GREENE | CS55

20 - The Prancing Horse

"Back so soon! Bueno!"

Caco was quick to utter as he beamed at his cousin, arriving back at the Team Hub. Caco was waiting as patiently as he could, leaning against a wall, out of the general pathway. Waiting in anticipation for the conversation they were about to have; quickly forgetting that he also desired an explanation for Pierce Greene's seemingly over-comfortable interruption earlier on.

There were more important things to think about today than his cousin's sudden friendliness with the Haas driver. The happening was quickly shaken off as the glass doors welcomed him back to the teams' motorhome, with Carlos Sr. and their guest of honor shortly following.

Carlos Sainz had squeezed in a fluttering multitude of thoughts on his short walk back to the McLaren Team Hub. The thoughts sparked by the feeling of the warm motorhome against his shirt, the motorhome he'd leaned himself against during his talk with Pierce. Leaning both to look casual and to physically support himself. An attempt to ground himself and his rapidly beating heart. Something to take his mind off of the warmth spreading through his veins, rushing to his head.

The surrounding heat reminding him of the way her warmth seethed against his palm as it smoothed along her veiled figure that night. Carlos shook his head, physically shivering at the thought.

He couldn't think of her like that anymore. Of that moment with her anymore. He couldn't feel the way that he felt about her anymore.

Carlos had to do his best to forget that ever happened. To stop his mind from jumping to that moment whenever it had a second to spare. To adorn a red right hand and entirely cast the memories to a burning flame of destruction.

On one hand, he was happy he and Pierce had settled things once and for all, quick and simple. They could move on from whatever excuse-filled mess the past two weeks were like nothing ever happened.

Because Pierce thought that the kiss was nothing more than a mistake.

A mistake.

"I told you I'd be quick," he shrugged with a sigh, purposefully shoving his cousin in a lighthearted way as he walked past. The playful action that would naturally just come to him, felt forced. The words left his mouth with slightly less enthusiasm than usual.

Caco picked up on neither fact, rather, quickly straightening as he chased behind his cousin, the pace of his heart-rate increasing.

Unaware, Carlos' eyes jittered around the confines of the hub, locking in on the stairs before him as Caco raced behind him. If he was lucky, he could have a few moments of peace before lunch. A second or so in his driver's room to think. To process. To find any reason at all to convince himself that the conversation with Pierce left him any less than disappointed. That he had more to feel good about than not.

"Oh, Carlos, if we could pick up where we left off— we have one meeting today that doesn't quite have to do with anything media-related," Caco began, keeping his tone light. Full of humor. Letting his excitement seep into his words.

"Uh-huh," Carlos mumbled.

Caco's words rounded in his throat, tumbling outwardly as a scoff. He shook off the dismissal and continued behind Carlos, who evidently wasn't paying attention to the gravity of this situation.

The reason was that gravity had its own plans for Carlos Sainz' mind that late morning.

Because on the other hand, Carlos knew something wasn't sitting right with him about the decision him and Pierce had decided on. Something weighing heavy on his heart, causing him to slug the toe of his McLaren trainers at the foot of each step upstairs. Because even if he wanted to pay any mind or attention to the stabbing desire at the back of his mind, it would come to no avail.