Turbulence [𝗠.𝗩.]

Monaco, Summer Shutdown, Day Two

No sign of Jessica or Max... are they on holiday together? - @Ver_33_Fan

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MONACO
SUMMER SHUTDOWN
JULY

The sea air assaults my nose as I sit out on the terrace alone. It's mid-morning, and my phone is already alive with texts from friends who have figured out where I've disappeared off to.

GROUP: ROOKIES (&Yuki&Lando&Mick&Danny&Charles)

Slow Rookie (James);
@Fast Rookie (Jessica)
IS AT MAX'S PLACE!
HER DAD JUST TOLD ME!
SHE'S STAYING AT HIS BEFORE
THE TRIP!

Aussie Rookie (Oscar);
What happened to "We aren't dating?"
Huh? HUH, JESS?

Best Looking Rookie (Liam);
Bruh she told me she was going hOME
JESS YOU LIAR WHY DIDN'T YOU
TELL ME

I'm going to have to answer them at some point. For now, I watch as each of them type, not failing to notice that Mick is laugh-reacting everything. And Charles is showing as online, yet he's saying nothing. Because he could take a walk over and find me here. Shit, he might just do that.

Slow Rookie (James);
GIVE US ANSWERS, JESSICA!

Aussie Rookie (Oscar);
Maybe they're busy fucking?

I start choking on air and half a laugh at that. Trust Oscar not to mince his words. Poor Yuki must be mortified at all this talk, given I can see he's online but he's not reacting at all to any of the messages.

His Majesty (Charles);
I'm going to knock on his door.

Best Looking Rookie (Liam);
FILM IT. God, this is gonna be
fucking hilarious.

Shit. He is going to do it.

I'm up and back inside the flat before I can lock my phone. Max is up, I think. I hope. How far away is Charles? Wait, what if this is a joke? I unlock my phone to look at the chat. There's a message. It's a video. Charles isn't bluffing. He's just left his flat.

I lock my phone again, jogging down the hallway to the room where I know Max has his gaming setup. The door is ajar, but Max isn't in there. I go and check his little private gym next. No Max. He shows his face when I knock on the door to his bedroom.

I regret knocking on that door the second it opens fully.

I'm not a completely oblivious idiot - we've been sharing a bed for fuck's sake - but I wasn't expecting him to just answer the door with only a towel on. My thoughts grind to a screaming halt. My mouth dries out. My eyes are drifting to enable my mind to commit to memory every detail of this. It all happens in seconds, and it feels like it's been minutes.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh—" Right. Yes. Charles. Coming here. "The, uh... The guys—"

Just fucking do it, a voice in the back of my head demands, holy shit just get it out of your system already. You've wanted to do it since Silverstone.