SCARLET
With the party in full swing, and the King of Responsibility, Sebastian Vettel tearing up the dance floor with Lewis and Yuki taking turns to serenade the apartment and Charles and Milo mixing up florescent cocktails in the kitchen, I took this chance to slip away onto the balcony.
The cool London air wrapped around my shoulders, but it was refreshing from the sticky bodily heat currently inhabiting my apartment. I rested against the balcony railing and looked over to Southbank, so many people were enjoying the Christmas festivities, and you could almost hear the Christmas tunes even from the 41st floor of the block.
There was something so comforting and homely about London during the winter months. I have always been under the impression that London was a city made for the cold, which is good because sunny days were scarce.
I brought the flute of champagne to my lips and took a sip whilst watching the bustling city below. I was sad not to be living in Monaco with George, but London is home. I was almost carried away with people watching when the balcony door opened.
Slowly I turned around, and there Max stood in the doorway. He wore a velvety jacket and dark jeans with a white shirt. Max looked handsome, but that wasn't a surprise. "You look beautiful." He smiled as he looked me up and down. "I hope you don't mind that I am here," Max added whilst rubbing the nape of his neck.
I shook my head and grinned at him. "You were invited, so." I took my gaze away from him and watched the London skyline. "Just surprised you turned up; I thought you would still be focusing yourself." I sassily remarked before taking another sip of my champagne.
A raspy chuckle left the lips of the Dutchman. "I suppose I deserve that," He closed the balcony door, and I could tell he was walking towards me as I could feel the heat from his body radiating. "I'm sorry, Scarlet."
I chewed on my lip and subtly nodded my head. Unlike the last time Max and I had had to have tense words, I hadn't spent two weeks in the hospital thinking of what I would say to him. This time the only thing I had was silence.
Max stood next to me, our shoulders rubbing together. I quivered as his hand grazed against mine; there was that same spark I felt the first time his hand took mine into his. It was electrifying, but it was scary.
"So, um, how have you been?" Max finally asked. There were nerves etched to his tone as his voice peaked slightly.
I furrowed my brow and turned to look at him. A scowl came across my face. "Are you serious?" I bit back with a scoff. "It's been two months, Max? How have I been?" I irately replied, catching the Dutchman off guard.
He gulped and looked like he would comment on what I had just said, but I got in before him to cut him off. "Because it has been two-fucking-months, Max."
I could tell he was mentally working out the last two months in his head, and he stared in disbelief when he had worked it out. His mouth gaped open, and shock was plastered all across his face.
"You didn't even say Happy Birthday; you know that, right?" I pointed out, and I forced the tears welling in my eyes from falling. "You were the only person I wanted to spend my birthday with, and you're the one person who didn't turn up."
The weekend before my Birthday, just after we came back from Singapore, I could tell something was off with him. At that race, he had fallen out with Daniel, and we had barely spoken all through the weekend due to my commitments with Sky Sports. It was also that weekend that I had filmed my interview with Pierre, and subsequently, that old photo of us had somehow found its way into the F1 gossip.
I had assured him that there was nothing between Pierre and me, which I thought he had understood, but from there, things just seemed to go downhill and rapidly. One day he was my Max Verstappen, and I didn't even recognise him the next.
He turned his gaze to me, but I kept my eyes fixated on the world below us. "Scarlet, I am SO sorry for everything." Max enforced as he cupped his hand over mine. butterflies. "Jeeze, you're freezing here." He added as he took off his jacket and placed it over my shoulders.
The cologne resting on the jacket poked through my nose, and it was comforting. I had fallen asleep with this scent, it was on my favourite jumpers, and it had seeped through every fibre in my being. I pulled the lapel and snuggled into the warmth of the jacket.
"Yeah, you've already said that, Max." I retorted with venom laced in my words. Max gripped the bridge of his nose with his hand. "I don't care that you are sorry because that doesn't change anything. I want to know why you felt that I was easy to throw away, how what we had didn't seem to matter to you." I told him.
Max chewed on his lip and took a deep breath. I could see his blue eyes gloss over, and he diverted his attention to the River Thames that was alive with Uber Boat and the Clipper taking people back and forth to parties.
He shook his head fervently, "You mean everything to me; us means everything to me. I was so miserable without you, and I want another chance." Max insisted as he gripped my hand tighter. "I was jealous over Pierre just walking back into your life, and then with everything with Daniel and Red Bull. I didn't want to burden you with any of it."
I turned to face him, and I responded with a deadpan look. "Are you sure that's the excuse you want to try and play because you should think about the words you are churning out, Max?"
His eyes darted side to side, and another sigh left his lips. "I don't know what I can do to make this up to you." Max bleated as his thumb rubbed circles into my palm. He knew my weaknesses, so I snatched my hand out of his, the champagne sloshing out of my glass. "I love you, Scarlet, Please, just, please," Max begged, and a tear dropped from his eye.
I looked him up and down. Max had always been a formidable opponent and an even tougher person, but the man in front of me was broken. He was a slither of the man he had always been, but all I saw were broken promises. And as much as I still loved him, his actions didn't go away with an apology.
I bit my lip and shook my head. "No, you don't, because you don't destroy the people you love," I told him. Then a tear dropped onto the lapel of his jacket.
A/N
So they are talking again... but nobody said it was going to be easy
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