All of Me (Sebastian Vettel)

12. Promises

"Did you want to come in for a bit?" Alyssa asked Seb as he stopped the car outside her apartment block.  She wasn't ready for their time together to end.  She'd really enjoyed getting to know him again. 

"I'd like that," he told her, smiling at her. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to spend more time with her. Their day together had gone by far too quickly.

After they'd eaten their cod and chips they'd walked a few hundred metres further along the seafront, and Alyssa had insisted on buying them both an ice cream cone from a small kiosk they came across, vanilla for Seb and strawberry for herself.

They'd then taken a slow walk back to where they'd been sat on the beach earlier. They sat again and chatted for what seemed like hours.

"Are you sure?  I mean, do you and Joel have to leave soon?" she continued, feeling like she'd put him on the spot by asking him inside. 

"No, not yet. We've booked into the hotel for another night.  We're heading back home first thing in the morning.  Alyssa, I would love to come in."

Alyssa smiled at him, delighted that she'd get to spend a little bit more time with him.  If he was leaving Bournemouth in the morning who knows when she'd see him again, if ever.  Even if she reconnected with Joel and Sienna there was no guarantee she'd see Seb again, after all he wasn't officially part of her family now.  

Seb pulled into a parking space.  They both got out and crossed the car park, heading straight for the stairwell as the elevator was still out of order.

"Is the elevator often out of order?" Seb asked. "It must be a pain having to use the stairs, especially if you have bags of shopping."

"It's out of order more than it's actually working," Alyssa told him. "We do our big weekly shop online as neither of us drive, so carrying it up the stairs isn't our problem."  Seb chuckled. 

Halfway up to the twelfth floor Seb noticed that Alyssa had started to struggle . 

"Is your knee playing up?" he asked her. Alyssa stopped and put her hand on the wall, wincing in pain.

"Yeah, it's ok but it's just a bit sore now.  I probably should have rested up today," she told him.  "I'll take a few painkillers when I get in."

"You should have said you were in pain," he scolded her.

"Honestly, it's nothing," she told him, but he wasn't convinced.  He made a spur of the moment decision and scooped her up into his arms.  She squealed in surprise.

"Sebastian, put me down," she shrieked.  Seb laughed softly. 

"Nope. Hold on tight sweetheart."  Alyssa automatically wound her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life as he continued his ascent.  

"Seb, be careful.  I don't want you injuring yourself. I'm not exactly light."

"You're not that heavy either."  He continued up the steps.   "This is good training for me.  Carrying a beautiful woman beats weight training any day.  I'll have to ask my trainer Antti if I can use you in my training schedule," he joked. 

He dodged the empty beer cans, nappies and syringes, exiting through the door onto the balcony of the twelfth floor.  He finally lowered her to the floor as they reached her front door. 

"I hope Cherry isn't going to stamp on my foot again.  She is scary."  Alyssa laughed. 

"She's a big softie when you get to know her properly.  Anyway, you're safe. She's at work."

"Thank God for that!" he declared, only half joking.  It then occured to him that he and Alyssa would be totally alone.   He knew he'd have to fight the urge to kiss her.  Maybe this hadn't been a good idea.  Maybe he should have declined her invitation and left.