PARALYZED - Max Verstappen Fic

Episode 1: Pilot

Episode 1: Pilot

My feet ache as I continue to jump to the beat of the music that is currently blaring through the club speakers, but I'm too intoxicated and high off the atmosphere to care. The air is thick, but not suffocating. I smile and sway my hips as I feel a pair of hands slide around my waist. I throw my head back on the stranger's shoulders not bothering to check for the person's identity first. I've reached the point of the night where I no longer care who leaves respectful touches on my body. I feel him tuck his head into my neck as the smell of his heavy cologne hits my nose. His breath is hot making my neck feel sticky. Not the most romantic thing, but clubs aren't meant for romance.

"SOPHIA! THERE YOU ARE!" The sound of my best friend's voice pulls me from my trance. I'm too fucked up to see her straight, but I do my best to give her a sloppy smile. "Evie. You found me!" I pull away from the grasp of the man behind me and fall into her arms. "It's time to go, we have a flight in 5 hours that you cannot afford to miss." I frown at her before allowing her to lead me out of the club. Our driver waits for us outside and we quickly rush into the backseat of the car. I let out an exhausted sigh as she shuts the car door. "Sleep while you can. Once we get back to the hotel we have to pack up and head for the airport."

I lay my head across her lap and steady the spinning surroundings by closing my eyes. I feel her hands stroke my head as I drift off. Evangeline Stella. She's been by my side since we were little. She's the only person in the whole world who knows everything about me. The good, the bad, and the ugly. To me, she's the most amazing person in my life. Despite growing up together, we come from very different backgrounds. Evie grew up in an environment full of love and support. Her parents are her number one fans. She has a beautiful relationship with her mother and a healthy relationship with her father. Something I always craved for.

I grew up in an entirely different environment. My mother and father were never married, each having a different perspective on the relationship. One that they have each shared with me. My mother was head over heels for my dad, however, my dad was too consumed by the motorsport world to really see my mom as anything more than a fling. He did his best to step up when he found out my mother was pregnant, but it wasn't enough. My mother wanted to get married, but my father didn't see a future with her. So they split. My father always did his best to never speak ill towards my mother. But Elena Bruno never held her tongue.

I do my best to not let my mother's malicious words toward my father affect me, but I can only block out so much before I explode. Needless to say, we've never had a good relationship. When I was a baby, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents in Austria. My dad pursued his life in motorsport, and my mother followed her Acting career. They visited during their off time, but it was my grandparents who raised me for the most part. During seasonal breaks, I would be shipped off to spend time with whichever parent managed to claim me first. Luxurious, I know.

"We're here." With a soft shake to my shoulder, Evie's sweet voice pulls me from my slumber. I sit up and do my best to collect myself before exiting the car. The heavy feeling of nausea clinging to me as I come down from my high. The next 12 hours pass in a blur, with me falling in and out of consciousness when given the opportunity. Before I know it, i'm wrapped up in the sheets of a different hotel room fully allowing myself to drift off.

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I'm awoken the next day (yes a full 24 hours of sleep) to the soft whispers of Evie's voice. "Si papa, i've tried. I know. I'll call you back once she wakes up. No there's no need to worry for her. She'll be fine. Arrivederci papa. Love you" I stir under the sheets, slowly allowing myself to wake up. Andrea calls Evie almost every day to check in on her, and if he doesn't call he sends her about a thousand text messages throughout the day regardless to ensure he is not missing out on any part of his daughter's life. "My dad says hi," Evie says, as she walks to join me on our shared hotel bed. I sigh as I pick up my phone to see it filled with tons of notifications. 12 missed calls and 73 unread text messages is how I am welcomed back to the world. "We'll need to start getting ready soon if we want to be on time for brunch" I groan at her request, pulling the sheets over my face again. Evie sighs at me, slight irritation laced in her tone. "We were supposed to have dinner last night, but someone never woke up. I covered for you last night when your dad called and refused him when he offered to stop by, but I CANNOT save you from this brunch."