Safe in Your Arms

Chapter 34

Tina adjusted her hold on the Niffler as Newt opened the cage. He looked like he was about to turn and take the Niffler from her but instead, he froze. He seemed fixated on something in the burrow. She followed his gaze. He seemed to be staring at a small bit of silver, surrounded by gold coins.

Before Tina could get a good look at whatever it was, Newt's hand had darted out and snatched it out of the burrow. Tina slipped the Niffler back in its cage and closed the door behind it. Then she turned to Newt. He was looking at whatever was in his hands.

"Whatcha got there?" she asked.

Newt's grip tightened. "N-n-nothing," he stammered much too quickly.

Tina reached forward to take hold of Newt's wrist.

"Come on, let me see," she pleaded. 

Newt slowly loosened his grip. His fingers unfurled one by one to reveal a small silver band: a ring. Reaching forward, Tina picked it up and examined it. It was beautiful. A single diamond was set in the middle and on either side were two thin bands of metal, one of which was covered in a row of smaller diamonds.

"Whose is this?" she asked, handing it back to him.

"I'm not -- It's not -- I don't --"

"Don't tell me you don't know. If you didn't know whose it was you would have let the Nifflers have it," she demanded. "Tell me whose it is. I don't have to know the person."

"It -- It's nobody's," Newt mumbled.

"What?"

"It doesn't belong to anyone."

"What do you mean it doesn't belong to anyone? How can it not belong to anyone?"

"I -- uh -- It's possible." Newt stammered a bit more but didn't seem willing to explain.

"Alright fine, maybe the Niffler stole it from a shop so it doesn't belong to anyone but there are hundreds of stolen items in that burrow that you don't bother taking out. That ring has to belong to someone," Tina insisted.

"I -- It's mine," Newt finally admitted. "I bought it the other day when I bought your necklace." He glanced up and pointed to the chain around her neck.

Tina looked at him curiously. "What?" she stammered. She wasn't sure what was happening. Her mind was trying to process what he was saying. The only thing she could come up with was . . .

That's impossible. That can't be it.

Tina's heart was beginning to race and it was getting harder to breathe. "Why would you buy a ring?" she said slowly, trying to keep her voice even. 

"I -- I don't know -- I mean, I do know," Newt admitted. "But I -- I saw it in the shop and -- and I was immediately reminded of you. I had to buy it, I couldn't help myself. I -- I don't know if I was ever going to give it to you, I don't know if I'd have been able to give it to you, but I want to."

"Newt, what are you saying?" Tina managed.

Newt was staring at the ring, lying in his palm. He picked it up with his left hand and began fidgeting with it nervously.

"I g-guess what I'm saying is--" Newt broke off and paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "I love you, Tina, and I bought this ring because I hoped that one day you might consider m-marrying me. I was afraid to ask you now because I thought it -- it would be too soon and you might not be ready for that kind of commitment but I -- I really would like to marry you. I don't ever want to lose you the way I almost lost you to Tolliver. I know you're probably not ready but--"