SO AMERICAN | max verstappen

twentytwo.

My eyes fluttered open, and initially, I was confused at my surroundings. Then the familiar beeping of the monitor caught me up to speed.

Lili. Hospital. Max. Bed.

Speaking of Max, his arm felt heavy around my waist. I didn't want to think about it too much, but just the sound of his steady breathing was enough to calm my mind and body. No one else has ever made me feel this way and it scares me a little.

If I give in, let myself feel, what would happen?

"I don't know about you, but I haven't slept that good in months." Max's voice startled me, I didn't know he was awake yet.

His voice was raspy and oh my god, it was hot.

I'm so glad that Max was lying behind me and couldn't see my face right now, I was blushing so hard. It was a mixture of the sound of his voice and the fact that he'd spoken the words that had been bouncing around in my brain since I woke up. He was right, sleeping on this hospital bed, wrapped up in Max's arms, was the best sleep I had gotten since I left Wilmington the first time.

"You thought about my offer of moving in?" He asked, squeezing my hip.

How did he know I was awake? I rolled over in his grasp, looking him in the eye, those damn blue eyes. "You sure you won't mind?"

A puff of air escaped his lips, "Like I said last night, I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise." My breath hitched when he reached up, moving some of my hair from my face.

I just watched him. My eyes on his as he looked at me. His eyes looking everywhere. He continued to move a few strands of hair from my face, his eyes then switching to looking at what felt like every detail of my face – my eyes, my nose, my lips.

Oh my... he's staring at my lips.

He started leaning in and my heart rate skyrocketed, my heart clearly disregarding the fact that Max usually calmed me. Why did this feel so familiar? Our bodies this close, our breaths mixing together, our lips nearly touching–

"Daddy?"

Max jolted up, Lili's voice filling the room.

I let out a sigh of relief as Max scrambled from the bed. I'm pretty sure this is the only time I'd ever be thankful for someone disrupting an almost-kiss.

But did I want to kiss Max? Maybe. Yes? I don't know.

Fuck, why was this so difficult? Why was Max so confusing?

I gave up on thinking about what almost happened, and rolled out of bed myself, going to check on the small girl who was the reason we were here in the first place. I watched her face light up as she saw me, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"You came?" she whispered, her voice not strong yet.

I nodded, stopping on the side of the bed that Max was not at, reaching down to caress her cheek. "Of course, Lil. I'd fly across the world for you." And I meant it. "And your Daddy called me freaking out last night."

Lili giggled and Max scoffed.

"Don't deny it, Maxie." I laughed with the young girl.

"Am I ok?" Lili questioned, looking from me to Max.

Max glanced at the monitor, then back to his daughter. "I think so, I'll check with a doctor soon. How do you feel?"

"I feel ok."

Before Max could even go search for anybody, a doctor entered the room, followed by a nurse. The nurse came to check Lili's vitals while the doctor paused to talk. "Mom and Dad?"