CHAPTER 8
Lara was silent as she stared into the eyes of her new companion. She couldn't decide what it was exactly that she saw there. It was a mix of sadness, hurt, anger and hunger for vengeance. She didn't know what to say to him, so she cleared her throat to buy herself time before she spoke.
"Riley, I." her voice was almost a whisper. And Riley smiled at her knowingly
"You don't have to say anything to me Lara; it doesn't hurt so much anymore." Lara tried to smile but the thought of Riley's losing his sister to the same type of attack she had just endured made her feel ill. Riley stepped forward and placed his hand on her exposed shoulder. "let's find you something to wear, ok?"
"what's wrong with what I was wearing?"
"well, two things really. Number one, your shirt has blood all over the back and number two, it's torn open at the front!"
Lara shivered as the image of her shadowed attacker tearing her top flashed through her head.
"Are you ok?"
Lara sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She held the breath in for a few seconds before blowing it out and opening her eyes again, meeting the same deep blue eyes of the man that had saved her earlier that night.
"I'm fine..thanks to you." Riley looked down at his feet, his hand still resting against her skin. Slowly he brought his eyes back to hers and smiled. "don't mention it."
* * *
5 minutes later Lara was dressed in a pair of Riley's sweat pants and one of his T-shirts. It was too big for her and they grey material hung loosely off of her shoulders. she had tied her hair back into a loose pony tail using an elastic band she had found on the table. She was messing with her hair as she walked out of the bedroom into the living room. Riley wasn't there.
The large fire place had been lit so she knew he wouldn't be too far away. She dropped her arms back to her sides and made her way to the large glass doors.
She stood for a moment watching the moon, then something caught her eye. There was a quick movement on the edge of the trees. She stood silently, focusing on the area. She could just make out a figure in the shadows. Quickly she glanced at the fire place, there was no spare fire wood so Riley must have gone out to get some. She turned back to the doors but the figure had gone.
"hey, my shirt looks good on you" Riley said as he entered the room. Lara turned to face him, he was smiling, seemingly enjoying having someone else in the house. "I'm just going to nip out back for fire wood, I won't be too long"
"again?" Lara leaned against the brick fireplace as she faced him. She was amazed how relaxed she felt around him. There were men she had known for years that she wasn't relaxed around. Yet she had known riley a matter of hours and it felt like they were old friends. 'It must be something to do with the fact that he saved my life' she thought to herself.
"what do you mean 'again'?" Riley looked confused and slightly amused with his new friend.
"you were just out there!" Lara pointed towards the glass doors behind her, Rileys small smile began to fade
"no I wasn't"
"I saw you"
"what? You saw someone out there?" his smile was totally gone now. He glanced at the clock over the fireplace, it was 4 am. No one would be out there now.unless.
Riley jumped to his feet and hit the light switch, the room was now only light by the fire. Riley moved quickly to where Lara was standing, confused, and gently pulled her out into the shadows with him.
He stood still, holding Lara in place against the wall, one hand on her shoulders the other on her waist. His gaze was settled on the large glass doors.
"Riley." Lara tried to get his attention.
"shhhhhh" he didn't take his eyes off the doors.
Lara was beginning to find it hard to breath again. She knew that Riley wasn't going to try and do anything to her, but the feeling of being pinned brought flashbacks of the attack and she was beginning to panic.
"Riley" she whispered, squirming slightly under his hold. Riley kept his eyes on the doors, waiting, not knowing the panic his actions were causing Lara, he held her tighter, trying to keep her to the shadows.
"Riley Please!" Lara begged, hearing her voice, full of panic and fear, Riley turned back to her not understanding why she was afraid. "let me go, please, I can't!" Lara gasped.
Riley instantly understood and released her "Lara, I'm sorry. I would never do anything like that to you, you know that right?" Lara nodded as Riley brought his hand to touch her flushed cheek.
"I know, it's just after tonight, after...him"
"I know, I know" riley was now holding her face with both hands.
"no, riley, it's him"
"he can't hurt you now Lara."
"no Riley" Lara's eyes were wide again
"I won't let him hurt you again, I promise you"
"Riley!" Lara grabbed his shoulders "it's him!...at the door!"
Riley turned his head quickly, still holding Lara's face, and sure enough, peering through the door was the same shadowed man who had attacked Lara.
He felt his blood boil again at the site of the man, he turned back to Lara "now we get to the bottom of this. Wait right here, don't move or he'll see you."
"Riley, I'm more than capable of.."
"taking care of your self?" riley asked and Lara nodded "didn't seem that way earlier!"
"I was caught off guard! But now.."
"now, you are injured and even though you are expecting an attack, this guy has an advantage. Please Lara, just stay here."
Although she hated to admit it, she knew he was right so she agreed and stayed hidden in the shadows as she watched Riley creep back into the bedroom. The figure was still lurking by the doors, pressing up against them attempting to locate anyone inside. Lara felt herself go cold as she watched him.
