Forever and always

Chapter three

January 2021
Olivia's pov:

Damn it, I forgot how awful hangovers feel. Every sound is ten times louder, and my head is pounding.

I groaned, pushing the duvet aside, before dragging myself to the bathroom. After freshening up a bit, I tied my hair into a high ponytail and threw on some clothes—just a pair of black leggings and an oversized hoodie I stole from Max's closet. He wouldn't mind.

As I walked into the kitchen, the rich smell of coffee filled the air. Pierre stood by the counter, pouring himself a cup, looking way too cheerful for someone who had been just as drunk as me  last night.

"Good morning, sunshine" he said with a smirk. "Morning" I mumbled. "Can you pour me a cup too?"

"Of course. Is max awake?" He asked, handing me a mug. I took a sip, immediately reaching for some milk and sugar—coffee was undrinkable without it. "Nah, he's a total sleepyhead" I said, laughing.

Pierre and I sat at the kitchen island, chatting over our so-called morning coffee—even though it was already 11:30.

Just then, the front door opened, and Max walked in, looking way too fresh for someone who had been drinking all night.

"Finally, you guys are up!" He said, shutting the door behind him. "Wait...where have you been?" I asked, confused. "I thought you were still sleeping"

Max shrugged. "Went for a run" - Pierre raised an eyebrow. "Dude, don't you feel at least a little hungover?" - "nah, I didn't drink that much last night" Max replied casually.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Jesus, Max. How can you go for a run in mid-January after a night out?" I took the last sip of my coffee, realising I had downed it way too fast. 

Max grabbed a bottle water from fridge. "First of all, it's not that cold. Second, I have to stay for for the upcoming season. And third, like I said, I didn't drink that much"

"You guys are build differently" I muttered, shaking my head. "I could never go for a run in freezing January" - Pierre chuckled. "Well, we gotta stay fit, Oli"

Of course, they did. In exactly two months, pre-season testing in Bahrain would begin. It was going to be an exciting season.
—

Pierre had just left to visit Charles, and Max was off doing whatever. I was sitting at our dining table, finishing some last-minute work.

I needed to send the wedding photos to the newlyweds, and post an update on instagram—both essential for my career. While I wasn't a huge name in the photography industry yet, I was slowly making a name for myself by taking on different projects.

My instagram, however, was thriving. People loved my content, which was mostly just snapshots of my life—nothing special, yet somehow, my followers couldn't get enough of it.

____

"Max! I'm heading out to get some groceries" I called out, knocking on his door.

From inside, I could hear the faint sound of his game and the voices of the other guys he was playing online with.

"Yeah, see ya, Oli" he responded quickly, barely paying attention.

Shaking my head, I slipped on my boots and grabbed my warmest jacket—it was freezing outside. Before stepping out, I took the stairs instead of the elevator, like always. Even though it was more work, my slight fear of elevators made the decision easy.

The grocery store was quiet, which was a relief. I grabbed a few essentials and the ingredients for dinner. Tonight, I had decided to cook, something I rarely did. I was absolutely terrible in the kitchen. But there were was one thing I could make with my eyes closed—homemade pizza. And honestly, after last night, a cheesy pizza with extra chorizo sounded like heaven.