Regrets with Wolff - Max Verstappen

91.

It was weird to walk around the paddock alone but I was kinda used to it already.
It was the last race of the season, a long and draining season even though we won everything we could possibly win.

Rylee was walking around the paddock wearing her Mercedes team kit, I guess I would see that a lot, I better started to get used to it.
"Can you give this to Christian?" I said to Selena while giving her some papers. She nodded without looking at them. She was so different from Rylee. She never doubted me, she never pushed me into something.

I took Kai with me for this race. I was holding him while walking through the paddock. He got a lot of attention, also because he waved to everyone who walked passed us. We didn't like to take him to many races so he stayed with Rylee's parents a lot.
I walked inside the garage, GP smiled as he saw us. "I see you brought a special guest" he said as he smiled at Kai. "Yes, he couldn't miss the last race right?" I laughed.
"Did you make a decision yet?" he was referring to the contract. I nodded. I thought about it a lot lately. It wasn't an easy decision. I had to choose between the team I loved or the girl I was in love with.

I wanted to show Kai the pitlane with all the garages and cars. He loved to look at cars, he definitely got that from me.
But every garage also meant the garage of Mercedes. I walked out of my garage and walked to their garage. I didn't go inside, I obviously wasn't allowed. Rylee smiled as she saw us, or saw Kai. She quickly got up and walked to us.
"Max, can we talk?" she said as she took Kai out of my hands. I nodded.
"Look, I'm sorry, you were right, you didn't sign a contract yet. I'm so sorry." She was actually looking more at Kai than at me. "It's okay" I just said. I was tired of defending myself and I was even more tired of our pointless fights. "But you are right. I didn't show my love for you enough but I really do love you a lot" she continued and my heart skipped a beat. This was exactly what I wanted to hear from her. "You'll probably be partying after the race but I would love to talk to you about everything, about us" I took Kai out of her hands as I smiled at her. "I would rather spend time with you than party with my team anyways" I wasn't lying.
We were partying for three weeks in a row now, I would rather spend time with my little family than with my team.

———————

I jumped out of my car for the last time this season. I won the last race as well. I didn't really matter but I wanted to give my team this win. They deserved another party, they deserved to get completely drunk tonight.

Not much later, I was standing on the podium. The Dutch national anthem was playing once again. I guess everyone was kinda tired of hearing it. I looked down at my team. The team who gave me this rocketship and where I felt home. GP was holding Kai in the air, they were both smiling from ear to ear and so was I.
I looked at Selena, she gave me a thumbs up, as she was dancing to the national anthem. I shook my head laughing. She was so unbelievable silly, but she was the best PR manager and friend I could wish for.
Lastly, my eyes met Christian's, he nodded smiling. He treated me like a son, he was literally always there for me.
I sighed, this was the team I was staying at for five more years or even longer if I could.

Rylee was standing next to Toto. They were looking at me as well. Their team was standing around them. I winked at her and she smiled. That was the girl I was hopelessly in love with.
We both went through so much together and people might think we were very toxic for each other but they don't know about us.