Safe in Your Arms

Chapter 19

Newt looked up as Tina burst into the room. There were tears streaming down her face and, clutched in her hand was . . .

The newspaper.

Newt scrambled to his feet as Tolliver started towards her. She was still standing in the doorway to the basement, her shoulders hunched, and her body shaking with every sob.

"Tina," Tolliver said, trying to pull her into a hug. She tried to push him off. "What's wrong, baby? What is it?" 

Tina pushed him away and ran across the room, straight to Newt. She flung her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He started. Tolliver was staring at them, a shocked expression on his face.

"Tina," Newt murmured, trying to get him to let go of her. "Tina, Tolliver is staring."

She didn't move. All she did was grip him tighter, sobbing into his shoulder. 

"Tina?"

Tina shook her head and continued to cry. Newt slowly raised his arms to hold her and rub her back comfortingly. He looked towards Nagini and motioned for her to leave the room. She got to her feet, picking up her the matches she had been working with all morning. Then he slipped them and her wand into her pocket and made her way over to Tolliver, beckoning him to follow her out of the room.

Tolliver finally found his voice. 

"No, I want to know what's going on," he snapped. He started towards Newt and Tina. "Tina, baby, what's going on?"

Nagini stepped in front of him. "This probably has something to do with her sister," Nagini said. "Newt knows what happened. You've made it clear that you don't so let's give them space to discuss whatever's happened."

"I know I don't know what's happened but my girlfriend is clinging to him as if--"

"There's nothing between them," Nagini interrupted, trying to push Tolliver out of the room.

Tolliver was beginning to get angry. "Listen to me, girl. If you don't let me--"

"You might not want to threaten me," Nagini hissed.

Tolliver stopped and took a step back. Newt knew he had been told that Nagini could transform into a snake but he suspected he had never actually seen it happen, and didn't want to.

"Now," Nagini continued, pointing to the doorway that led up to the second floor. "Get upstairs."

The man obeyed and Nagini followed after him, offering Newt a small smile before vanishing up the stairs. Newt focussed his attention on the woman in his arms. She was still holding tightly onto him, sobbing. He took a step backward to the couch. Tina followed, still not letting go. He sat down, breaking her grasp. She sat down as well and pressed her face against his chest, gripping his shirt with both hands. The newspaper had fallen to his lap.

Newt moved one hand to rest on her back and brought the other one up to gently stroke her hair. "Tina," he murmured. "Tina, it's alright." She continued sobbing. "Tina, you're going to have to calm down if we're going to discuss it."

Tina continued crying for several more minutes. Newt alternated between stroking her hair and rubbing her back, murmuring soothingly the whole time. Her tears finally slowed, her grip on his shirt relaxing.

"Tina, please."

She sat up slowly, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. Newt raised one hand and ran his thumb over her cheeks, brushing away her tears.

"What's wrong?"

Tina flipped the newspaper over. "You knew about this?"

Newt nodded. "But I only saw it this morning," he said, pointing to the date. "How did you find this?"