The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

SEQUEL - Chapter 02

So yeah. Here we go. This will make a few things easier to understand. I hope you enjoy!!!

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Mark was starlet awake in the middle of the night, as someone sat down next to him rather dramatically, which caused him to open his eyes, only to see Joanna sitting next to him. A few strains of her hair were escaping her messy bun, and she wore an old shirt and pyjama pants. The scowl on her gentle features made her look younger should that even be possible.

Lifting the bottle of amber coloured liquid to her reddened lips, she took a big sip, not looking at Mark, until she noticed that the basket by the fire was empty, turning to look at the Aussie, Joanna noticed the peacefully sleeping lamb in his arms.

"Traitor." She snorted, before taking another sip. Hearing her voice finally woke Mark up enough to sit up and move so he was facing the fireplace just like Joanna, even though the lamp protested.

"What are you...?" Mark wondered out loud, but Joanna spoke right over him.

"It was windy every day. Every day." Joanna muttered and Mark guessed he was too sober to understand what the Austrian meant, but he also didn't press it.

"This place is on a mountain, what did you expect?" Mark said after a moment of silence.

"No. Since he died, Mark." He had seen her after having some drinks, but she never let loose enough to actually open up to anyone, which caused him to only worry more about her. They should have never allowed her to leave.

"It felt like he even took the sun with him. I wasn't shining bright enough so all I got was wind. All I ever get is wind and darkness." Joanna finally added taking another sip, and at this pace, she would be blackout drunk before the fire would have burned down.

"I always thought you weren't close." The Aussie said after a moment, his eyes now on Joanna.

Never in his life did he want to see her like that, but something about the way they were speaking with each other felt so mature. There was no pulling and pushing, there were no insults just yet. It was just like the conversation they had with Jenson after he had lost his father. They all had been drunk, but every word made them a little bit soberer again. Mark had hated seeing all this hurt in Jenson's eyes back then, but Joanna wasn't hurt about her father's death. Her eyes were full of regret but also acceptance.

"We weren't. It's just ... at some point I realised that this was about to be it. He was sick for a very long time and even though I've never forgiven him, we had this ... understanding. That whatever had happened, which was a lot, wasn't worth ruining the time we had left." The Austrian said before taking a big sip from the bottle.

"He was an asshole. A terrible father, but he was my father, Mark. He was my father." Joanna said before a sob fought to be released, causing Joanna to take a shuddering breath.

"He was a bloody idiot," Mark answered, which caused Joanna to look at him while offering the bottle. Seems like they were drinking cognac, Mark thought as he watched Joanna starring back into the fire as if it would give her all the answers she was so desperately looking for, but in the end, it gave her nothing.

"No, he was right. He tried to chain me down for my own protection, I fought with all I had to get free again and, in the end, I was surprised as I was finally free." Taking another sip, Mark reached out to gently touch Joanna's chin, turning it to make her face him.

"That's how you really see it, isn't it? You're finally free of him, but why are you up here if you're not grieving?" Mark wanted to know causing Joanna to give him a painful smile which caused him to question her sanity.