Lara was silent as she stared into the eyes of her new companion. She couldn't decide what it was exactly that she saw there. It was a mix of sadness, hurt, anger and hunger for vengeance. She didn't know what to say to him, so she cleared her throat to buy herself time before she spoke.
"Riley, I." her voice was almost a whisper. And Riley smiled at her knowingly
"You don't have to say anything to me Lara; it doesn't hurt so much anymore." Lara tried to smile but the thought of Riley's losing his sister to the same type of attack she had just endured made her feel ill. Riley stepped forward and placed his hand on her exposed shoulder. "let's find you something to wear, ok?"
"what's wrong with what I was wearing?"
"well, two things really. Number one, your shirt has blood all over the back and number two, it's torn open at the front!"
Lara shivered as the image of her shadowed attacker tearing her top flashed through her head.
"Are you ok?"
Lara sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She held the breath in for a few seconds before blowing it out and opening her eyes again, meeting the same deep blue eyes of the man that had saved her earlier that night.
"I'm fine..thanks to you." Riley looked down at his feet, his hand still resting against her skin. Slowly he brought his eyes back to hers and smiled. "don't mention it."
* * *
5 minutes later Lara was dressed in a pair of Riley's sweat pants and one of his T-shirts. It was too big for her and they grey material hung loosely off of her shoulders. she had tied her hair back into a loose pony tail using an elastic band she had found on the table. She was messing with her hair as she walked out of the bedroom into the living room. Riley wasn't there.
The large fire place had been lit so she knew he wouldn't be too far away. She dropped her arms back to her sides and made her way to the large glass doors.
She stood for a moment watching the moon, then something caught her eye. There was a quick movement on the edge of the trees. She stood silently, focusing on the area. She could just make out a figure in the shadows. Quickly she glanced at the fire place, there was no spare fire wood so Riley must have gone out to get some. She turned back to the doors but the figure had gone.
"hey, my shirt looks good on you" Riley said as he entered the room. Lara turned to face him, he was smiling, seemingly enjoying having someone else in the house. "I'm just going to nip out back for fire wood, I won't be too long"
"again?" Lara leaned against the brick fireplace as she faced him. She was amazed how relaxed she felt around him. There were men she had known for years that she wasn't relaxed around. Yet she had known riley a matter of hours and it felt like they were old friends. 'It must be something to do with the fact that he saved my life' she thought to herself.
"what do you mean 'again'?" Riley looked confused and slightly amused with his new friend.
"you were just out there!" Lara pointed towards the glass doors behind her, Rileys small smile began to fade
"no I wasn't"
"I saw you"
"what? You saw someone out there?" his smile was totally gone now. He glanced at the clock over the fireplace, it was 4 am. No one would be out there now.unless.
Riley jumped to his feet and hit the light switch, the room was now only light by the fire. Riley moved quickly to where Lara was standing, confused, and gently pulled her out into the shadows with him.
He stood still, holding Lara in place against the wall, one hand on her shoulders the other on her waist. His gaze was settled on the large glass doors.
"Riley." Lara tried to get his attention.
"shhhhhh" he didn't take his eyes off the doors.
Lara was beginning to find it hard to breath again. She knew that Riley wasn't going to try and do anything to her, but the feeling of being pinned brought flashbacks of the attack and she was beginning to panic.
"Riley" she whispered, squirming slightly under his hold. Riley kept his eyes on the doors, waiting, not knowing the panic his actions were causing Lara, he held her tighter, trying to keep her to the shadows.
"Riley Please!" Lara begged, hearing her voice, full of panic and fear, Riley turned back to her not understanding why she was afraid. "let me go, please, I can't!" Lara gasped.
Riley instantly understood and released her "Lara, I'm sorry. I would never do anything like that to you, you know that right?" Lara nodded as Riley brought his hand to touch her flushed cheek.
"I know, it's just after tonight, after...him"
"I know, I know" riley was now holding her face with both hands.
"no, riley, it's him"
"he can't hurt you now Lara."
"no Riley" Lara's eyes were wide again
"I won't let him hurt you again, I promise you"
"Riley!" Lara grabbed his shoulders "it's him!...at the door!"
Riley turned his head quickly, still holding Lara's face, and sure enough, peering through the door was the same shadowed man who had attacked Lara.
He felt his blood boil again at the site of the man, he turned back to Lara "now we get to the bottom of this. Wait right here, don't move or he'll see you."
"Riley, I'm more than capable of.."
"taking care of your self?" riley asked and Lara nodded "didn't seem that way earlier!"
"I was caught off guard! But now.."
"now, you are injured and even though you are expecting an attack, this guy has an advantage. Please Lara, just stay here."
Although she hated to admit it, she knew he was right so she agreed and stayed hidden in the shadows as she watched Riley creep back into the bedroom. The figure was still lurking by the doors, pressing up against them attempting to locate anyone inside. Lara felt herself go cold as she watched him.