Page 25 of With This Witch
Good boy.
Stay as long as is needed to help her work it out. Keep me updated.
Will do, boss.
Petra picks up the used tissues that litter the living room floor as he sits at the far end of the couch, not wanting to infringe more on her space than he already has by his mere presence.
“Do you want to watch something?” Petra asks, finally sitting at the other end.
Lachlan stretches his arm along the back of the couch, crossing one ankle over his knee, hoping he looks more relaxed than he feels. Despite being relatively comfortable around each other for some time, this is new territory for him, being the concerned partner. His last and only serious partner, Desi, was also a demon and more forthcoming than Petra. Desi never hesitated to tell him when he fucked up or if something was on her mind. So, having to figure out how to navigate a relationship with a partner or soon-to-be partner who was more introspective was different.
“Sure. What do you have in mind?”
“Something scary?”
“Sounds good.”
“Cool. You scroll through the various streaming platforms and see if you find any contenders. I’ll make some popcorn,” she replies, going to the kitchen.
As he sifts through the different options, he keeps an eye on her, noting how she keeps wiping at her eyes and nose, trying to hide evidence of tears. She doesn’t need to keep a strong facade around him; she should know this. The question is, does he call her out on it or see if she will broach it herself? When she returns with snacks and a glass of soda for each of them, she settles on the seat next to him, curling her legs underneath her, the bowl of popcorn nestled between them.
“So, we have a few options,” he begins. “In the classics category, we haveNightmare on Elm StreetorHalloween. In the gory category, we haveSaworHouse of 1000 Corpses. And finally, for the more psychological horrors, we haveGet OutandMisery.”
She sniffles and puts on a smile. “Let’s go classic, and…” She pauses as she decides. “Nightmare on Elm Street.”
“Good choice,” Lachlan says, setting it to play. “Do you need anything?”
“Maybe for you to hold my hand at the scary parts, but that’s it.”
He laughs. “I think I can manage that.”
They make it halfway into the film before Petra has to pause for a bathroom break and snack refill. She’s jumped a few times, and he has taken advantage of it to be able to touch her, even briefly, as she squeezes his hand and hides her eyes. Given she’s looked away so many times, he’s a bit surprised she wanted to watch something that scares her, but at the same time, he’s content to share the moment with her. Hell, they could be dangling off a cliff, and he’d feel the same way.
Her sniffles have become less frequent as they get further into the movie, so maybe she’s just trying to distract herself from crying or whatever it is that has her upset.
When she returns, he decides to see if she will open up to him.
“Can I ask you something?”
“I guess,” she responds hesitantly.
Looking up at her, he places his arm on the back of the couch again, allowing him to touch her. Touching her cheek softly, he says, “When I arrived, it looked like you had been crying for a while. Do you want to talk about whatever it is that’s upset you?”
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Petra
She huffs out a breath as she leans into his touch, letting him brush his thumb along her face. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice. Guess I wasn’t as good at hiding it as I thought.”
All the emotion, the pain, the frustration, and the pity she has been shoving down over the past few weeks bubbles over inside her. She can’t hold it back any longer. A loud sob escapes her lips as her chest heaves, trying to gather air. Lachlan flinches in what she can only assume is out of surprise at her drastic escalation, but then he has one arm around her back and another under her knees and lifts her onto his lap. He doesn’t ask what she needs or what’s wrong. He holds her as she continues to sob, giving her space and time to feel.
She doesn’t know how long it takes her to calm herself or how long he holds her. All she knows is that he’s still there when she finally stops crying, holding her, waiting for her, without a complaint or demand.
“I’m not going to pressure you into talking about what set all this off,” he says, motioning to the space around them, “but I am here for you. I’ll stay as long as you need and listen as long as you are willing to talk. If you need to just sit in silence, I can also do that.”
Petra smiles at him, at the truth she knows deep in her bones. This man would go through fire for her.
“I appreciate that. I think I can talk about it. Looking back at it, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal?—”
