Forever and Always | Max Verstappen *ੈ✩‧₊˚

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Present day
Emma
Max entered the room quietly, and I could feel my heartbeat quicken. I clung to Andrew's presence for a second longer, but when he gave me a reassuring look and stepped out.

It was just me and Max now.

I instinctively crawled back into the bed, pulling the blanket up around me. I didn't know what to say, how to act.

"Emma," he started, "can I sit down? I just... I want to talk to you. Explain things."

Slowly, I nodded. "Okay."

He walked over and sat down in the chair next to my bed, the same chair he must have spent countless hours in. The same chair where he'd been holding my hand while I slept.

Max ran a hand through his hair, "I know this is overwhelming. I can't even imagine how confusing this must be for you. But I'm here to help you make sense of it all, okay?"

"Emma... you were in an accident," he started, "A really bad one. That's why you've been feeling confused, why nothing makes sense."

I didn't say anything. I just stared, waiting for him to keep going because I didn't even know what to ask.

"You... you lost five years' worth of memories," Max said, "It's 2024, Emma."

I couldn't breathe for a moment. 2024. Five years. The words didn't make sense in my head. It was like he was speaking a foreign language, and I couldn't catch up.

It felt like yesterday I was wrapping up my news set, like yesterday it was 2019, like yesterday I was a completely different person.

Max just sat there, watching me, giving me the space to let it all sink in. But how could I?

I had so many questions spinning in my head, but I didn't want to overwhelm him—or myself—by asking them all at once.

"So... we're, um... we're married?" I asked hesitantly.

Max nodded, "Yes."

"And the ring.."

"Yes."

I swallowed hard. "When did we get married?"

"About a year ago. I proposed right after Abu Dhabi 2023."

I blinked, confused. "What's Abu Dhabi 2023?"

Max looked down for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "Oh, that's right... you wouldn't remember. I'm a Formula 1 racer."

"You're a what?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"A Formula 1 driver. We met at the paddock, you were just starting out back then."

"Starting what out?" I asked, my confusion deepening.

"Sports journalism," he replied.

"Sports journalism?" I shook my head,"That's not possible. I— I was into politics."

The words felt wrong.

Max's face softened with concern, but before I could ask more, I realized I didn't even know where I was. "Max... where are we?"

"Monaco," he said quietly.

Monaco. Monaco. I couldn't process it.

"Monaco?" I echoed, feeling even more lost. "Why are we in Monaco?"

"It's where we live now," Max replied. "We moved here after we got married. It's close to the track, my training, everything."

I frowned, staring down at the blanket in my lap. "And... I agreed to this?"