Sitting In Traffic | Formula 1

Chapter 164- Reconciliation

The flight to Africa was unbearable. The tension between Max and Riley only grew. Max continued asking Riley if they were fine, pressing more and more after she would tell him everything was okay. They kept bickering back and forth about every small thing they were faced with. It brought back up everything Riley was trying to put behind. Max would start to say something insensitive, and Riley would bring up him announcing the pregnancy. It was back and forth non-stop.

They were standing next to eachother silently at the hotels front desk, trying to check in for the night. Max got his room card first, being handed one instead of his usual two. One for himself and the other for Riley.

"And then I have a room under Riley Stowan" She told the front desk, feeling Max's eyes on her immediately irritably. Riley passed on her license, showing her ID. "I booked it in Abu Dhabi." She answered Max's question before it even left his mouth.

"Why."

"Because we weren't talking." She looked at him, then to the concierge who was sliding back her license with her room card. "I need to study my sheet music anyways."

"I've completely fucked my life over with you"

Riley looked at Max with a jaw that was dropping slowly. She was hurt, it was obvious. Riley was the first to walk away from the front desk, she headed towards the elevator with Max trailing behind her frustratedly. Riley pressed the elevators 'up' button and waited silently until the doors opened.

"I think you should take the next one up." Riley told Max without looking his direction, stepping into the elevator with a small suitcase and her dress zipped up in a bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait-"

"You're unbelievable."

~~~

Max tiredly walked to Riley's hotel room at 3 in the morning after she called him over. He was half asleep knocking on her door, mumbling that is was him rather her being startled not know who was there. The door opened immediately and he walked in without saying a word, following Riley into the large suite she had successfully and pettily stolen from him.

He sat on the couch behind her, facing her back while she pulled a pillow into her lap. Riley took a few deep breaths when she felt Max lay his forehead on her shoulder while he held her hips. She's had tears in her eyes the entire night, and she didn't want them to spill out when he was in the room with her.

"Mmmkay" Max grunted, sitting back up an inch, "Where do you want my hands"

"Just on my lower back" She whispered through voice cracks. Max put his hands on her back, massaging it with his thumbs, using different forms of pressure while Riley looked at the wall ahead of her.

"Is this fine?" He struggled to stay awake behind her, Max had just barely gotten an hour of sleep while Riley had got none at all.

"Mhm." She hummed, nodding slightly. She felt his eyes staring at the back of her head before he rested it back on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry" He said through a crack, but Riley shook her head and closed her eyes. Riley never responded to him, she just sucked in a deep breath and pretended like he said nothing. "Are you liking the room? It feels like a presidential suite in here."

"Yeah the beds nice." She sniffled, holding the pillow closer to her while Max worked with his thumbs lightly.

"Did you bring your pillow?"

"No" She sighed, Riley hadn't expected so much talking at this hour. She needed a back massage, that was all. Yet here Max was trying to keep a conversation with her. "I thought there'd be enough on the bed."