This is a super short filler chapter. Sorry about that, I haven't had much time or inspiration!
I'm on my way
Through every day
I'm facing all my faults
All alone
No way home
Afraid to lose it all
The Hunted by Saint Asonia
"Lara?! What the hell are you doing here?" he exclaimed as he lowered his gun and leaned on the edge of the door.
His stunned reaction amused me and gave me a bit of confidence. Which caused me to step forward toward the opened door and I took a page out of his book, from Paris, and smirked at him as I made eye contact. "Why don't you let me in to find out?"
As those words came out of my mouth, the voice in my head was screaming at me. Wow, Lara get a hold of yourself - you could pass for the undead at the moment. He going to think you are out of your mind. But I was too tired and distracted to care. It was an honest struggle with myself to keep my eyes on his as all mine wanted to do was look down. He was attractive in his weird uniform of fatigues trousers and graphic tee back in the Louvre and Prague but it was something else entirely to see him in nothing but his boxers... And I apparently wasn't doing a good enough job at not looking him over and I saw a smirk start to grow on his face. But he kept his sarcastic comments to himself as he opened the door a bit wider and stepped aside, inviting me into his humble adobe.
I was grateful to be invited in not only because Kurtis still seems to trust me enough to let me into his home but to also get away from the cold, rain and the eyes and ears of the outside. Walking into the foyer, I took a look around. The house had definitely seen better days; the wallpaper in the hallway and living room was peeling off the walls, the wood floors were scratched and worn or at least in the places I could see. Most of the floor was covered by filing and moving boxes stuffed with papers and books. It seems like Kurtis has been doing a lot of research on something. But as surveyed the rooms I heard Kurtis close and lock the door, then I felt his eyes on me. Having his eyes on me didn't make me uncomfortable like the others outside had. It was familiar and comforting. Though I knew he was probably judging... well maybe not judging but comparing me to the way I looked when we last met.
And admittedly I did look different to how I did then. I've lost weight- weight that I definitely didn't need to lose, I had dark circles under my eyes thanks to all the sleepless nights, my skin had lost any tan I built up over all my adventures and largest change, the one I regretted the most (and one of the few things I regret in my life), was that my long hair was now a shoulder length wavy bob. As a reaction to a horrifying nightmare that I don't want to even think about again, I cut my hair off in a panicked moment.