A Quest To The Known

chapter nine

"Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be close to you."

Lucas

My eyes swiped carelessly over the words, skipping the description I deemed unecessary about the surroundings of the place. Some would say that's a sin, I don't really give a shit.

'He'll be coming and going" he had said. "One day you'll see him and another you won't. He doesn't like being tied down-' The words seemed to blur out as I felt the uninvited smell of coconut, a favourable change from the woody scent from the furniture in the room. I tried to shift my focus from her smell to the words of the old book I held in my hands but to no avail. Not that I tried hard.

"The lion, the witch- Is that Chronicles of Narnia?" Drops of water trickled from Lyra's hair to my bare shoulders as she leaned closer to me from behind, "I only watched the movie. Didn't think anyone actually read the book. And fun fact, I can play the theme song of that movie on the piano."

"No surprise there. I'm convinced you can do everything."

"Except burp on demand." I snapped to her upon hearing the information and she smilled.

"Now that I have your attention," Her hands closed my book and she carefully set it on top of the hotel bed before rounding the chair and continuing, "I found a music store. It's just a couple roads down from here. I figured we could go there, maybe I could play you a little Chronicles of Narnia-"

"Or maybe I could keep reading and you could-" My eyes, which had been trying to avoid the view, now scrutinized every detail on her body that were visible underneath her towel, covered by droplets of water from the shower she had just taken, "Get dressed. I don't know."

The towel reached only a cm or two above her knee leaving her immaculate legs on show for anyone who was around, namely me. But she didn't seem to be bothered by that. Not as much as me, anyways.

"Of course I would, but I was hoping you'd say yes first," She brought both of her hands together, biting gently down her bottom lip.

I wanted to say no and stay in this room, staring at the white walls, laying on the spongy bed of this hotel room and reading my book. But I had read this book a dozen times and laid in my own, in much better conditions, bed about a thousand times more but, I had never been asked to go to a music store and been promised a song by Lyra, in a towel.  So I said yes.

Lyra's strolling destroyed a different piece of my heart with every step. She was a new sight to me. Every single day was a different discovery and a new mystery.

I never thought I would consider somehting like this but contrary to the chilly weather, she was a ray of sunshine. She had the energy to look in the eyes of everyone we passed by and wave at them, making sure to smile. Sometimes she nudged me to do the same. I did. Maybe because I wanted to be considered enough to be walking next to her. Nice enough? Good enough? I didn't even know.