CHAPTER 6
Lara wrapped the large white towel around her chest, tucking it into itself tightly under her arm, the towel reached to a third of the way down her thigh, leaving most of the long legs exposed. She squeezed her hair of excess water before wrapping that too in another of Riley's towels. Slowly she opened the door back into the bedroom. Her Legs ached as she moved and the cuts on her back stung as the towel rubbed against them. She moved silently into the living room to find Riley staring out of the glass doors into the darkness. He seemed to be deep in thought when she first entered the room. As she made her way further into the room, he spoke to her.
"Feel any better?" he didn't turn around, still intent of searching the shadows for movement.
"Yes, thank you." She felt slightly uncomfortable, standing there wrapped only in towels that didn't really cover as much as she would have liked.
"Good." Riley turned to face her then, pausing as he looked at her, trying to keep his eyes fixed on her face, but the exposed flesh of her legs called out to him. He looked at the ground casually as he walked a few steps closer to her. Then slowly he looked up, allowing himself a quick glance at the exposed area. "Lara," he motioned for her to sit on one of the large sofas. He continued when she had taken her seat "there's something I need to ask you.. About what happened tonight."
Lara nodded slowly, jaw clenched as she remembered what had happened not long ago.
"The guy who...well..that guy, you didn't recognise him did you?" the question was hopeful, it would make things so much easier if she had seen him somewhere before. But Lara only shook her head regretfully.
"I can't remember seeing him before, and the thing is, I don't think I would recognise him if I had seen him. When he jumped me, things just went blurry, it was so dark. I only remember that he was big, very fast and incredibly strong." She touched the bruise's and scrapes on her throat without realising she had moved her hand at all. Riley smiled sympathetically and took hold of the hand she had put to her wounds.
"Do you remember anything he said to you?"
"I remember running and hearing him behind me, he told me it wouldn't take long." She tried desperately to smile, but she looked so scared.
"I remember falling, and then I couldn't breath, everything started spinning and then it went black.." She closed her eyes trying her hardest to remember "blue eyes.." She opened her eyes and looked at him, "your eyes!" Riley smiled at her warmly and squeezed her hand.
"Lara, I don't know if I should really be telling you this, but I think you have a right to know." He took a deep breath and looked her squarely in the eye "I heard him tackle you, at first I dismissed it, thought it was a fox or something, but then I heard him say something."
Lara nodded, encouraging him to talk. He only looked into her eyes, searching them to see if he should tell her at all.
"Riley, what did you hear?"
He sighed, he'd said too much now "I heard him say, well, he said that it was too bad you had gotten involved"
"Involved?"
"That's what he said. I thought it was a little weird." He stood up and went to stand by the fireplace, he turned to face her again as he leaned against the wall. "What did you get involved in Lara?" he smiled to reassure her that it was ok to tell him.
"I don't know, I .. "She went silent as a thought hit her.
"Lara? What is it?"
"Oh my god!" she whispered
"What?" Riley moved closer and sat in front of her again as she tried to figure things out in her head. "Lara. I can't help you if you don't talk to me." She smiled sweetly at him then "Thank you riley, but I don't want to drag you into this if I'm right."
"Hey, you're forgetting one thing." He looked hard at her; she met his eyes "I'm already involved"
Lara wrapped the large white towel around her chest, tucking it into itself tightly under her arm, the towel reached to a third of the way down her thigh, leaving most of the long legs exposed. She squeezed her hair of excess water before wrapping that too in another of Riley's towels. Slowly she opened the door back into the bedroom. Her Legs ached as she moved and the cuts on her back stung as the towel rubbed against them. She moved silently into the living room to find Riley staring out of the glass doors into the darkness. He seemed to be deep in thought when she first entered the room. As she made her way further into the room, he spoke to her.
"Feel any better?" he didn't turn around, still intent of searching the shadows for movement.
"Yes, thank you." She felt slightly uncomfortable, standing there wrapped only in towels that didn't really cover as much as she would have liked.
"Good." Riley turned to face her then, pausing as he looked at her, trying to keep his eyes fixed on her face, but the exposed flesh of her legs called out to him. He looked at the ground casually as he walked a few steps closer to her. Then slowly he looked up, allowing himself a quick glance at the exposed area. "Lara," he motioned for her to sit on one of the large sofas. He continued when she had taken her seat "there's something I need to ask you.. About what happened tonight."
Lara nodded slowly, jaw clenched as she remembered what had happened not long ago.
"The guy who...well..that guy, you didn't recognise him did you?" the question was hopeful, it would make things so much easier if she had seen him somewhere before. But Lara only shook her head regretfully.
"I can't remember seeing him before, and the thing is, I don't think I would recognise him if I had seen him. When he jumped me, things just went blurry, it was so dark. I only remember that he was big, very fast and incredibly strong." She touched the bruise's and scrapes on her throat without realising she had moved her hand at all. Riley smiled sympathetically and took hold of the hand she had put to her wounds.
"Do you remember anything he said to you?"
"I remember running and hearing him behind me, he told me it wouldn't take long." She tried desperately to smile, but she looked so scared.
"I remember falling, and then I couldn't breath, everything started spinning and then it went black.." She closed her eyes trying her hardest to remember "blue eyes.." She opened her eyes and looked at him, "your eyes!" Riley smiled at her warmly and squeezed her hand.
"Lara, I don't know if I should really be telling you this, but I think you have a right to know." He took a deep breath and looked her squarely in the eye "I heard him tackle you, at first I dismissed it, thought it was a fox or something, but then I heard him say something."
Lara nodded, encouraging him to talk. He only looked into her eyes, searching them to see if he should tell her at all.
"Riley, what did you hear?"
He sighed, he'd said too much now "I heard him say, well, he said that it was too bad you had gotten involved"
"Involved?"
"That's what he said. I thought it was a little weird." He stood up and went to stand by the fireplace, he turned to face her again as he leaned against the wall. "What did you get involved in Lara?" he smiled to reassure her that it was ok to tell him.
"I don't know, I .. "She went silent as a thought hit her.
"Lara? What is it?"
"Oh my god!" she whispered
"What?" Riley moved closer and sat in front of her again as she tried to figure things out in her head. "Lara. I can't help you if you don't talk to me." She smiled sweetly at him then "Thank you riley, but I don't want to drag you into this if I'm right."
"Hey, you're forgetting one thing." He looked hard at her; she met his eyes "I'm already involved"