𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅𝐅, ᵐᵃˣ ᵛᵉʳˢᵗᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿ

TWENTY-THREE

17th september 2023, singapore

MAX HAD STARTED THE RACE FROM ELEVENTH, HE WAS NOW SIXTH. Ella was shocked by how fast everything had changed. She couldn't imagine how her family was reacting right now, watching Carlos Sainz lead the Grand Prix with only 7 laps left. As the end drew closer and closer, Ella realised that Max might not win this one.

"Oh my god," Ella couldn't believe it. It was obvious Max had not been having a good weekend, but she still had hope he would secure the win. "Max..." she said softly, listening to commentators praise Sainz for a truly incredible performance.

Once Max had returned to the Redbull garage, Millie gave her father a big hug, and refused to let him go. They went straight from the track to the hotel, Millie went to bed while Max sat on the couch, silently. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's not the end of the world, the championship is still looking good." He nodded, he had no expression on his face when he spoke. "Just disappointed in myself," he said quietly.

"Max you have no reason to be. You won 10 races in a row, literally no one has ever done that before! You are an amazing driver Max, you can't win them all." Ella comforted, Max nodded with a smile. "I know... It's stupid I feel this way, I've had a very good season. I just feel as though I let my team down, and my father is furious."

"Well Millie and I are still prouder than ever," she promised, Max flashed her a smile and thanked her for her words. "Do you want to watch the Kardashians?" She offered, Max shrugged his shoulders, which Ella took as a yes. "I'm going to get changed into my pyjamas," she let him know before disappearing into her hotel room next door to quickly get changed. She returned wearing a top and shorts. Before she sat back down on the couch, Max stood suddenly and embraced her in a warm hug. Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and stayed there for as long as he needed. It was the first hug they had ever shared, it was nice, it felt natural.

At the end of the hug, he gave her a peck on her cheek and turned off the TV in the living room. He took her through to his room, and instead turned the TV on in there. Max got comfy in his bed, and insisted Ella joined him. "Only to watch TV I promise," he laughed, Ella couldn't help but smile, she sat next to him on the bed, and cautiously made sure not a single part of their bodies were touching the other. "I'm sorry," he spoke suddenly. Ella looked at him immediately with a confused demeanour. "Why?"

"I didn't win."

"You don't have to apologise, why would you have to apologise for that?" she said softly, Max's eyes lit up at her words. "You're used to having to apologise when you lose aren't you?" Ella asked sadly, Max refused to look at her as he explained. "Even sometimes when I win, if he thinks my win wasn't good enough."

"I'm sorry Max, I really try and see the best in people, but that man makes it quite hard." She moved the duvet to cover her, and tried to get comfy. She wasn't even pretending to watch the TV, she had settled on her side, facing Max. "You don't know the worst of it," he half laughed, Ella looked at him sadly as if she didn't want to imagine. She gently moved a fallen strand of hair out of his face, back to where it should be. He gently took her hand and pulled her closer towards him, wrapping her in his arms. She nestled into his neck, and kept one hand on the back of his neck, playing with his hair, and the other on the side of his jaw. His arms were around her waist, holding her as close as humanly possible. His hands had rested in different places on her back. She enjoyed his touch, but didn't want to admit it.

"I'm sorry for what I did about Dante," he whispered, Ella assured him it was okay, and he was completely and utterly forgiven. "Whenever I think about him it just makes me so angry, and I couldn't stand not knowing anything about him because what if he was in the same place we were and I couldn't identify his face? What if he applied to work at Redbull and I didn't know it was him?"

"Max the chances of either of those happening are very unlikely," she reassured him. "I know but it's just, I'd rather not take any chances."

"Come on, we can't just sit here and be sad. You still scored points today Max! That's something to celebrate!" Ella insisted, standing up off the bed. Max insisted he was too tired to move, all he wanted was to sleep. "Okay if you're sure, goodnight Max." She said before leaving the room, Max stopped her quickly.

"Where are you going?" He asked, Ella explained she was going to her room. "Come here, first." He asked, she walked over to his side of the bed, Max had sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She stayed standing.

It seemed that now Max had finally hugged Ella once there was nothing stopping him from doing it again.

He realised he was in trouble. And he had to do something about it, he had to move on from this feeling of lust for Ella. He decided he could have tonight. Tonight and then he would have to change, things would have to change. "Stay with me... Just for tonight?"

Max pulled her back into bed, and the pair got comfy in each others arms. For a while they just talked, about everything. Until they both fell asleep, tangled in each other, and the comfiest they had ever been.