Max
Over the last weeks nothing had changed, no memory had come back to Zoe, at least not one regarding me. Of course she got more clear in her head after being of the drugs and she slowly started remembering stuff from her past, but I wasn't in it.
The doctors told me to be patient, but guess what, I wasn't, like any F1 driver. We always wanted to see results fast and a delay was something we hardly tried to avoid, but this was something different, I leaned that.
So as the season was starting again I had this idea to take her with me to the race track, maybe this would bring back old memories as the doctors said familiar places would help the healing process.
She agreed and I was really glad that she did, also our whole process was pretty good for all the circumstances. We had gone for dinner a couple of times and basically started dating again, but I was all so weird somehow, for me more than her I guess.
Today was already Friday here in Bahrain and we had been here yesterday but Zoe said she didn't feel well and went back to the hotel while I had been in the media panel. It was strange and we also hadn't really talked after that, even though we had been texting non stop before.
"Are you feeling better?" I therefore asked her as we walked over the parking space towards the entrance of the paddock.
"Hu?" Zoe returned and raiser her eyebrow in question, before she seemed to remember something, "Yeah, yeah all good."
It was weird, like really strange and we didn't talk further until we were inside the paddock, where we saw Lando. The Brit jogged over but kept his distance as he of course knew everything and therefore wasn't sure if Zoe remembered him.
"Hey Lando!" she then said which got the McLaren driver by surprise, but even more widened my eyes.
She remembered him without seeing him for weeks and hadn't has one memory of me while we were spending so much time together? Something was clearly running the wrong way here.
"Hi Zoe, how are you, every memory back already?" the Brit laughed and hugged her as a welcome, which she accept, even though she never let me touch her over the last weeks.
"Sorry, I have to go, Christian just texted me." I lied and quickly went on, over to the RedBull garage as I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
Why was she acting like that towards me and was all cozy with Lando, who she hadn't seen for like a decade.
"Hey Max, is Zoe feeling better today?" my team principal greeted me as I went into the garage.
"Yeah, she's already here today, just chatting with Lando outside." I quickly returned and wanted to move on, but Christian blocked my way.
"Max, is everything okay?" he asked concerned and as much as I didn't want to cry my heart out to him, I just blurred it out.
"She remembers him, even though she hasn't seen him since before everything and she acts all cozy with him. But why doesn't she remember me, I mean we spend like nearly every day together since the hospital."
"Hey," Christian said and laid his hand on my shoulder, "She needs time and you have to give it to her okay? She really seemed enjoying the time here yesterday, even remembering some of her old tasks and I am sure that it's just a question of days until she remembers you again."
"What if she will never remember me?!" I yelled at him as all this anger and frustration was coming out at once.
"She will, it just needs time." Christian said calmly, "And even if not, she loves you and this love is maybe buried somewhere inside her, but this lover never change and you can show her that love again, Max, you can make her fall in love with you again."
I knew that he was just trying to be nice and trying to help, but I couldn't think about this now, that Zoe would never remember me, it would be my end. Everything we'd been through together, everything we'd build up together, I don't wanna lose this.
Frustrated I walked through the paddock, over to the hospitality and my drivers room. Quickly I had climbed the stairs when I saw a person on the corridor of my room, Zoe. As always I pushed the anger aside and laid a smile on my lips.
"Hey Zoe, what are you doing here?" I said slowly, before I smiled, "Don't remember where the garage is?"
On one hand I could punch my face for that comment, but on the other side I wanted to know if she was still the old one, if she still enjoyed our jokes.
"Of course not, I'm not dumb." she returned and put a smile on, which quickly disappeared again as I walked over to her.
I saw that Zoe was nervously biting her bottom lip and I kept my distance as I didn't want to loose her in that situation.
"Wanna see my drivers room?" I asked after some moments of silence and smirked.
Instead of an answer she only nodded her head and let me through so I could open the door to my little room. Quickly I stepped in and she followed before closing the door. While Zoe was looking around I sighed and bit my bottom lip.
I really didn't want to destroy that moment, and also push her further away, but it bothered me and I needed an answer so I opened my mouth.
"So, you remember Lando?"
Zoe stopped in her movement of looking around and her head shot up.
"Erm, yeah coming here really helped a lot with my memory." she simply said and I felt my heart breaking even more.
"But you still have no memories of me?"
"N... No." she stuttered and something gave me the feeling that she wasn't telling the truth.
Slowly I walked over to her, but she shrugged until her back was pressed against the door.
"Really? You still don't remember me?" I asked a bit more with force, even though I didn't want to scare her like that, but I needed answers.
Suddenly tears started running down Zoe's cheeks and she bit her bottom lip, before looking up at me.
"I... I remember you... you insulting me... saying bad things to me... he... here in the paddock and ga... garage." she blurred out, "You acted so nice over the last weeks, but when we arrived here yesterday, I got all these memories back from moments were you shouted at me, insulting me for all kinds of reasons."
My jaw dropped as I heard that. Fuck, this was really bad. Of course these moments had happened in the past, but those were from our start our pretending phase and she forgave me for all fo that, but now it was the only thing she remembered about me, shit.
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Pretending | Max Verstappen
Fanfiction"I warn you, don't fall for me," he said, but fell instead.
