Forever and Always | Max Verstappen *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Kisses and Daddy Issues

Present day

Emma

We sat in the car.

I was mentally bracing myself for what was about to happen.

Meredith had already given me the whole pep talk: major PDA was the order of the night.

Apparently, to everyone else at this gala, we were supposed to be the picture-perfect couple.

And while I'd seen photos from last year—us looking all goofy, in love, the "perfect couple"—I didn't remember a single second of it.

I glanced at Max.

He looked... well, more than nice.

Handsome, even.

There was something almost annoyingly effortless about the way he wore that suit, like he'd just rolled out of bed and turned into this James Bond-ish kind of guy.

I mean, I had to give myself some credit—past me apparently had taste, even if I didn't remember picking him out.

"Ready?" he asked.

He looked at me with that calm, steady gaze that somehow made me feel a little less jittery.

"Mhmm," I replied.

When the car stopped and we stepped out, I could feel the rush of cold night air, and then suddenly it was all flashbulbs and chaos.

Paparazzi lined the entrance, shouting our names, trying to get our attention.

Max's hand found mine, his fingers weaving between mine like it was second nature to him.

My stomach flipped.

Butterflies? No... it couldn't be.

Just nerves, probably.

Max gave a casual wave, looking like he'd done this a hundred times, completely unfazed by all the cameras, the shouting.

He pulled me close as we posed, and I tried to relax, to look like I wasn't completely out of my depth.

I could feel the warmth of his hand against my back, grounding me, as he angled us for the perfect shot, his other hand resting on my waist.

I felt strangely safe, like I was supposed to be there, next to him, even if I couldn't explain why.

As we started to walk up the stairs, he kept hold of my hand, glancing at me now and then, as if he was checking in, making sure I was okay.

I could barely hear the paparazzi anymore, my head was so full of... well, him.

"So, you think you're ready to charm the entire room?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, "I think you've got enough charm for the both of us."

Max chuckled, "I don't know about that. You're doing just fine."

We reached the top of the stairs, and he squeezed my hand, leaning in close enough that I could catch his scent, something clean and warm.

"Remember, just follow my lead, okay?"

I nodded, "Got it."

We walked in, and it felt like every single person in the room turned toward us at once.

People were smiling, waving, calling out my name as if I'd known them forever.

I tried to keep my own smile steady, but honestly, I couldn't tell if they were being nice because they knew me... or just because they knew Max.