Dopamine | Adrenaline Book Two

4 - Have You Been Good, Max?

Once Max was on board, Charles followed behind him, the weight of his drenched suit making him almost as uncomfortable as the new air between him and Max. 

Charles was thankful to Fernando for his offer, knowing he had saved them from a situation that could not have been explained to onlookers at the party. The older man had been right in letting them know it was unlocked; the door swung open without any struggle, allowing him to head inside. The brunette was quick to begin getting undressed, undoing his tie and laying out his suit jacket, feeling cold and embarrassed now that the water had mostly sobered him up.

After the scene they'd caused, Charles couldn't bring himself to face Max, but still yelled out to him when he'd found a closet full of clothes on the suite of the yacht. He'd been worried that nothing would fit due to Fernando's short stature, but everything was surprisingly his size, and it took no time for Charles to find a blue t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

While the Ferrari driver was busy changing, the blond stayed behind, the water from his clothes dripping onto the floor as he observed a Red Bull celebration photo, one in which Fernando was obviously not present. Yet, drunkenly, he didn't put too much thought into it before moving further into the yacht once he heard Charles call for him.

"Does it fit you?" Max asked as he walked down the corridor, stopping when he spotted a mirror. Seeing his face, he finally realized how red the side of his jaw was due to the punch he had taken from Charles.

There, he stood observing himself and the bruise for more than a minute, trying to come up with a way to explain it once they were back at the party.

"Yeah," Charles said as he stepped out of the bedroom, the clothes fitting him perfectly. "They should fit you too," he informed Max, finding him standing in front of a mirror. As he closed some of the distance, Charles could see some of the damage that he had inflicted on him—granted, it wasn't much, but he still felt the guilt creeping up on him.

"Your turn," he said, referring to getting dried off and into something more comfortable than formal attire.

Left alone inside the room, Max picked a towel from the bathroom and undressed himself, starting to dry his body and his hair. Once he had chosen a set of clothes from the wardrobe, he began dressing himself. And as he started to button up the white blouse, he fixated on a framed suit hung above the bed — one belonging to Michael Schumacher. Despite his slightly blurry vision, affected by the alcohol, he could still recognize the seven-time world champion's signature on it.

Knowing he wouldn't get such a similar opportunity again, Max decided to reach out for it, removing the suit from the frame. Touching the suit immediately brought memories of his childhood flooding back. Michael had been like a hero to him in more ways than one.

He could clearly remember the times the older figure would approach him on the track to greet him, kiss his cheek, and pat his head, asking, "Have you been a good boy, Max?" It was always a warm, rhetorical question; he'd never truly wait for him to answer, he knew he was good.

Reflecting on his childhood memories, Max recalled one of the most positive experiences he had was when his family and Michael's would go on winter trips together. He fondly referred to Michael as "Uncle Michael." In stark contrast to his own father, Michael exuded a caring softness in his demeanor that Max found both comforting and intriguing. Witnessing Michael's interactions with his own son often left Max feeling a twinge of jealousy, as he longed for the same warmth and affection from his own father.

Those vacation trips served as a refuge from the daily grind of training, obligations, and the physical and emotional demands Max faced from a young age. However, everything changed drastically after Michael's accident. Max felt a profound sense of abandonment, grappling with feelings of confusion. As a child, he struggled to comprehend why Uncle Michael no longer wanted to see him or offer the same affection as before. It left Max questioning his worthiness and longing for the warmth and connection he once shared with him.