Keep Me - Carlos Sainz

nine

"Shotgun!" I exclaimed, jogging to the passenger door with my bag over my shoulder. 

"Not fair! I wasn't ready" Emilio whined and tried to push me out of the way but I stood my ground. I pushed him back and urgently pulled on the door handle. We wrestled for a few seconds and Carlos unlocked the door. I quickly reacted and gave Emilio a final shove, opening the door and slipping inside. 

"Ha!" I cheered, buckling my seatbelt. He wasn't happy, so naturally he sat on top of me. "Get off, you big baby!" 

"They're like children" Valeria said, tossing her bag in the back of the van. Carlos had rented a van so we could drive all the way from Madrid to Barcelona. It would've been much quicker if we took the train, but we wanted to have a road trip. It was Tuesday and luckily I could tag along. Fernando told me to take the week off, because he wouldn't even be around to check on our work since he would be going too. I completed most of the floor plans we needed for the next deadline, so he was very lenient. Still, I had my computer with me to advance a few more tasks I needed to get done for next week. The group finished loading the necessities into the car and we were on the road in no time. 

"What is the plan for tonight?" Julieta asked from the back seat, shoved between Alejandro and Julian. 

"As soon as we get to Barcelona, we'll stop to pick up some groceries and a few drinks. When we get to the house we can go for a ride on the boat" Carlos suggested. He was wearing blue swim trunks and a white tee shirt with a design on it. Sunglasses rested on his nose and he kept one hand on the wheel, while the other one rested on my lap. I was wearing a white bikini with a matching linen set and my head was covered by a sports cap. My thumbs traced his and he turned to look at me, smiling at me with such honesty. Such conviction. We hadn't spoken about it yet. We talked softly, attempting to be alone in a car full of people. 

"Are you excited for your home race?" I asked, barely above a whisper. 

"Hoping I finish it" He replied, his eyes still on the road. I simply nodded and turned my attention to the road. His touch lit my whole arm on fire. How could one simple person do this? Did I long for him or did I long for love I had not received in a long time? The question circled my head. Did I want Carlos or did I want affection? I looked at him with analyzing eyes. His lips were as plump as ever, a soft hue of red covered them. His eyelashes made contact with his cheek every time he blinked. His eyes were the prettiest shade of brown. "Stop staring" He teased, throwing me a soft smile.

"You're pretty" 

"No, I'm not. I'm handsome and rugged" He puffed his chest out and frowned. 

"Mmm, no. You're so pretty. You have pretty hair, pretty eyes, pretty everything!" I exclaimed, running my hand through his hair. The softest and fullest hair I have ever had the pleasure of touching, by the way. He leaned into my hand and I smiled. He was like a cat. His love language was very clearly touch. Strangely, mine wasn't at all. I hated being touched. It made me incredibly uncomfortable. And I hated holding hands, especially since mine would often sweat out of anxiety. But somehow, I didn't mind touch at all when it was with him. I enjoyed the feeling of his warm hand in mine. I enjoyed his arms around me. His hands on my face, my hair, all of it. How could I not want him and only him? My body even betrayed the thought that I only wanted attention. 

"No, you're pretty" He countered. 

"No, you"

"You"

"You" 

"Shut up! You're both pretty! And if I ever want to be as pretty as the two of you, I will need my beauty sleep" Emilio exclaimed and we laughed. He was the only one awake, the others fast asleep with headphones in their ears. He huffed and shuffled in an attempt to get comfortable. Carlos turned to me and signaled zipping his lips shut, his eyes narrowing playfully. We held hands again and stared at the road. Six hours later we stopped at a store to get food and other essential things. Carlos and I stayed in the car, my feet over his lap as he traced circles on my ankles.