SO AMERICAN | max verstappen

fourteen.

"Not that I'm not over the moon that you're here, but how'd you get it cleared to come here?"

I kicked my shoes off at the door, my socked feet padding across the familiar flooring and over to the couch. "I might've lied and told Taylor I had a family emergency, my Auntie June is sick." I laughed as I sat down with Ella on the couch of our Wilmington home.

"You don't have an Auntie June." Ella spoke as if it were the most well-known information ever.

"I'm aware."

Now, Ella was laughing. "You're a menace."

Truth be told, I had made up the lie about my aunt so I could get out of Monaco. Ever since waking up next to Max the morning after Imola, I've been freaked. I'm kind of glad that Lili didn't insist I come over the past couple of mornings.

So, when I couldn't stand being in the same country anymore, I faked a sick aunt and asked Taylor if it was okay if I went home to support my family. She was quick to agree and even booked me the next flight out of Nice. I don't think I've ever packed a bag quicker. Without a second thought, Lando had offered to drive me to the airport, saying something about wanting to go on a long drive anyway.

It had taken far too long to get here, but when I saw Ella's enthusiastic face waiting for me at baggage claim, it was all worth it. I had called her on the way to Nice, asking her to pick me up when I landed and she was very quick to agree, unbelievably excited for us to reunite after over a month apart.

Upon booking my ticket to Wilmington, Taylor said that it was fine for me to stay in Wilmington until I needed to meet Max in Miami. Since he'd been the one to secure Ella's passes and he usually kept mine, we'd have to fly in early enough on Thursday to retrieve them from him before heading to the circuit. I didn't care about any of the stipulations, just happy to be able to spend ample time with Ella in my own home.

When my attention came back to, Ella, she had already started a movie for us. I let myself settle into the couch and be absorbed by the movie.

Halfway through the movie, however, my phone started buzzing. I furrowed my eyebrows, picking it up and seeing a facetime request from Max – of all people. Memories from the morning after Imola flashed through my head again. Ella looked at me and then to my phone.

"Answer it, he must have a point to calling."  She was right.

I slid my thumb across the screen, accepting the call only to be welcomed by the younger Verstappen's face. "Oh, hey, Lil." I smiled at the small girl. "Does your Daddy know you have his phone?"

If I remember correctly, it was nearly dinner time in Monaco since it was almost lunch here.

Lili nodded, "I want you to eat dinner with us and Daddy told me to call you."

My stomach dropped. I hadn't thought about the fact that not telling Max about leaving early meant also leaving without telling Lili.

Ella's gaze shot to me at the small girl's comment, "Did you not tell him?" Her words were whispered.

I shook my head at her question. "I'm sorry, Lil. I can't come tonight."

"Why not?" Lili's smile dropped, instantly being replaced with a frown.

I winced. There was no doubt that Max was about to discover my disappearance when I answered his daughter's question. I'm sure he was nearby listening.

"I'm not home."

"Are you with Uncle Charlie or Mr. Lando?"

Here we go, "No ma'am, I'm with my friend Ella."

And, sure enough, the phone was taken from Lili's hand, "When did you leave Monaco?" Bingo. Max Verstappen.

I swallowed harshly, a mixture of emotions swirling through me. "Last night?"

His brows were knitted together in confusion, "What the f–, were you planning on telling me? Lili wanted to see you before Miami, I promised her you'd spend a couple of days together."

"Next time ask me before promising her things." I bit back, suddenly annoyed.

"You still haven't said when you were planning on telling me."

I groaned, throwing my head back. "I wasn't, ok? I was going to let you figure it out. I just forgot that it might impact early."

It was true, somehow I forgot that Lili would be caught in the crosshairs.

Max glanced down before walking off, presumably to a part of the apartment that Lili wasn't in. I wonder what he was about to say.

The sound of a door closing came before he began talking again, "So, you're totally fine with fucking me over? I needed you to help with her so I could go do things."

Ella reached over and grabbed my thigh. It was clear she was just as interested in the conversation occurring as I was. Where was he going with this?

"Do things or do people, Max? I'm not her mother, ok? The contract only says I have to help out on race weekends, so I'm not bound to off-time. I would do anything for that little girl, but it's hard when you only treat me like I'm worth something during race weekends and banish me when we get back to Monaco."

His face hardened, "Fuck off, Riley."

"Gladly." I ended the call immediately after responding, throwing my phone into the loveseat across the room, not wanting it nearby anymore.

I nearly screamed in frustration, crossing my arms over my chest.

It was clear from her posture that Ella wanted to talk. "Ok, this might not be the time to say this, but he's an asshole."

"It is always the time to call him an asshole."

Sure, I might be being a little dramatic, but Max Verstappen drives me crazy.

I fell back into a bout of silence, Ella restarting the movie she had paused after I answered the facetime. I wasn't sure what to do at the moment.

Memories of the morning after Imola kept resurfacing. The way his arms were hooked around my waist and how peaceful, even though I was panicking, he looked while sleeping. Why did my stomach do flips every time I thought of it?

Fuck.

We'd woken up together, but had we slept together?

I couldn't take it anymore, so I quickly faced Ella, hoping she'd understand that I needed to talk. "Yes?" She questioned, pausing the movie again.

"I think Max and I slept together."

Her jaw dropped, "Come again?"

"I think that's part of the reason he's mad at me, and definitely part of the reason as to why I left Monaco when I did."

Ella waved her arms in front of her, "Okay, I get that part. But what makes you think you slept together?"

"Well, we got blackout drunk at a club after Imola and the next morning we woke up in the same bed and he was in his underwear and I was in his t-shirt." I recalled as much as I could of our time together, running my fingers through my hair.

Ella was quiet for a couple of seconds, nodding slowly. "So, I see how the lines might be blurred." She was quiet again, supposedly deep in thought. "If y'all slept together, why did you ask him if he wanted to do other people?"

I dropped my head into my hands and groaned, loudly. She had a point.

"I don't know! I got mad and I also don't fully believe that he's not."

Ella's small hands gripped my face, tugging on it so I would look up at her, "Maybe don't accuse your boyfriend, fake or not, of sleeping with other people?"

"Maybe not my best choice of words." I laughed.

"You've said worse. But still, if you think he's fucking other people, why don't you do the same?"

My eyes went wide. "I-" Did she really suggest that?"

"Or don't, but that's up to you. I'll support you with whatever or whoever you want to do."

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a wee bit of drama