Chapter 7: Learning Each Other Slowly
893 Words
Months became years.
Lee didn’t pressure her.
And, oddly enough, that worried her more than his pushing did.
She was used to chasing.
Demanding.
Having to respond or risk losing interest.
Lee just… existed steadily.
Patiently.
One night, Becca muttered, “You’re so patient.”
He glanced at her, eyebrow raised. “You want me to leave?”
“I don’t know yet.”
He smiled at that small smile she loved. “That seems to be your theme these days.”
She breathed out a laugh. “Everything about you is weird.”
“Bad weird?”
Becca shook her head. “No. Just… different.”
Lee paused.
“Good different?”
She hesitated.
And then nodded once. “Yeah.”
The Moment It Stopped Feeling New
It wasn’t romantic.
There was no grand declaration.
No made-for-sappy-movie kiss in the rain.
Just a quiet night like any other.
Becca sat tired on her porch steps after her shift.
Lee sat down beside her without asking.
“You alright?” he asked.
She leaned back, propping herself on her hands. “Always.”
Lee looked at her, eyelids low. “I know you’re not.”
She paused.
“…” Becca murmured. “I’m fine.”
Lee nodded. “Good.”
They sat in silence.
Before Becca finally said, “I thought I’d always be with someone who… needed me to explain myself.”
Lee frowned slightly. “And you?”
She stared into the yard.
“Now?” He pressed.
“I don’t feel like I have to explain things as much,” Becca replied.
He nodded slowly. “Good.”
“It’s scary though,” she admitted back.
Lee prompted, “Why?”
“Because now what happens when things feel… easy?”
Lee was quiet for a long moment.
“Maybe you just live in that.”
Becca turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.
“That easy?”
He shrugged. “Love should be.”
Silence.
---
They didn’t say anything for minutes.
Becca said, finally, breathless. “I didn’t think I’d ever feel like this again.”
Lee turned his head to look at her. “Feel what like?”
Safe.
She stopped herself before she went further.
“Safe,” Becca said again.
The word hung between them.
Not loud.
Not forced.
Real.
Lee nodded once. “Good.”
And for the first time, Becca kind of believed it.
When Neither of Them Were Ready
It wasn’t planned.
That was the thing about it. It just sort of happened.
It was a regular night.
That’s what made it dangerous.
Becca was washing dishes, humming along to whatever came on the radio when Lee leaned against the counter behind her.
“You’re quiet,” he said.
“I’m always quiet at night,” she responded.
“No, you’re not.” Lee disagreed.
She turned around and glared at him over her shoulder. “Yeah, I am.”
Lee shook his head. “No, you’re not. You just stop talking when you start thinking too hard.”
Becca turned the faucet off. “Oh yeah? What am I thinking about?”
Lee hesitated.
Then shrugged. “Me.”
She chuckled. “You sure think a lot about yourself.”
“I pay attention,” he corrected.
---
She finished drying her hands absentmindedly.
“You come over here way too much,” she accused gently.
Lee nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I know.”
“That’s not normal,” she continued.
He quirked a small smile at her. “You keep telling me.”
Becca pivoted around so she was leaning against the counter opposite him. “People don’t...just… show up as you do.”
“I do.” Lee shrugged simply.
“What are you doing here?” She asked him again, quieter this time.
Lee paused and took a breath.
“Well,” he began. “Because I like it here more than anywhere else.”
She stopped moving completely.
The Point They Were Both Too Scared To Cross
Becca glanced at the ground, then backed up at him.
“You shouldn’t say stuff like that.” She chastised him.
“Why not?” He questioned her back.
“Because it complicates things,” Becca explained.
Lee inched forward just a few inches, not touching her but closer, nonetheless.
“Don’t you think this is already complicated?” He asked softly.
She swallowed thickly. “I don’t know what we are.”
“I do,” Lee said with certainty.
Her heart began to race.
Becca shook her head minutely. “Don’t…”
Lee paused and c****d his head to the side. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t make this into something I could lose.” She whispered.
They didn’t speak for a long moment and the air between them changed.
---
Lee’s face softened when he spoke.
“You won’t lose anything.” He assured her.
Becca looked away. “That’s easy for you to say.”
He leaned in closer this time, taking his time.
“Becca,” Lee murmured.
She locked eyes with him, studying his face.
“I’ll never leave you. Not unless you tell me to.” He promised.
Her breath hitched in her throat.
“That’s a promise.” She accused me quietly.
“I mean it,” Lee said confidently.
- Writer
