I love you , I'm sorry • Max Verstappen

4.

Despite the initial tension, the dinner turned out to be more bearable than Alice had anticipated, thanks to the girls who made everyone feel at ease. Conversation flowed as laughter filled the room, and soon, even Alice found herself relaxing.

“So, where do you live in Australia?” Lewis asked, his voice soft but curious. It was unlike him to be the one starting with questions, and his genuine interest caught Alice slightly off guard. She noticed, too, a subtle shift in Max’s demeanor as Lewis’s gaze remained on her. There was a flicker of something in Max’s eyes—a hint of jealousy, quickly hidden.

“Burleigh Heads, Queensland,” Alice answered with a smile, exchanging a look with Emily. Both of them were momentarily transported back to their tranquil life by the ocean.

“That must be amazing. Do you live by the sea?” Kika asked, leaning forward with curiosity. Pierre chuckled beside her. “Kika’s obsessed with the ocean,” he teased, earning an elbow to his side.

Alice chuckled. “Yes, actually. And Em here is practically a fish—she’s a professional swimmer.”

Emily rolled her eyes playfully but smiled, clearly pleased with Alice’s proud introduction. “Well, I’m more like a mermaid,” she joked, making everyone laugh.

As the conversation continued, Simone turned her attention to Daniel, Alice, and Emily. “How did you guys meet again?” she asked, her tone light but with an edge of curiosity.

Alice opened her mouth, trying to think of a simple answer. “It’s actually complicated…” she started, only to be interrupted by Emily, who grinned mischievously.

“Oh, hush, we all know you were accused of being a stalker!” Emily teased, her words dripping with sarcasm.

“A stalker?” Alice’s cheeks turned pink as she glanced at Daniel, who shrugged with a sheepish grin.

“Well, actually, she bumped into me—very hard, at that,” Daniel said, attempting to keep things light, though a nervous laugh escaped him as he looked around at the others, including a tensed Charles, Carlos, Max, and Lando, who seemed to sense the awkward undertone.

At the end of the dinner, one of the girls leaned forward with an enthusiastic smile. “Are you guys free to join us at the upcoming race? We’d love to hang out more with you all.”

Alice glanced at Emily, who gave an encouraging nod. With a small smile, she replied, “Sure, that sounds like fun. We’d love to be there.”

The group exchanged excited looks, already planning their next outing. And as the evening wound down, Alice couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of belonging she hadn’t expected, though her gaze lingered on Max, wondering if he felt it too.

The evening was turning more eventful than Alice anticipated. The conversation drifted naturally, but Lewis’s interest in her didn’t go unnoticed, especially by Max, who was gripping his wine glass just a bit too tightly, the tension in his knuckles almost visible.

"So, if you and Emily make it to the race, you should totally join me in the Mercedes garage," Lewis suggested with a casual grin, his eyes on Alice. "You’ll get the full VIP experience.”

Max’s jaw tightened, and he forced himself to keep silent, but his reaction was hard to miss for anyone paying attention.

Carmen, ever observant, noticed the tension immediately. At first, she thought Max just looked uncomfortable, but then Daniel stepped in, his voice slightly louder than usual. “Oh yeah, Alice and I met in a pretty memorable way," he started, giving Max a quick glance for backup. "She, uh, kinda… bumped into me," he added with a laugh, though there was a nervous edge to it.

Carmen seized the moment to steer the conversation elsewhere. She leaned toward Alice with a friendly smile, holding out her plate. “Here, try some of this egg carbonara. It’s amazing!”

"No, she can’t have that—she’s allergic," Max blurted out abruptly, his voice a little too sharp.

Carmen froze, looking surprised. “Oh! I’m so sorry, Alice,” she apologized quickly.

George, catching the slip-up, raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that, mate?” he asked, his unmistakable British accent adding an extra note of curiosity. He looked between Max and Alice with narrowed eyes, clearly sensing something.

Alice’s heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushing as she stared down at her lap, hoping no one would read too much into this. She hadn’t planned for anyone to figure out the deeper connection—especially not that her heartbreak songs were about him.

Daniel, just as thrown, fumbled for a response. “Err… yeah, I was worrying and spoke to max about it before the concert since it was already reserved incase they were to join… he just, uh, reminded me earlier since, you know, this restaurant has so many egg dishes,” he said, laughing awkwardly and hoping to deflect the attention.

Max looked from Simone, who seemed oblivious, back to George, forcing a casual smile. “Yeah, just something I remembered,” he muttered, his tone as light as he could make it.

Simone beamed, leaning over to plant a kiss on Max’s cheek. “Aww, you’re so sweet,” she cooed, patting his hand. “Always so thoughtful.”

Max gave a tight smile, but his gaze drifted elsewhere, lingering on Alice for just a second too long.

Alice, feeling a strange ache in her chest, mustered a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks for looking out, Daniel. And Max,” she added quietly, her voice laced with something only a few at the table could detect.

As the group returned to their chatter, a sense of clarity settled over her. This night had stirred up emotions she thought she’d buried, but it also brought her something else—a way to finish the song she’d been struggling with, the words crystallizing in her mind with a rawness that felt painfully real.