The Bull Prince | Max Verstappen

SEQUEL - Chapter 54

Hello, so here I have something new for you guys. It's a bit heavy on the feelings today, the end is outright insane, please don't murder me. But I do hope you enjoy it extra long chapter (14k) which most likely will be the last before Christmas, but maybe I have a little Christmas present for you guys. Just keep up with what I am doing and you will see. Please let me know what you think and I hope you like it. Cheers! 

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Groaning softly, Joanna flipped onto her side, away from Max's hold, despite delighting in his comfortable presence and touch most nights, but this night, it was unnerving. Max was dead to the world, had fallen asleep hours ago and so had Joanna but a dream she could no longer remember woke her and since that point in the night, there was no falling asleep for her any longer.

It was too hot in their bedroom, but too cool to sleep without a blanket at the same time. A blanket that had got tangled with Joanna's feet, so badly, she had to sit up and sort it out with her hands, rather than just kicking at her blanket. While she went through all that, Max slept. On his back but slightly turned to her, in the same position he would normally sleep with his arm pulling Joanna against his chest.

As they began dating years ago, that was unnerving to Joanna too. That Max not only tolerated the physical touch during sex, but also graved it while being asleep. The first few nights they spend together, Joanna was more awake than asleep, watching Max with scepticism while she tried to figure out what his underlying motive for so much unconditionally given touches and caresses were. After a while, Joanna understood that that was just who Max was. She understood that he held her close as they slept not because he had motives, he didn't tell her about but because he loved her.

Max loved her and sometimes, that made her feel so guilty.

Settling into bed once more, Joanna lay on her back, the pillows propped up slightly, so she could see the window. Normally, they would close the curtains at night, well Max would. In their little bedtime routine, they had found each little tasks for themselves but since it was snowing beautifully, Max left the curtains wide open. Not because he liked to watch the snow himself, honestly it annoyed Max a bit how bright the world was a night when it was snowing, but it seemed to calm Joanna.

Watching the snow fall, Joanna nearly drifted off, the repetition of it, the calming certainty that the snow would keep falling, but then Max moved in his sleep, stirring her awake again. He was seeking her out, noticing her absence even though she was laying right next to him, just without touching him for once, which caused his subconsciousness to reach out for her. Joanna was sure that wouldn't he have found her, it would have stirred him awake too.

Joanna wouldn't have minded. She was used to Max holding her to him, protecting her and over the years she had not only learned to accept it, but also to love it. She would have drifted off again, so tired so exhausted, but Max's hand landed on her belly. Her stomach, causing them to lay there as they did nearly every night while Joanna was pregnant with Henry.

Swallowing slowly, Joanna looked out of the window once more. Willing the snow to calm her down again but the calmness was gone and the guilt seeping back in. He loved her. That might be the biggest tragedy of her life still.

Taking a deep breath, Joanna lifted Max's hand from her belly, before laying it down gently on her mattress where she would normally lay, before slipping out of bed.

Her first thought was to go and check on Henry, but she knew she would find him soundly asleep, the baby monitor on her bedside table promised her that, so instead she stepped over to the window, sitting down on the windowsill for a moment.

The world was so different when it was wrapped into a fluffy coat of snow. She felt more at home in Austria when the mountains were hulled in white. When steps could be seen in the snow. When the water of the pound froze.