A Steele Between Two Thorns, Part Thirty-Eight
Steele woke slowly, gradually noticing that he was alone in bed. He sat up and looked around the darkened loft. There was light coming from the bathroom. The door was closed, and he thought he heard the shower running.
“Laura?” he called softly, tapping on the door.
There was no answer, but a small muffled sound was suddenly choked back. He tried the door, surprised to find it unlocked.
“Laura?” he tried again, before opening the door.
He found her inside, sitting under the running water, knees drawn to her chest, sobbing. Alarmed, he hurried to the tub and switched off the faucet. Laura hugged herself more tightly and buried her face in her hands.
“Hey, Laura, it’s alright,” Steele said softly, holding her wet body as close as he could with the edge of the tub between them. He wasn’t sure what else to do.
Laura’s sobs gradually became little gasps, and finally subsided altogether. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just felt… dirty.”
This was exactly what Steele had been afraid of. “He isn’t going to touch you anymore, Laura. Nobody will.”
“Not even you?” Laura asked in a small voice.
Steele paused, choosing his words carefully. “That’s your decision.”
She let out a tearful little laugh. “Of course you can. I just - I just didn’t realize how much this would bother me.”
He held her for a few more minutes. “You could have woken me. If you needed to talk.”
“I wanted to be alone,” Laura said carefully. “It’ll take some getting used to, this sharing everything with someone else. I’ve always been so independent.”
“Are you saying you’re feeling crowded?”
“No. Just different. Things changed so quickly. It scares me sometimes.”
Steele pulled back and peered at her closely. “Are you still happy about - things?”
“Yes.”
She shivered slightly, and Steele reached up for a towel to wrap around her shoulders. He noticed that she was smiling.
“What?”
“I’d gotten to know Mr. Steele so well. In some ways, Harry is a completely different person. I suppose he was there all along, but I didn’t see him very much.” Steele raised his eyebrows, so she continued. “You’re much more open now, you know. I can tell you anything. I can ask anything. I know what you look like first thing in the morning. I know how long it takes you to brush your teeth and take a shower. And you know the same things about me. It’s nice.”
Steele smiled, relieved, as days of tension seemed to disappear.
“Thank you, Laura.”
“For what?”
“For marrying me. I like it too.”
They sat in contented silence until Laura began to shake again.
“Let’s get back to bed,” Steele said, helping her step out of the slippery tub. He fetched a warm nightgown and they settled beneath the covers, holding each other closely.
“Laura?” he called softly, tapping on the door.
There was no answer, but a small muffled sound was suddenly choked back. He tried the door, surprised to find it unlocked.
“Laura?” he tried again, before opening the door.
He found her inside, sitting under the running water, knees drawn to her chest, sobbing. Alarmed, he hurried to the tub and switched off the faucet. Laura hugged herself more tightly and buried her face in her hands.
“Hey, Laura, it’s alright,” Steele said softly, holding her wet body as close as he could with the edge of the tub between them. He wasn’t sure what else to do.
Laura’s sobs gradually became little gasps, and finally subsided altogether. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just felt… dirty.”
This was exactly what Steele had been afraid of. “He isn’t going to touch you anymore, Laura. Nobody will.”
“Not even you?” Laura asked in a small voice.
Steele paused, choosing his words carefully. “That’s your decision.”
She let out a tearful little laugh. “Of course you can. I just - I just didn’t realize how much this would bother me.”
He held her for a few more minutes. “You could have woken me. If you needed to talk.”
“I wanted to be alone,” Laura said carefully. “It’ll take some getting used to, this sharing everything with someone else. I’ve always been so independent.”
“Are you saying you’re feeling crowded?”
“No. Just different. Things changed so quickly. It scares me sometimes.”
Steele pulled back and peered at her closely. “Are you still happy about - things?”
“Yes.”
She shivered slightly, and Steele reached up for a towel to wrap around her shoulders. He noticed that she was smiling.
“What?”
“I’d gotten to know Mr. Steele so well. In some ways, Harry is a completely different person. I suppose he was there all along, but I didn’t see him very much.” Steele raised his eyebrows, so she continued. “You’re much more open now, you know. I can tell you anything. I can ask anything. I know what you look like first thing in the morning. I know how long it takes you to brush your teeth and take a shower. And you know the same things about me. It’s nice.”
Steele smiled, relieved, as days of tension seemed to disappear.
“Thank you, Laura.”
“For what?”
“For marrying me. I like it too.”
They sat in contented silence until Laura began to shake again.
“Let’s get back to bed,” Steele said, helping her step out of the slippery tub. He fetched a warm nightgown and they settled beneath the covers, holding each other closely.