Linger

F I F T Y - O N E

"My brother has quite the timing, doesn't he?"

"What did he tell you?" I asked as we pulled out of the parking lot. 

He stayed quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "Something that made me realize whatever I was upset about earlier doesn't even matter." He reached out, his hand finding mine. "I have you. And we both know it was not easy for us to get here. Of course, the car's not mine." With a playful smile, he nodded to the luxury car as we rolled to a stop at the stop sign. "But you know what I mean." 

I gave his hand a squeeze. "I do." 

His eyes softened as he looked at me for a moment before flickering his gaze to the rearview mirror. "I kinda want to turn around and give this car back to Bran right now so we could just have the evening to ourselves." 

"That sounds perfect," I began, looking up at him hesitantly. "There's just one thing." 

"What's that?" he asked, making a turn back toward the offices. 

"The first part of the nightmare you assigned us is due tomorrow and--"

"Nightmare?!" He raised his eyebrows. 

"Yes."

He knitted his eyebrows in confusion.

I huffed. "Come on, we can't graduate unless we complete it? What are we taking all the other classes for then?" 

He sighed. 

"And it's a group project?"

He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I'm not asking you to excuse me from it or anything but, Daniel, you have to admit it's a bit ridiculous." 

"Yeah, it is," he agreed as he ran his hand along his jaw. 

"It is?" I asked, surprised he was actually agreeing. 

"Yeah." He nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Don't worry about completing the first part." 

I gave him a puzzled look. "But what about everyone else that has started on it? That's unfair--"

"We'll work something out." He nodded. 

"Would Mr. Blakely really let us graduate without finishing this?"

"How would he know you didn't finish it?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"You just said--"

A cheeky grin spread on his face as his eyes met mine. 

I gaped at him. "You would lie to him?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." He winked. 

I bit back my smile as I looked down at our joined hands, admiring the way my fingers fit perfectly between his. I turned our hands over, becoming strangely fascinated with the skin on the back of his hands and the veins that stood out prominently.

Daniel chuckled lowly. 

I looked up at him with a smile. "What?"

"We're driving around in this luxury sports car and you're more focused on our hands." 

I laughed along with him. "Okay, yes, the car is nice but the driver? Have you seen the driver?" I asked him playfully. 

He laughed quietly, shaking his head. 

"I'm just saying." I shrugged. "I can't take my eyes off of him." 

"Even in a car as nice as this?"

I glanced around the car, but my eyes seemed to find their way back to him instead. His dark blond hair wasn't as neatly styled as it was at the start of the day, but somehow looked even better now. The top few buttons of his white dress shirt were undone after a long day. The stubble along his jaw had grown a bit darker over the past few days accentuating his jaw perfectly. Even the sunsetting behind him seemed to give him this ethereal glow. "What car?" I asked faintly.