotel?"

"Yes you have to go to bed too, you have a race tomorrow" I said seriously. Max and I drove back to the hotel, he parked the car and again he accompanied me to my room.

"sleep tight princess, see you tomorrow, here is my number if you get worse call me any time" before he left he kissed me on the cheek.

I took a shower and lay in bed... why did he call me princess? And why did it make me smile?