Turbulence [𝗠.𝗩.]

France, Summer Shutdown, Day Two

Time to teach @Max33Verstappen the basics of snowboarding - @JessicaBond57

OMG #MAXICA ON HOLIDAY TOGETHER?! - @user97861

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FRANCE
SUMMER SHUTDOWN
AUGUST

Stepping into the chalet Liam booked is like stepping into a furnace, compared to the cold world outside. Already, we're peeling off our thick coats while Liam talks to the staff - no wonder this was so costly even with nine of us paying.

Daniel has a grin on his face that tells me he's up to something. He's been periodically watching me, but it's worse now that we're here. When Max gives me a quick hug because I'm shivering from the change in temperature, Daniel wiggles his brows and start laughing as I glare at him.

"Right!" Liam announces as he walks over to our group. "Rooms are all sorted, you guys can argue who goes where, except for the lovebirds."

Jeering and wolf whistles ensue. Logan and Yuki thankfully don't join in. In fact, Logan looks at me sympathetically.

"Shotgun sharing with Mick!" James shouts without hesitation.

"Three of you have to share a room, then it's pairs for the other two rooms." Liam says pointedly.

"Then we will have Logan with us." Mick decides, patting the American's shoulder.

"I'm staying with Daniel." Oscar decides, sharing a fist-bump with the man.

"Good, 'cause I'll fight you all for Yuki." Liam and Yuki nod at each other, and the group begins to disperse as they go in search of their rooms... with the exception of Daniel and Liam, who I have no doubt want to bully Max and me. "Come on, lovebirds."

A sinking feeling starts settling in my stomach. I have a feeling I know what Liam's done. I follow him, suitcase in hand, as he leads us up the pale wooden stairs, turning right, and past the boys as they bicker over beds. Logan and James have pushed theirs closer to Mick's but are playing Rock, Paper, Scissors over who gets the one closer to the window.

We reach a closed door, right as Daniel starts laughing. Liam opens the door with unbridled glee as he encourages us inside.

"Nobody wants to hear you two sucking faces all week, so you get your own room! Behave, the walls aren't soundproof!" He manages to get out, as he and Daniel almost collapse into cackles, shutting the door and walking off to the other rooms, where I hear jeering and laughter grow louder for a minute or so.

They must have enjoyed planning this out.

The light wooden walls have some landscape paintings adorning them to provide a small sense of comfort. The window overlooking the slopes has pristine white curtains pulled back to the sides. The bed is the same brilliant shade, with red pillows and a red throw over the bottom half. It's definitely a room meant for a couple.

I sigh deeply as I realise that Daniel must have suggested it, and Liam jumped on board because he's finally caved over not being involved with Daniel's plans.

"Well..." I finally say as the noise dies down. "I had planned that maybe we'd push two beds together and that would work, but I guess this works."

"You... planned to push two beds together?" Max asks slowly as I flop down on the bed. He moves to join me, and I have to answer him because he's fixing me with a questioning look.

"Well, half of all this weirdness between us? It's me. I mean..." Fuck, I still don't know how to talk about it. I feel like I have to. It's what adults do, right? Talk shit out. Communicate. This isn't like my past teenage and stupid brief relationships. This is me, an adult... not sure of what the hell I'm doing. "I was thinking, since we're not allowed to work at all, maybe when I go home and spend time with Mum and Dad, you could come with and..."

I sigh as I realise I'm rambling. I'm just talking around it all again.

"I just thought that... When you were at mine before, it was nice. And..."

"I'll see if Isabella will be up for looking after the cats." Max's interruption makes the weight that's trying to settle in my chest lift off and disappear. I turn my head to see he's lying next to me, a soft smile on his lips. "Maybe this time I'll meet your dreaded Aunt Carol."

"You will. I bet you she'll show up. It's Dad's birthday soon, so she's got to make an appearance."

"Oi! Lovebirds!" James' muffled voice finds its way through the door. Laughter follows it. "Dinner's being sorted! Get down here!"

We're both sighing. It looks like once again, we'll have to shelve this moment. I roll onto my side, feeling how he reaches to place a hand at my hip. "If we kill any of them, I get to kill James. He's my best friend, so I get the honours."

"As long as I get to kill Daniel."

"Deal." He answers, pressing the briefest of kisses to my lips. I try to follow as he pulls back; I'm rewarded with another kiss.

Which is interrupted by knocking at the door.

"Put your clothes on and get out here!" Daniel's sentence gets another round of laughter going.

We all settle down at the large table in a slightly organised way. Logan is to my right, and Max is to my left. Daniel is on the other side of Max, with Oscar beside him. Liam and Yuki are together, and Mick is stuck between Logan and James. Everyone has their phone either in their hands or on the table, and there's a general buzz of overlapping conversations amongst the roaring fire that's been fed fresh cuts of wood.

There are multiple options for our first dinner here; servings of various local cuisines and a few international options are being placed in front of us. Everyone's on their best behaviour with their manners on full show; Logan even tries to help the young lady serving wine by reaching for the glasses when she's struggling.

I catch a little snippet of Yuki and James discussing how bad their luck has been this season. Logan gets brought into the conversation as James points out that no, he's had a worse season than Logan because he's had more DNFs than the American. Daniel and Oscar are quite animated; discussing something, but god knows what. They're talking too fast for me to understand. Mick is on his phone, likely texting someone.

Max gently nudges my knee with his. I look at him and good grief it all hits me again. I can't put my finger on exactly when and where things changed, but all I know is it keeps hitting me in a way I'm always not expecting.

"You okay?" His voice is quiet as he leans in slightly.

"Yeah!" I think I am. It has to just be my stupid brain working overtime, trying to understand and rationalise everything it can't understand. Racing? Easy to understand. I know the car like the back of my hand. My personal life? Friendships? This? Not so much.

"Good." The smile he gives me make my heart jump and run away from me.