What Is Love? ∞ Max Verstappen

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 23

♬ My friends, they say I should run away
And change all my information ♬

Claire Leclerc POV

We were having dinner when Olivia looked at me, she was very quiet and so were we besides the occasional exchange of words, the conversation wasn't flowing but I guess we were just worried for her.

"Claire. Can I ask you something?" She asks and I nod. She hasn't spoken much since the incident, she draw, she watched tv and she just kept to herself.

"Of course, go ahead baby" I say happily looking at her and it was just in time for us all to finish our food.

"Is she my mom? She was saying she was" She says worried and confused and I look at Max. She must be so lost on what happened and he is clearly heartbroken she got hurt.

"She is but she is not in the best state. I am sorry I wasn't able to protect you but this won't happen again" Max says holding her hand, they were in front of me and I was in front of Olivia who kept her eyes on me and switched to her dad.

"Why was she so mean? Why doesn't she love me? Did I do something wrong?" She asks tearfully and Max shakes his head.

"She is mean, you didn't do anything wrong. I love you for both me and her" His voice breaks a little but he keeps eye contact but she doesn't. She looks at me.

"Do you love me Claire? I love you" She asks with so much hope and I just smile.

"I love you baby. You know I do" I say feeling a lump in my throat. Olivia gets up from her seat and comes into my lap. I hug her and her little arms wrap around my neck.

How can a woman be so selfish to the point of making a child feel so bad just because she is having a mental breakdown or whatever?

"I wish you could be my mom" She says and I nod.

"You have your dad. You have your grandma, your auntie, your little cousins. You have me. You don't need her. She isn't your mom, she didn't raise you. They did" I say when she sat on my lap looking at me and I caressed her cheek while she smiled.

"So she doesn't have to be my mom? Can I choose not to have her as my mom?" She asks with a smile appearing.

"Of course, you can choose who is part of your family"

"Then she isn't my mom. She is a mean and crazy woman" She says confidently and I smile.

"That is right" I say kissing her cheek and she smiles.

"Dad, what was her name?" She asks looking at him who just observed.

"Amelia" He answers confused with the question.

"Then the woman is Amelia, the mean and crazy woman" She says happily and giggles.

"That is acceptable" Max says pleased with the outcome.

"Maybe one day you can be my mom" She says hopeful and I almost spit my Coca-Cola on the whole table but I was able to swallow it.

"We should go back to the hotel, you need to rest" Max says getting up and I nod getting up with her in my arms. Max went to pay and she went to the floor. She put her hat on and her cute Red Bull jacket.

We walked to the car and went to the hotel. She was asleep in the car so Max brought her to their room. He always paid for an adjacent room so she could sleep alone but also get quick access to him if she needed. I kissed her cheek and was about to leave his room when Max's closed her door and held my hand.

"Can we talk?" He asks and I nod closing his door and sitting on his bed.

"What is there to talk?" I ask confusedly, we haven't been talking so I thought that would keep going.

"You saved my daughter. You met her 3 months ago, you were nothing but sweet to her and you cared enough to run after her when my team failed to keep her safe. I feel like I owe you a lot, and I feel like shit that I can't think of a way to make it up to you" He says clearly stressed.

"You don't need to make it up to me. I genuinely care for her, I didn't even think of you. It had nothing to do with you, that lunatic endangered her. Do you know why she would do it? Is there anything I should know?" I ask interested.

"She is unstable, we weren't exactly in a relationship when Olivia was made. She got worst during the pregnancy and she gave up her rights 2 months after she was born but she never saw her after the birth. She sometimes appears, but she never got to touch her however she would start screaming and cussing and it would scare her. 2 years ago she appeared, and scared her so much that she stopped talking to everyone. She was like that for more than a month" He says looking at me but I couldn't identify what emotion he was feeling.

"She is fine. She smiled, she giggled, she will get through this. We won't let this break her. She is a kid and she will live like one. You don't owe me anything. I will spend the day by her side tomorrow. I will try to sneak her to the garage so she can watch the race with me from there. She will be happy to see you" I say getting up.

"Can I kiss you? I wanted to kiss you since I knew what happened but it didn't feel right" He says getting up too and I gulp nervously.

"Will you always ask for permission?" I ask giving him a little smile and he shrugs.

"Maybe, maybe not" He says leaning in.

"Don't" I say before wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him first.

His lips touched mine and nothing else mattered. I felt his tongue asking for permission and I allowed it. He made me crazy and I don't know if it's a good thing. I don't like losing control and neither does he.

"If I win tomorrow, it's you that I want" He says as I stepped back.

"I am not a trophy" I say letting out a laugh. How dare he?

"Oh, no. You are way better than that. I have trophies, you are who I want Claire" He says tilting his head confidently and I prepare to leave the room to find my composure who clearly ran away in the moment he talked.

"I will see you tomorrow then. I hope you do win then" I say winking at him before rushing off.

My heart was going fast in my chest and I am so glad my room is this close to his. I got in and went to the shower before I regretted running away.