LOVE OR RIDE | LESTAPPEN

Chapter twenty-four - you belong to me

Charles

Today I'm not in the mood for anything. I can't focus on training, knowing that Max hasn't shown up. I don't know why he's not there and it's killing me. Yesterday I was at Hamilton's when I found out the truth. I don't support what Max did, but I'm not angry after all. I know it's for me. It's nice that he stood up for me. The only thing is that I feel remorseful that I was at Lewis' place. After talking to the police about the condition of the Mercedes driver, I decided to visit him to make sure he was okay, and now everything has come crashing down. I'm thinking of Max's disappearance. I don't know what happened, but I don't like it. I hope it wasn't because of my visit to Lewis, but how would he know if no one knows? Did he see me? I'm going crazy out of ignorance.

After the second training session, when I go to the driver's room to change, I accidentally hear Max's father and Horner talking. I stop to listen to what they are talking about, pretending to look for something on the floor.

"I was with him this morning." Christian says. "He wouldn't open it, so I took the key from the reception desk. I found him around bottles of alcohol on the floor. He was in such a bad state that I just helped him lie down on the bed, cleaned up the mess and decided to withdraw him from this race weekend. I don't know what to do. It's getting worse."

"I told you, throw him out. He didn't deserve this place. He quarreled with his mother and sister, beat up the driver and is no longer my son. I'm fed up with him, he just keeps making problems." the boy's father says with disdain. I nervously clench my jaws to keep from walking up to him and beating him up for what he says.

"I won't do it yet. I'll give him a chance, because he's a good driver." Horner wants to add something more, but the team calls him out, so he apologizes to Verstappen and goes.

I almost run towards the car, forgetting to change my clothes. Something must have happened if his father is acting like this, and I don't know what. I have to see if Max is okay. He was next to me when things were not good at my place, and I want to be next to him when things are terrible at his place. Not because I feel I need to return the favor, I just don't want him to be alone when things are bad. On the way I pass Daniel, Lando, Carlos and Pierre, who look at me confused when I accidentally bump Lando's elbow while running past.

"Charles, wait!" I stop reluctantly, hearing my friend's voice behind me. "Where's Max?" asks Daniel.

"I want to go to him, but you're taking up my time!" I shout angrily. "I'm sorry." I add more calmly. "He's been gone since this morning, I've now heard Christian's conversation with his father, and I'm afraid he's broken, because Jos was angry, talking about his son. Fuck, it's a bit my fault. Yesterday I was supposed to be at his place to talk frankly and understand what's going on with him, but I went to Hamilton because..."

"Where the fuck?!" Pierre starts to shout.

"Because I wanted to see if he was okay." I finish, ignoring Pierre's words. "And now I regret it, I have to go to him."

"You're the fucker! You're running after worthless trash again, instead of staying with someone who cares about you and treats you better!" Pierre continues shouting, having my words somewhere.

"Let me know later how he is." asks Daniel. Lando is trying to calm the furious Pierre at this time, and I get into the car, driving away with a squeal of tires.

On the way I pull over to a store and buy lots of sweets, unhealthy food and drink. I don't forget the pain pills either. A little, like with a girl who is menstruating. We can do it. More than once I studied this with a friend and girlfriend. I get to the hotel and put the car in the wrong way, which will probably get me laughed at on the Internet. I run up the stairs with commercials, like an idiot. Breathing loudly from fatigue, I stand at the door and start pounding on it with my fists until I hear footsteps. Otherwise he would not open, I had to immediately apply loud things.