As I stepped off the plane, the warm, dry air of Madrid gently kissed my face, bringing a smile to my lips. Even though only two weeks had passed since my last visit, time seemed to stretch endlessly.
"Oh, I forgot how intense the sun shines here," Erik complained behind me as we descended the airplane's stairs, shielding his eyes with his hands. I couldn't help but chuckle at his disgruntled expression.
"Welcome to Madrid," I said cheerfully, a smile impossible to contain illuminating my face.
It had been almost four days since the incident with Oliver, and although Erik hadn't left my side, I still sometimes felt the bitter sensation of my world crumbling. The reason I had agreed to come to Spain and report him was simply to avoid the fear of encountering him in the future. Erik had gathered evidence that Oliver had been on the island, and with his testimony and the marks on my neck, I hoped it would be enough to be taken seriously for the harassment and abuse report.
After passing through passport control and navigating halfway through the airport, we finally reached the exit, where family and friends awaited to greet the travelers. I quickly spotted Vir, who upon seeing Erik, not me, began jumping with joy.
"Get ready," I sighed, knowing Vir would be like a child in a toy store all day.
"FINALLY!" she exclaimed, dodging some passengers to reach us. She enveloped me in a warm, excited hug but quickly shifted all her attention to my tall, strong, and very handsome companion.
"Pleased to meet you, Vir," Erik said, extending his hand.
"We give two kisses here, come on," she said, approaching and giving Erik two kisses, as warm as ever. She wasn't stupid. Who would miss the chance to kiss such a man? My friend gave me a look full of complicity and approval and guided us towards the exit. She had parked the car in the airport parking lot and asked us about the trip, if it was Erik's first time in Spain... I found it hard to keep up with the conversation; my mind was neither in Spanish nor in English, so I let them talk.
Erik told her how we 'met' a few years ago at the amusement park in Salou, PortAventura, and Vir thought it was a sign from destiny, glad that we were finally together.
"No estamos juntos," I said in Spanish, and she looked at me amused.
"A bit, yes," she said with complicity, making me blush. I looked ahead and let them continue talking.
I felt a bit jealous seeing how comfortable Vir was talking to him, as if language were not a problem. If only I could speak with Erik as fluently as I spoke Spanish... everything would be different.
We arrived at my friend's house, where we would spend the three nights we would be in Madrid. Upon opening the door to the room where I had stayed until going to the island, I saw that she had prepared everything for us. I felt embarrassed, although we hadn't been sleeping separately, we hadn't slept together again either. Every time things heated up, I got anxious, and Erik simply hugged me, without pressuring me. Nothing was going to happen at my friend's house, but it almost felt like we were together. Why was I worried now if I had handled it well on the island?
Vir left, and Erik left the two travel bags we had brought, as if they weighed a ton each.
"I like your friend, she's very cheerful," he said, bringing me back to reality.
"She likes you too," I smiled, sitting on the bed. He sat beside me and rested his hand on my knee.
"Are you okay?" I nodded, nervous about the visit to the police station, anxious in case we crossed paths with Oliver, happy to be back in Madrid, and a little embarrassed to be with him.
"Yes, it's just a lot of feelings," I tried to explain. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my head.
"One at a time."
It was time for lunch, at least by Spanish standards. On the island, we would have already eaten three hours ago, but in Madrid, people usually didn't eat before two-thirty in the afternoon. Vir offered to go to a nearby place with a terrace, since it was sunny, although according to her, it was also chilly.
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"It's almost summer compared to the cold in Pierowall," I said in Spanish, and Erik laughed, nodding.
In less than 10 minutes, we were seated at the terrace Vir had suggested. I closed my eyes, letting the sun envelop me with its light and warmth. One of the things I didn't like about the Scottish sun was that, despite illuminating, it barely warmed. I had almost forgotten how pleasant it was to feel the sun on my skin. In the background, I could hear Vir and Erik talking, and from what I could understand from the conversation, they were talking about his work at the lighthouse.
"Before being a lighthouse keeper, he was a firefighter," I told Vir, and Erik nodded. Vir looked at me with a mischievous smile, an expression I knew well but could easily be interpreted as just a smile.
"Firefighter?" she wanted to confirm.
"Yes, in Glasgow. But despite the good pay and how exciting it was, the life of a lighthouse keeper is quieter and safer," he said, reaching for his beer.
"But you have firefighter friends," Vir insinuated, and Erik laughed, nodding again.
"Do you want him to introduce you to a friend?" I asked Vir, who nodded with a not-so-innocent look, saying that we had always done everything together, and she wouldn't let me be the only Spanish hooked on a Scottish firefighter.
"I'm not... oh, forget it," I complained.
Erik smiled and gently squeezed my knee, as if reminding me that I didn't have to be embarrassed.
"Are you going to see your parents?" my friend asked, probably without double intention.
"I should," I glanced at Erik "Do you want to meet my parents?" I asked him, and for the first time, I saw a hint of shyness on his face.
He looked at me steadily and nodded slowly, almost as if we were analyzing each other's non-verbal response.
"Do you want to?"
"I asked first."
"Yes," he replied.
"Okay, then I'll call them later," I took a sip of my beer, but choked. Erik laughed and patted my back, explaining to Vir that it happened to me quite frequently.
After lunch, we took advantage of the good weather to stroll through Retiro, one of Madrid's most beautiful parks. Vir, who walked a few steps ahead talking on the phone, gave us some space.
"I like your city, it's very beautiful," Erik commented, putting his arm around my shoulders as we walked together.
"It is. Very different from Pierowall," Erik nodded.
"I know you don't like public displays of affection. Does it bother you that I act like this with you?" he asked, and I shook my head. I actually felt good being close to him. It embarrassed me, but I didn't dislike it at all.
"But be careful with my father, he might bite you," I joked, and he blushed slightly "Are you embarrassed to meet my parents?" I asked, and Erik shyly looked away.
"A bit," he admitted.
"Why?"
"I've never met the parents of a girl I liked," he shrugged, and that revelation made my stomach flutter.
"Never?" I asked impressed, and he shook his head "It's not necessary if you don't want to..." Erik stopped and looked into my eyes just as we passed by the pond full of boats in the park.
"I want to meet your parents," he said, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
"And why are you embarrassed?" I smiled, rubbing my face against his hand.
"Because it's the first time I want to meet the parents of a girl I really like, and that girl doesn't want to be my girlfriend," he laughed, making me blush now.
"Do you want me to tell them you're my boyfriend?" I asked, and Erik rested his forehead against mine, caressing me with his warm breath.
"I don't want to lie to your father if he asks me what I feel for you."
"Fortunately, you don't speak Spanish, and my father doesn't speak English," I smiled amused, enjoying the little legal loophole I had just found.
"Then will you tell him I'm just a friend?"
Damn, it was true. My parents, especially my mother, would want to know what we were. She would ask questions, take things for granted. Both would think we were a couple.
"I'll tell him we're getting to know each other," I said, trying to evade the topic.
Erik smiled and kissed me gently, with the beautiful backdrop of Retiro and its pond.
"I like you," he whispered.
"I like you too," I admitted.
We said those words to each other often; I felt they were a mask for something more, something we both felt but for which we still didn't have permission to express, because everything was moving too fast, too fast. For days we had been sleeping together, having breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. I showered at his house, worked at his house... and after such a long relationship, reaching those levels of intimacy with a person in just two weeks scared me, even though my body felt fine with it. It was a constant struggle between my heart and my head, my feelings and my logic.
'Head vs Heart'
Erik kissed me again gently and hugged me, making me feel part of his world in a way I loved too much not to want to be there, but which also terrified me too much not to just enjoy it.