Cropped out - an Oscar Piastri x OC fic

Chapter 25- Supposed to

Eliana:
I twiddle with my towel between my fingers, still dry from no use. I came down here with the great idea of going for a swim to clear my head after noticing it was empty from my balcony. My mind muddled with images of his possessive stare towards me. Of the way he clenched his jaw as he walked away from me last weekend. I wish I could say I wasn't hung up on it, but it's like he's left a bookmark in my mind, and I keep flicking back to that page, his imprint left on me for nearly a whole week.

I don't want to admit it. Will never speak it out loud. But his closeness, even just the mere thought of him, sends me spiralling, falling so deep into a well I'm not sure I want to escape from. And that scares me. Because I'm supposed to hate him. I'm supposed to loathe the way he treats me. But when he stares at me like he would kill anyone for looking my way, I can't help but curl my toes, my breath stopping for just a moment before a sense of clarity washes back over me. He doesn't see it like that, I'm sure. He probably just sees me as a nuisance. And damn right, because he's made me a nuisance. A stupid, horny, stupid nuisance.

I stare at the water in front of me, rippling a little from the light breeze brushing through the empty space. My skin prickles at the thought of submerging myself, seeing how long I can hold my breath, but I stay where I am, looking up to the view from my hotel. Spain is lovely, and I've had the pleasure of being here a day early, allowing myself to explore its city alone. But now I'm sat here, a day before the weekend starts, fretting about a man who, until a few weeks ago, made me hot with fury. I don't know when my flame started to be doused, but it went little by little until it was gone, a few embers left in its stead.

—
I stand up and walk to the other side of the pool, skin raising from the chill that's  in the air despite the warmth radiating off of the floor. I wrap my arms around myself, blocking most of the breeze that touches the skin not covered by my bikini. I could put some clothes on, but I had wanted to go swimming, and didn't bring anything except my towel. And I'm too stubborn to wrap that around me. I watch as a lizard crawls around the small water feature of the pool, languishing in the warmth of the stone. I wonder what it would feel like, to be so small and without worries. To just bathe in the sun all day, with no tantalising thoughts of a man who is totally and utterly an annoying asshole.

I'm so enraptured by the lizard that I don't hear someone walk to the pool, nor don't hear that person walk next to me.

"It's beautiful" the voice says, and I whip my head up so fast I'm not totally convinced I didn't break anything.

My breath falters, and I can feel my heart beat rising instantly. I realise that he must be talking about the lizard, so I look down only to see that it has vanished. Scurried away. I wish to call it back, wait, take me with you. Please.

I let my arms down from around me, and watch as his eyes darken as they momentarily drag down my body. My heart is beating so loudly he must be able to hear it. Must be able to hear my heavy breaths, breaths that are feeling harder and harder to take as he keeps looking at me. God, what is happening to me.

"If you wanted to swim, I can go." I say, walking away.

One moment I was standing a couple of feet across from him; the next, i was backed up towards the very edge of the pool, one wrong move away from falling into it. I gasped at the movement. Oscar took up my view, the expanse of his broad shoulders, the swirl of his eyes in the radiant night, the constellation of beauty marks on his pale skin. One of his large hands circled around to press into the small of my back, bringing forth memories of the last time we were like this, and my own fingers flew to grasp at his shirt. If I ended up going for a midnight swim, then you know I was bringing him with me too.

"It looks like you were going for a swim. Or have you changed your mind?" He probably meant it as a threat, not a serious one of course, but my stomach clenched at the heat of his voice, so very close to my face.