𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 - 𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐔

𝐭𝐞𝐧.

As summer was near, the mornings were getting lighter earlier. Joel took advantage of the peace of the early hours as he walked the streets at a slow pace.

He was looking forward to the rest of the day but at the same time was ever so slightly nervous.

Ciri had been acting normal for the most part over the past week but sometimes he would catch her having moment where she'd suddenly become distant. He noticed it happen mainly when she was with him. And he couldn't work out why.

He feared she might be returning to old habits and eventually close herself off again as she'd been spending her time after her work shifts alone in her house.

Tommy had mentioned a week earlier that he was worried for her too since their conversation on their fishing trip. Joel hoped he could get some answers now he was going to be spending the whole day with her.

He approached her front door, knocked and counted down the few seconds until she'd answer.

But then she didn't. He knocked again and eventually he heard the rushed footsteps on the other side of the door.

When she opened it he saw her dressed in some workout clothes, she had a slight sweat on from whatever she had been doing before she answered the door.

"Sorry, I was just out the back. Come on in, I'm just finishing up." She flashed an apologetic smile as she stepped back.

"That's okay. Take your time." He nods and closes the door behind him and she jogs back outside through the patio doors.

Joel leaves his pack by the door and walks after her. He sees the door open to the garden shack and peaks in to see Ciri performing a set of push ups.

His brows are raised as he glances around the inside of the shack, she has a small collection of heavy dumbbells, a squat rack, bench and plates. It was a very minimal and basic gym set up but he was curious about where she'd got it all from.

As he looked back to her, he couldn't help but watch her closely.

He knew she had to have some muscle with the way she fought but he noticed she was fairly buff and found himself staring at the way her arms and shoulders flexed with each push-up as she wore black sports bra and black cycling shorts.

However, besides being mesmerised by her strength, he frowned as his eyes caught on all the scars that were scattered across her body from head to toe. Most were only small cuts, alongside her large claw marks from the bear attack and there was a fair few gunshot wounds and grazes.

She finished her set and as she stood she glanced over at him just in time to catch the look of sorrow in his eyes before he cleared his throat and adverted his gaze.

"Where'd you get all this stuff?"

"Various places." She rolled her shoulders back and stretched her arms. "Tony had the rack in his garage and let me have it since he doesn't use it. Then the dumbbells I'd managed to get from that sports resort that we'd passed by to get to the music store."

"They're big weights, how'd you carry them back?"

"I had to create a makeshift stretcher and attached it to Apollo for him to drag back. He's a strong boy so I knew he could do it." She smiled slightly and half shrugged.

Joel hummed was an impressed expression.

"Anyway, I'll quickly clean up and get changed then we can get going. I'll be as quick as I can." She huffs and they head back to the house after she locks up the shack.