Shadows Between Us - Max Verstappen

six - the charity event

Amelia finished applying some lipgloss and looked herself in the mirror. She was wearing a beautiful black gown dress. It had a sweetheart neckline, it was strapless and had a slit that ended mid thigh. It hugged every curve of her body and she felt good in it. Her hair was loosely curled and she decided to let it stay down.

Her phone made a noise and when she checked, it was Max saying he was downstairs. She grabbed her small purse, putting there her phone and keys, and left her apartment.

When she got outside, Max was standing with his back to her, but when he heard Amelia's heals on the cobblestone he turned to her and she held her breath. He looked so handsome in a black suit and his hair was brushed back. Her heart was beating fast as she approached him.

Max was enthralled with the sight of her. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. As she approached him, Max felt his heart beat fast.

"You are breathtaking, princess," Max said, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Thank you, Max. You look very handsome," She said and smiled. They stood there looking at each other for a heartbeat longer and then Max opened the passenger seat door for Amelia. When they were both in the car, Max set the place on his cars gps and followed the route.

They were quiet for the whole ride, which wasn't very long. Amelia was nervous for Max to be in the presence of his family, considering all that she had told him and how they were in general.

When they got there, Max opened the door for Amelia and gave his car keys to the valet. He offered her his arm, which she happily took.

"What do I call your family? And do we have to curtsy or something?" Max said as they walked in, sounding nervous.

"You can call my father 'sir' and my mother 'ma'am', or by their title 'Your Serene Highness', but 'sir' and 'ma'am' is ok," Amelia said and they walked in the room where all the people were. It was a sort of ballroom, very large and tall. There was a small orchestra in the corner and tables around the room.

"My siblings you can call them by their names, Jacques and Gabriella, and no, you don't have to curtsy. A hand shake is fine," She said and noticed how he was looking a little lost. "Are you nervous?"

"I am. I didn't feel this nervous when I won my first WDC. You didn't prepare me well enough for this," Max said and Amelia stopped walking.

"It's ok Max, we can go back right now," Amelia said and Max shakes his head.

"No, I want to be here for you," Max said and they go sit at a table.

"I have to abandon you for like 5 minutes, ok? I have to walk in with them," Amelia says and Max nods.

"And then you'll sit here, right?" Max asks and Amelia smiles.

"Of course," She says and gets up. Before she lives, she leaves a kiss on Max's cheek. "Thank you for doing this."

Max smiles, a little flustered, and nods.

Amelia makes her way outside the ballroom and finds her family waiting on the other side.

"Glad you made it in time today," It's the first thing her father says when she approaches them. She decides to ignore him and goes to her siblings.

"How are you guys?" She asks, crouching to their height.

"We're hungry," Jacques says.

"We're eating in 5 minutes, don't worry," Amelia says smiling.

"You look so beautiful, Amelia," Gabriella says, touching her dress.

"Thank you sweetie, you look beautiful too," She says kissing Gabriella's cheek. "You too, Jacques."

She kisses her brother's cheek too and stands next to them. The doors open and they start walking out as someone calls for each one of them, with their titles. When their all inside, all the people are standing and clapping. This is absolutely ridiculous, it's Amelia's first thought. They walk to their table, where Max is standing waiting for them, and he pulls her chair for her.

Amelia can't help but notice the stare her father sends her when he sees Max, but he doesn't say anything. Her father makes a speech and then everyone starts eating. In the table they were sitting, besides her parents and siblings, there was also her aunts, Princess Stéphanie and Princess Caroline, who engaged in a conversation with her parents.

When the dinner was finally over, everyone stood up as the orchestra began playing again. Her father approached them.

"Dad, this is Max Verstappen. I'm sure you've heard of him," Amelia introduced, and Max stretched his hand.

"Nice too meet you sir," Max says. Prince Albert forces a smile and shakes Max's hand. He gets closer to Amelia, still forcing a smile.

"Why did you bring him? You know he has a bad reputation, right?" He said and she felt Max shift beside her.

"He's a nice guy, Dad. He's just accompanying me," Amelia says, sighing. She really didn't want to start a fight right now.

"This is so typical of you, Amelia. You will do anything to ruin things for me," Her father says and fixes his suit.

"You know what Dad? I don't have patience for your shit today," She says and turns to Max. "I'm going outside for some air."

Amelia walks away, trying not to hit anyone who's dancing. She goes through a door leading to the garden. She walks a little to the right and finds a bench to sit. She takes a few deep breaths and focuses on the calming sound of the music from the orchestra. She feels someone walking to her.

"Hey, are you ok?" Max asks, standing in front of her with his hands on his pockets.

"Yeah. I'm sorry you had to hear that, Max," She says.

"Don't worry about that, I've heard worst," Max says and Amelia sighs. That doesn't make her feel better, it makes her feel sad that people treat him like that. They stay silent for a moment, only the sound of the orchestra and the crickets filling the air.

"Do you want to dance?" Max asks, offering his hand for her to take. She looks at him, a little surprised, and smiles, taking his hand.

Amelia puts her right hand on Max's shoulder and takes his hand with her left one. His other hand goes to her lower back, bringing her closer to him. They sway to the sound of the calm music, feeling so at peace that it's just them there and no one else.

Amelia lays her head on Max's shoulder and he leans his cheek against her head.

"Max?" She calls.

"Yes?"

"You're not the monster everyone paints you to be."

Those words strike him more than he will ever admit to anyone.

"Not with you," He whispers. "Never with you."

Amelia lifts her head from Max's shoulders and looks into his eyes, those beautiful eyes that amaze her every time she looks at them. She leans forward, wanting to kiss him, but doesn't make the move. She's scared everything will change. She's scared that she will like him more then he likes her and her heart will be broken again. Before she could even regret anything, Max touches his lips to hers and all her fears disappear. She brings her hands to his hair and he pulls her even closer to him, kissing her deeply. When they pull apart, their breaths are uneven, but their hearts are full. They smile at each other and Amelia feels like her heart could burst.