After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 153

Catherine told him the name of the movie, and Lawrence typed it in. A creepy poster popped up on the TV a second later.

She slid over to sit right next to him, then lifted his arm and draped it around her shoulders, settling in close. She found a spot that felt just right, curled up in his arms.

Lawrence immediately caught a whiff of her fresh, just-showered scent, mixed with that sweet note that was all Catherine. It made him tense up without even meaning to. He shifted a little, trying to make her even more comfortable against him.

The opening credits rolled, full of eerie music that sent a chill through the room. Catherine shrank back, pressing her shoulders in and hugging Lawrence’s waist, not even realizing she was doing it.

Lawrence glanced down, fighting a smile. He pulled her a little closer, keeping her tucked against him.

“If you’re scared, you can always skip it,” he murmured, a little worried she’d end up having nightmares.

“Who’s scared? Not me,” Catherine shot back, stubborn as ever. But before she could finish, a jump scare flashed across the screen—a ghostly face right up close.

She let out a squeak and buried her face in Lawrence’s chest, clutching at his shirt.

Lawrence’s big hand landed on her back, stroking gentle circles, like he was soothing a frightened kitten.

Honestly, he couldn’t care less about the movie. His whole focus was on the girl in his arms.

Catherine breathed in his clean scent and felt the steady weight of his arm around her, safe and warm. But she still wanted to know what happened next, so she peeked up and ended up lying across his lap, watching the movie from there. Lawrence’s hand kept moving in slow, comforting strokes along her back, calming her down whenever she tensed.

They watched the whole movie from eight thirty to ten. Even after the credits rolled, Catherine’s heart was still pounding from some of the scarier scenes. She looked up, her voice softer than usual, a little shaky.

“Lawrence…”

He looked down at her, catching the way her eyes shimmered in the dim light. There was something inviting about her gaze, a sweetness she probably didn’t even realize she had.

“I want you to stay with me tonight.”

He reached over to check it. Catherine mumbled, “Can you just ignore it?”

“It’s your dad,” Lawrence said quietly.

Catherine peeked at the screen, her cheeks still flushed. She suddenly felt more awake, a little embarrassed. “Oh. You better answer. Put it on speaker, I want to hear.”

Lawrence took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He answered the call and hit speaker. “Hi Dad.”

His voice was back to its usual steady tone.

On the other end, Nestor sounded tipsy, his words a little slurred. “Lawrence, are you home? Can you come pick me up? My driver had something come up and I’ve had too much to drink, I can’t drive myself.”

There was a lot of noise in the background, making it clear he was still out at some dinner party.