Pretending | Max Verstappen

- 21 -

Max

just after qualifying

P5 was not great I knew that, but it was the best I could do today. There were so many things on my mind lately and then the team hadn't done a good job with my run plan and I ended up behind the Ferrari of Charles.

I wasn't especially happy, no I was actually a bit frustrated but I knew that the points would be given away tomorrow so that was the important day and the third row wasn't the end of the world so everything was still possible.

When I came back to the garage my father wasn't there any more and I knew that this wasn't a good sign. He was always there until the end, but not when he was angry. He didn't want to make a scene in front of the team.

But because he cared for me but because then everybody would think bad of him and for god sake that couldn't be happening. He was the greatest and best father ever, at least that's what he thought.

I quickly exchanged some words with GP before I went over to the hospitality and my drivers room. On the stairs I heard someone behind but didn't think much of it. But as I nearly reached my room I heard her saying my name, I didn't react.

"Max!" she shouted a bit louder.

I sighed before I turned around. Zoe was really a person I couldn't see right now. Not because I didn't want to but it would make everything harder for me but also for her, for the both of us.

"What do you want?" I therefore asked a bit too annoyed, it was hard blocking her but it was my only option.

Something in her gaze dropped and I could see how hurt she was and I could understand it. It was hard for me too but I tried to do it for us, to make everything a bit easier for us. My heart hurt as I saw her standing there so lost and broken so I wanted to say something more soft but then I saw my father behind her.

I sighed because it wasn't a good sign, he always turned up at some place and destroyed everything good and so it was this time again. But this time was different as I sent him away to protect Zoe. I didn't know where this was coming from as I always went with and for my dad instead of other people, especially girls but she was different, our whole situation was different.

Before I knew it my arms were wrapped about her upper body and I pulled her into a tight hug. It felt so good to feel her again and to smell her, I really missed this.

"You okay?" I asked and was really worried about her and how my father treated her.

Something in my stomach twitched as she looked up at me and as our eyes met I felt something like butterflies in my body. Shocked by this I let go of her and stepped back, it couldn't be. Especially with the meeting my father and I are going to have later.

I quickly asked her if she needed something but only because I wanted to be nice but the both of us knew that it was fake. As was my smile when I looked at her before I entered my drivers room. Fuck.

The next hour I spent sitting on my floor and thinking about everything. I never felt something like that for a girl and I never put myself against my father like that. Slowly I realized that I was breaking my own rule by falling for her.

But it didn't matter anyways because after the meeting everything would be over. We both would be free of this and everyone could live his life. Probably it was the best and maybe my father was just helping me, like always.

-

"So you will post that and that's it for now but we probably post it tomorrow again, just to be sure."

My manager looked at my father, who only nodded. The two of them came up with the most stupid idea but now I was here and doing it. When they first told my about their plan it all sounded harmless but now it was something completely different.