Chapter 6- Exposed

“No… Don’t… Stop!” cried Lara. Vivid images of those hoodlums, attacking her, hounds her in her sleep. The evil grins stretched on their faces grew wider, the more she pleaded for them to stop.

Lara felt a pair of hands shook her on the shoulder.

She jolted awake. Eyes wild and panicked. 

Tears were slowly trickling down her face. Seeing Luce right in front of her, she jumped into his arms, tightening her grip around his waist.

She buried her face in his chest and sobbed.

Luce surprise by her distraught action, simply move his arms around her protectively. Drawing soothing circles on her back.

The combination of his soothing touch and the smell of nature that clung to his body, gradually calmed Lara down.

Lara stayed in Luce embrace for half an hour, her head resting on his chest. She felt safe and protected whenever she was with him. This wasn’t the first time that those kind of dreams visited her in her sleep.

They come often, most nights. Sometimes she struggled to go back to sleep after waking up screaming in her room.

Just imagining their putrid hands on her, caused Lara to blanch in fear and disgust.

A cold wind gently swept over them, Lara shivered against the cold, her arms bare and exposed to the chilly wind.

Lara finally noticed that the sun had gone down. The crescent moon hangs over them, illuminating the night sky together with the glittering stars.

“Let’s go.” Lara mumbled against, Luce comfortable chest. She rubbed her face against it one last time, taking a deep breathe. Filling her nostrils with Luce’s scent.

Unwillingly, she extracted herself from Luce’s embrace. 

Standing up, she held out her hand to help Luce up. He took her hand wordlessly. Gathering her strength, she tried to pull him up, but she slipped as she tried to dig her white converse into a patched of grass.

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Instead of helping Luce up, Lara fell down on top of him. Their faces dangerously close to each other. Lara face turned a bright shade of red, as she realises their questionable disposition.

Lara’s hands were in contact with Luce’s face.

‘Wait face?’ questioned Lara. ‘Shouldn’t I feel his messy hair?’

Lara opened her eyes, only to find herself transfixed at the sinful view.

‘Luce, is unbelievably cute and handsome.’ Gasped Lara in admiration. Her eyes roamed to his feminine eyelashes and his striking deep blue eyes.

She found herself drawn closer to him. Her mind blank and dazed. 

She reached up to grab the side of his face with her thin, slender hands, her thumb brushing against his flushed skin.

Her face inched closer and closer to his, Luce just laid there, unblinking and unfazed. He wasn’t quite sure what Lara was doing, but the hungry look in her eyes, sent shivers down his spine.

“What are you doing?” came Luce silvery voice, questioning Lara’s peculiar actions.

Hearing Luce’s pleasant voice, caused the tumultuous desire to die down. Lara was brought back to her senses. Realising her indecent intentions towards Luce, she backed away from him.

Face dangerously red from embarrassment. She couldn’t even look Luce in the eyes. She kept her head down and turned away from him, waiting for him to get up.

“What were you going to do?” questioned Luce again, voice innocent and childlike.

“N- nothing.” Answered Lara timidly, her face heating up again. 

“Luce, don’t you ever cut your hair. Understand.” Lara suddenly blurted out. Her voice serious and slightly possessive.

Luce was  dumbfounded and confuse by Lara’s peculiar request. His head tilted innocently as his blue eyes gaze questioningly at Lara's back.