ELEVEN
What the hell was going on?
The sight of the tears sliding down the side of Lara’s face had Ike’s entire body freezing for a moment. The old feelings of protectiveness he’d had for her resurfaced, gripping his heart in a clamp and leaving him breathless for a moment.
“Lara, are you hurt?” he asked as he scrambled off her and sat up at the edge of the sofa.
She didn’t respond, instead turned to her side and pulled her legs up so she was curled up in the foetal position.
He wrinkled his brow as his mouth dried out. He hadn’t felt anything so strong in a long while, and his worry bordered on anxiety. He cleared his throat so he could speak. “Lara?”
Unnerved by her continued lack of response, he got on his knees on the floor so he could look at her face properly.
She stared strai
