the pursuit

23 - The Storm

The air was still but the room wasn't quiet.

Lovers we were not as Lovers Rock echoed in my ears, in both of ours.

His dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, a signature style. He was alone. No one we both knew were in sight, at least from right here.

We were both paused in the middle of the dance floor, staring at each other, not knowing what to do.

He shouldn't have been in Florence, not right before Bahrain. He shouldn't be standing 20 feet away with me. He was supposed to be far, not close. Toto's words screaming at me from the back of my head. Every blink told me no. Every breath threatened me to turn. 

My throat hitched and I maneuvered my way through the people that stood in between us. He began to move towards me.

I made out no apologies to the people I nudged aside. I flowed through the bodies until it was him, and him alone.

I grasped his arms, ignoring the muscles hidden beneath his shirt.

"Why," I struggled to speak, "Why are you here."

He took my wrists and moved my hands off his biceps, holding me like his hands were handcuffs. 

He gazed deeply at me and just said, "I'm sorry Victoria." He was neatly shaved and his hair was longer than the last time I saw him. His face still the same, his lips still the ones I cursed myself with. "I'm in Florence with Carlos, but he's not here." He paused and looked down like he was ashamed, "I needed to see you, I saw that you were here on Ishani's instagram story." 

I whipped my head around to find my friends but they were lost in the raging crowd.

"So you stocked me is what I'm hearing, and to tell me just sorry after Ferrari has blamed everything on me."

"I begged them not to do it, I did everything I could."

I exhaled, "They still fucking hate me Charles."

"I don't hate you."

"I never said you did."

Charles' voice was low, "Where have you been? You were gone for 5 months."

"Fixing my mistakes, which we aren't helping get any better right now." His sickening gaze dragged along my lips, my breathing became quick. "Charles stop we can't do this. If I'm caugh-"

His lips were forced onto mine and I melted into the kiss, it was similar to Bologna but it was like he was claiming me. I let him seduce me into this and I stuck it out before we separated.

"Charles..." 

"I know, I know, but you haven't left my thoughts, I keep thinking about you."

My eyes were fixated on his, I stared him down, "It was only one night, we don't even know if this would work out even without the situation."

"Your just going to call it a 'situation'? I fell for you and then everything went to shit. Please, can we just try."

"You're suggesting going behind out teams' backs just because of a feeling." I scolded.

He stopped for a second then said, "So you don't feel the same."

I turned away from him and refused to look him in the eye.

"Stop following me," I paused, "This was never supposed to happen."

"What if I want this to happen?"

He took my shoulders and turned me back to him. He towered over me and the smell of pine trees seeped off of him. His hands gripping into my leather-covered shoulders. He was starting to beg.