Forever and Always | Max Verstappen *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Closure? No.

note : short chap plus the next chap or two will be the last so just wanted to thank everyone whos been reading!!

Present day
Emma
I got back to the hotel after signing the papers, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly they ached.

My chest felt hollow, like I'd left a part of myself in that conference room, across the table from Max.

He hadn't even looked at me. Not once.

I sat in the car for a while before heading up to my room, tears streaking silently down my face.

Was I a terrible person? Maybe I was.

Maybe this was all my fault.

Maybe if I'd tried harder, done something differently...

My phone buzzed, and I wiped my cheeks quickly.

It was Kika.

"How did it go?" her text read.

I stared at the screen for a moment before typing back, "It's done. It's official."

Her response came almost immediately. "I'm so sorry, Em. Want me to come over?"

I was about to say no, but then another text popped up.

"Let's go shopping. It'll help, I promise."

I sighed, staring at my phone.

The last thing I wanted to do was shop.

Shopping just seemed so irrelevant.

But Kika wasn't going to take no for an answer.

She begged till I gave in.

"Fine," I replied reluctantly. "I'll meet you downstairs in ten."

We hit every store in sight.

Kika was full of energy, pointing out shoes, dresses, and bags, but I wasn't really there.

My body moved through the aisles, but my mind was elsewhere—fixated on the image of Max, sitting across from me in that cold, sterile conference room.

His pen gliding across the papers, his eyes never lifting from the table.

"This is cute, don't you think?" Kika held up a dress, spinning it on the hanger.

"Yeah, it's nice," I said automatically, not even looking.

"Emma," she said, stopping in front of me. "You're supposed to at least pretend to care."

"I'm sorry," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I just... I can't stop thinking about it. About him. About today."

Her face softened. "I get it. I do. But you need a distraction. Come on, let's try these on," she said, shoving a few dresses into my hands.

I gave her a weak smile and followed her to the fitting rooms, but nothing felt right.

Not the clothes, not the shoes, not any of it.

By the time we were done, I was drained.

Kika walked me to my car, squeezing my hand.

"Text me later, okay? We'll figure out what's next."

I nodded, giving her a small wave as I got in.

The drive back to the hotel was quiet, the city lights blurring together outside the window.

And then, out of nowhere, I found myself driving past Max's apartment—my old apartment.

I didn't even think.