Zoe
"Why?"
Max's voice was a bit louder which surprised me but also himself. I quickly stood up as I remembered Jos yelling at me in my office. Max looked at me in question but I just turned around and went over to the bed.
"Why Zoe, tell me why." he nearly begged and followed me.
"Because you said that at the begin of the season, remember? And now you do this stuff just because you want to prove your point at Leclerc. You do it because he likes me and you cant accept that and now have to do this stuff even though you don't even like me. Also your dad"
"Don't drag my dad into this." he interrupted me but I could only laugh.
"Ten minutes ago you were crying because of him and now you protect him. Like what the fuck Max."
He seemed surprised by my words and thought for a moment before he calmly answered.
"The situation with my father is not of interest for you so don't talk about him."
He was hurt while saying these words I could see it but my anger was stronger than my concern.
"If this is just between you and him than why did you came here, to me?"
"Because"
"Because what Max? You know what, did you know why I wasn't at the podium?"
We were yelling at each other and I was sure that my neighbors wouldn't be too happy about the loud noises in the middle of the night.
"Yeah my father said you were tired and had private things to do so you went back to the hotel."
I laughed and went back to the bed.
"What?", he asked curious and started following me.
Suddenly I stopped and stretched my arm out so he would stop with a distance.
"YOUR FATHER THREATENED ME AND SAID I SHOULD STAY AWAY OR I WILL LOSE MY JOB. ANYWAY YOU SAID I SHOULDN'T FALL FOR YOU SO WHAT DO YOU WANT? FUN? WELL VERSTAPPEN I AM NOT A FUCK GIRL SO YOU FUCK OFF. NOW!"
With that I turned around and crawled under my covers with my back facing him. I was about to cry and I didn't want him to see that so I couldn't look at him. I just heard a sight followed by footsteps and then the light was turned out and I heard the door open and close.
I thought he left but suddenly I felt someone laying in the bed next or better behind me. While the tears were running down my cheeks I wasn't able to say something and didn't want to. I needed him and even if my head told me to shout at him, deep down I knew it, I needed him here and now with me.
Slowly I felt his arms around me and he pulled me back towards his chest. His breath was in my neck and I got goosebumps when his arms tighten its grip. Carefully I placed my hand on his and intertwined our fingers.
"I am so sorry babe." he whispered and before I could think about it too much I fell asleep.
The last thing I noticed was how he placed a kiss on my neck.
-
When I woke up the next morning Max was gone so I started packing all my things as our flight was about to leave in two hours. It would be a private plane to Austria as we need to do some things at the RedBull head quarter there and it would be Christian, Checo, Max and some other people and of course me.
But when I arrived at the airport I didn't see the Dutch and therefore asked Christian.
"He went with his father to the Netherlands, some family stuff I think. He will come then straight to Budapest."
I nodded and sighed quietly while I took my seat across from Christians.
"Didn't you two talk?"he asked concerned and I was somehow happy that he was there for me and party concerned about my feelings.
"Jos threatened me and said I should stay away from his son or I will lose my job and when Max came to my hotel room last night I told him that but he was angry and said I shouldn't speak about his dad."
Christian didn't seem to be too surprised with what Jos did but he shook his head and sighed loudly.
"He is just a dick let's say it as it is but don't worry, your job is safe as long as I live I guarantee you that. And if you like Max and as I see you two I know it, don't let him destroy that."
"But what if Max is on his fathers side?"
I bit my lip as I felt how my tears were coming up again but I didn't want to cry in front of my boss. Even though it felt more like a conversation with a good friend or even family.
"Max always does what his fathers says but this time will be different. At the begin of the season I could see all the hate in his eyes when he looked at you but he didn't hate you, he hated the situation and he did every week a bit more because he liked you, deep down he did and he was angry that this whole pretending thing would ruin it for him.
He made a small break before he continued.
"One day he came angry to a meeting and afterwards I asked him what the problem was and he said that Leclerc would flirt with you and the whole pretending thing would be leaked if he would ask you out. But at the moment I already knew that it was just an excuse because he liked you and didn't want any other man near you."
"But if he really liked me then why did he always bully and insult me?"
"He was confused and his father was putting pressure on him to end this thing, but he couldn't do it because he would lose you if all this would be over. You would have gone with Leclerc and he would have lost and not only lost the game with Leclerc but also lost someone he cares about."
"I wouldn't have gone with Leclerc." I whispered, already unable to speak normally as all these things were confusing me.
"I know." Christian said and gave me an apologizing look.
"But what if his father make him avoiding me? I don't want him to suffer because of me. Maybe I should go back to Milton Keynes." I said after a while, thinking about how broken Max was after his father yelled at him after the race.
"No Zoe, you are staying right here with us. Max needs you more than he will admit it and you two are a great team, on track and off track so don't throw that away please."
I slightly smiled at Christian and thanked him for his kind words. I didn't even know why he was suddenly so concerned about my and Max's relationship even there wasn't a romantic one but I was glad that he supported me, or us and he wasn't angry at me like Jos was or is.
The longer I thought about the whole situation and everything that had happened the last days, the more I got scared. Scared for Max that his father would be mad at him and blame him for everything, for his feelings. If Christian said the truth and there were some. Because I still couldn't believe it that he had told me at the begin of the season that I shouldn't fall for him and than caught feelings himself.
But luckily I couldn't bury my mind too deep into it as the plane was landing in Austria and we had to leave to the head quarter. It was a magnificent building and everything seemed so perfect. As we walked into it I kinds missed Max next to me.
He probably was here already a couple times ago but I would have loved to share this look now with him. Hopefully he was okay in the Netherlands with his father.
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Pretending | Max Verstappen
Fanfiction"I warn you, don't fall for me," he said, but fell instead.
