Madrid English Version

Chapter 20

(This will be a rather long chapter, longer than usual, and please feel free to comment, it's one of the chapters I enjoyed writing the most and I hope you'll enjoy it too!)

With his head down, so that Aria wouldn't notice the state he was in, Carlos hoped that the elevator would unblock quickly, but at this late hour, it was unlikely that a repairman would arrive within half an hour. Aria didn't know what to do when she saw that the pilot was sitting on the floor, breathing shorter and shorter, with his head buried in his arms.

She knew that in this kind of situation, it was better not to speak so as not to upset him. She simply slid down beside him, intertwining her small fingers with his, resting her head on his shoulder. She also made small circular movements with her free hand for a few moments on his left leg to try and calm him down.

However, despite the brunette's best efforts, the pilot's condition did not improve. He remained curled up, trapped in that elevator shaft, next to his neighbor. He instantly felt guilty when he saw her sitting next to him. She didn't deserve to see him like this. She couldn't see him like this. He didn't want her to think he was weak because of this incident.

What he didn't know was that she didn't think he was weak. For Aria, Carlos was a strong man, strong to succeed in this sport, so not exclusive. Strong for driving, despite his name, and for never giving up.

----

Ten minutes. The two Spaniards had been trapped in this metal cage for ten minutes. Ten minutes that seemed like hours to the dark-haired man. And yet, Aria was still silently holding Carlos' hand, which was almost twice as big as her own. While he was still trapped. The more the minutes ticked by, the smaller the elevator shaft seemed to become.

----

An hour passed, and the positions remained unchanged. The pilot, unable to bear the sight of Aria locked in an elevator with him, tried to raise his head, taking care not to meet her gaze, while she followed his every move, to intervene if necessary. He stood up feverishly and crossed the shaft, which was one to two meters wide, but to the Spaniard it was more like one to two kilometers. He held on to the walls with his arms, trembling, until he reached the elevator plate, where the alarm button was located. He tried to press it, but his trembling fingers prevented him from doing so. Panic overcame him and, once again, took over. It took over his thoughts, his words, his actions...

It was taking over, as always. Whatever happened, the anguish won out.

At this vision, Aria rose and joined him, taking his hands between hers and caressing him with her fingers, seeking his gaze, so that he would find support, not mockery. Unable to meet her gaze, he camouflaged his eyes behind his hair, which fell over his eyes.

- I...I...I need...you...to...get...back...on...the...floor,he said, or tried to. So much panic was in his system that he was unable to speak. You...can't...see...me...like this.

- Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna move a muscle.

- No, you...don't...understand...me...

He was at a loss for words. Not a single word came out of his mouth. Only fragments of words. He wanted to say everything, so many things, on so many different subjects, but panic prevented him from doing so. It forbade him to express himself.

Carlos wanted to express himself, but Carlos couldn't.

----

Aria couldn't bear to see him like that for another minute, so she decided to calm him down. To do this, she stood on tiptoe before placing her hands on the back of the pilot's head, right between his neck and his hair, before resting her lips on his for several long seconds. Neither of the Spaniards moved for a minute, remaining frozen, as if they both wanted this moment to last for eternity.