to the moon & to saturn | cate blanchett

chapter 14

*warning: mature content*

Elle woke in the early hours of the morning, when it was still pitch black outside. Before even opening her eyes, she smiled at the fact that Cate's body was pressed against hers.

It was too hot under the blanket, so she slowly got up. She lightly lifted Cate's arm from her waist so she could slide out of bed, making sure not to disturb the older woman in the process.

Cate looked absolutely angelic when sleeping. Her lips were slightly parted and her soft adorable little snores echoed through the room.

Elle tore her eyes away from sleeping beauty and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, embarrassed that she fell asleep last night without doing that. After, she beelined to the bar near the bottom of the stairs and poured herself a glass of water from the sink.

While sipping her water, she heard wandering voices from the floor above, drifting down the stairs. 

Curious, she padded across the floor and listened intently.

She heard David first: "Do you think it's for money?"

Then, Christina: "What else could it be? Should I call Mary?"

Elle flinched at the mention of her mother's name.

David again: "In the morning, definitely. Jesus Christ, she's dating someone our age."

And Christina for a second time: "Mary will surely put an end to it."

Elle stumbled backwards, almost spilling her glass of water. She whacked her calf against a poorly positioned end table and the voices upstairs stopped abruptly. Before they could investigate the noise, Elle scurried back to the guest bedroom.

She already knew they disapproved of her relationship—no surprise there—but had they kept in contact with her mother?

Cate stirred, squinting in the dark to find Elle. The girl stood paralyzed in the doorway, pale as a ghost.

"Sweetheart?" croaked Cate, rubbing her eyes. She propped herself up on her elbows.

"I want to leave. Please," whispered Elle, clenching her fists.

Cate didn't ask questions. She sprung into action immediately. Elle's eyes went blurry and out of focus, but she heard Cate packing up their belongings. Cate slipped on a bra and a pair of shoes. Her concerned face came into focus in front of the younger girl.

"Honey, focus on me. Is there anything else you need?"

Elle shook her head. If she forgot anything, Dylan could bring it back to the apartment for her. Her physical belongings were the least of her concern. As long as Cate was with her, she had everything she needed.

Cate kissed her girlfriend's forehead. It was light, delicate, and enough to momentarily stop Elle's entire body from shaking.

"Let's go, baby," whispered Cate.

They loaded Elle's suitcase and Cate's bag into the backseat of the Porsche and they were off.

Scattered raindrops from the end of a rainstorm decorated the windshield as Cate pulled the car out of the driveway and onto the highway. Elle watched rows of trees flash by before realizing she needed to text Dylan to explain her sudden disappearance. She reached into her pocket to grab her phone, but her hand met only fabric. Shit, did she leave it at the lake house?

"Fuck," she mumbled.

"What's wrong, dear?"

"Did you happen to pack my phone in my suitcase?"