Forever and Always | Max Verstappen *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Ruining Their Happy Ending

Present day

Emma
I dreaded Spa. Like, really dreaded it.

But at the same time, knowing I'd be there the whole time this weekend, instead of sitting in some awkward corner of Monaco, did ease things up a little.

A tiny bit.

I felt kind of guilty for not having flown with Max. He didn't say anything about it, of course, but still... I knew he was probably expecting it.

Instead, I was on Kika's private jet, sipping some fancy cocktail that I couldn't even pronounce, trying not to look like the country bumpkin I felt like.

"Wow. How rich are we?" I muttered, glancing around the luxurious cabin.

Kika laughed. "Don't get used to it. This is Pierre's hookup, not mine. I'm just along for the ride."

"Still counts," I said, taking another sip and feeling like a complete fraud in this world of designer bags and champagne.

We landed at the airport, and I was still buzzing from the fact that I'd just flown on a private jet.

As soon as we stepped off the jet, though, I froze.

Max was standing right there. And not just standing—he had flowers. Actual flowers.

"Is this for real?" I muttered under my breath to Kika.

She nudged me. "Enjoy the moment. It's romantic."

Romantic? Try staged.

As I walked up to him, he wrapped me up in a hug, and I swear to God, I was about to pass out from the sheer confusion of it all.

He'd never been this forward before. Especially in public.

"Um, Max...what's—" I started, but then I heard him whisper in my ear.

"There are cameras," he said softly, his cheek brushing against mine as he held me. "I do this every time you come to a Grand Prix. Meredith said it'd be suspicious if I dint do it this time."

Of course. The cameras.

I should've guessed.

"Right, the cameras," I muttered, a bit awkwardly, pulling back from the hug.

I glanced around and, sure enough, there were a few photographers snapping away from a distance. Great.

Kika caught up with us, "You two look like something straight out of a rom-com. I swear, the fans are going to eat this up."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, let's just hope they don't expect a sequel."

We got into the car, and the ride to the hotel was quieter than I expected.

Kika had been whisked away with Pierre to wherever they were staying, leaving Max and me alone.

We pulled up to the hotel, and I swear, I almost tripped over myself when I walked into the room.

There was just one bed.

One bed.

I felt my stomach drop.

I mean, yes, we were married and everything, but we hadn't shared a bed in a long time and as per my memory, ever. And seeing that one, giant, king-sized bed staring back at me just made everything feel... too real.

Max, of course, noticed. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking at me like I'd just seen a ghost.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, there's only one bed."