Forced Into Insanity

Chapter 5: Katherine

- Katherine -

"You do know you're a wanted man. You just deny it 'cuz it'll keep you away from me. I've met thousands of thirsty ass men, Gabe. They don't make me feel like this."
"Then how do you feel about me?" He leans in closer and I'm exploding, fireworks are going off in the background. I'm screaming, I want to tell him that I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him but he probably doesn't see me like that. He doesn't need a woman in his life right now he needs a fucking ambulance but I couldn't care less.
"I don't know how to feel, Gabe. It depends on how you feel." He only sighs and looks away.
"Katherine, do you love your brother?"
"Yes."
"Katherine, do you like chocolate?"
"Yes!"
"Do you like flowers?"
"Yes."
"Are you in love with me?"
"Yes."
"No! I..I didn't mean..I..um." I try to catch myself but he knows how to outsmart me. He always knows how to force the truth out of anybody, especially me. I'm panicking, the fireworks have stopped mid-air, the love that once bloomed so happily in his presence now feels like it's wilting, the whole world seems to only focus on us.

I said us, oh god. What have you done to me, Gabe?

"Where do you see this going? How did it start? How long have you felt this way?" He says it all too quickly but I answer it all.
"You ask too many questions." I reply.
"And that doesn't answer a single one of them." He responds and tugs at his hair. It did in my head.
"Do you..do you feel the same way?"
"Katherine I..it's complicated. I can't give you the life you want. What about Thomas? He'd fucking kill me."
"But he's not here right now, is he? Gabe do you love me?"
"Yes." He plummets onto the poor table. He worries so much and for what. I can't wait to hear him say that he's kidding, he must be joking. He's serious, like, deadass serious.
"Awww, you're in love with me, Gabriel Heart." I giggle and he lifts his head to look at me.
"Shut up.." he says, completely defeated.
"Don't act all sad now, Gabe. Life's too short to sulk, plus, now you have a girlfriend, ain't that great?"
I see him smile so wide I can't help but smile myself.
"Lift your head up, kitten. Lemme show you what you're missing." I tug at his wrists and surprisingly, he lets me. I drag him toward my car and tell him to drive. Kitten complies.

-~~~-

- Gabriel -

Kathy said she'd go get some stuff and come back. I feel uneasy, like someone is watching me, like I'm making a mistake but I'm in love with her..how could kathy ever be a mistake? Am I in the right state of mind right now? Should I go after her? Yes. I get out of the car, fully expecting kathy to return and run into my arms but she doesn't.

The hell is taking so long?

"Kathy?"

Silence.

I try again and stop right where I am.

I hear muffled voices, Thomas. Fucking Thomas probably came over and is confused as to why Kathy is in a rush.

It hits me, she's skipping a shift.

Thomas came over to remind her.

Shit.

-~~~-

- Thomas -

I knocked once, twice then a third time. She isn't answering. She doesn't sleep at this time, though. Fuck it. I scour for my phone and give him the details. Kath better not be sleeping with anyone or I swear to god.

He arrives pretty quickly and I wave him over. He runs over to me and gives me the keys. He's breathing hard. The hell were you doing, Feurn? Running a marathon?

I don't really care right now. I open the door and almost immediately spot Kath grabbing stuff in a hurry. I must be seeing things.
"What the hell?" She looks like she can't talk. I'm seeing things. I'm definitely seeing things.
"Where are you going?"
"I have a date with Oliver, Tom. I really don't have time."
"You have a shift though.."
"I cancelled. I love him too much, what can I say?" She smiles so wide.
I look to the door and Oliver is almost right on cue as he closes the door behind him. Kath goes so pale she's starting to sway. I'm fucking livid. Who the hell is she dressing up for? Her fucking boyfriend is right here.
"Feurn?"
He looks so confused.

Fuck.

"What have you done, Katherine?"
She looks so desperately at Feurn but I don't let him get a word in.
"Katherine only will speak." I assure Feurn. He looks so confused, still. Isn't he concerned? He looks to be in disbelief, that's it. No worry, no jealousy, no fucking sign he knew about this shit. She hid her going out from her own boyfriend. Something ain't right.
"Who?" I ask, anger bubbling in every part of me. Her mouth contorts to what I recognise as an A then a B.

Who is Ab? Abolholio? Abortion? Who the fuck has A and B as their first initials? I look to Feurn. He read her. He knows Abolholio.
"Who?" I'm now fucking staring into Feurn's soul. He doesn't falter.
"Katherine only will speak." He replies, all sly and shit.
"Fuck off, Feurn." He's gesturing in Kath's direction. I look and I'm too late. She tumbles backwards all the way down the stairs but someone is stood at the end to catch her and it sure as hell ain't Feurn or me.
I lunge so quickly at Gabriel Heart that I'm not thinking straight. I don't want to think right now, I don't want to look at his face right now. I want to hurt him.

I fucking want to kill him.

-~~~-

- Oliver -

I can only watch as Gabriel and Thomas fight it out with Katherine in the middle. She's trying to separate them and failing terribly. I signal for her to come, she does but she's hesitant, stopping to look back at Thomas and Gabriel before making her way over to me.
"Separate them!" She tugs at me arm quite aggressively. I'm unaffected but slightly hurt. Why does she want to separate them anyway? For all I know Gabriel deserves it. It's pretty hard for even Thomas to see right through the act so for Gabriel to have been so obvious, it was just a dumb move on his part.
"How did you even find him? Wasn't he missing for like a few days?" I ask, unsure if my timing was the best.
"He told me he was kidnapped."
"Yeah, we figured something happened to him but how is he here? Did he escape or was he let go?"
"Ollie?"
"Yes?"
"Shut up and separate them." She persists.
"No. He deserves it." Her eyes widen and it turns to a what I assume is a death stare for her. I've never received a death stare from Katherine before. It doesn't feel too good if I'm quite honest. It feels like I should probably run but I've never ran away from Katherine. We would fight occasionally but not like this, this was another level of anger Katherine has never exhibited before. She lets go of my arm, scoffs and walks towards the toddlers.
"Fuck off, Feurn."

She yells for Thomas and he looks at her while holding Gabriel down.

I can immediately read her.

Don't, Katherine, no.

"Gabriel is my boyfriend, I love him, ok? Tom, Ollie only dated me because he didn't want to lose me when I said I liked him. I was young and stupid, ok? We all make mistakes and Gabriel shouldn't suffer for my mistake, I brought him into my own home, I'm a grown ass woman for fuck's sake! and you're acting like an asshole right now. Stop this immediately!" She sounds so sure of herself, like she didn't just blurt out that she's a cheater. I shouldn't be hurt but I am, at least warn me, let me down easy, anything. Why do I have to find out like this?

Is there no basic trust between us, Katherine?

My mind is scrambled. Thomas is looking at me for conformation and I'm about to punch someone. I want to tell Katherine it hurts but not in front of Thomas, he's probably been waiting his entire life to hear me be an actual friend towards Katherine, to hear me be vulnerable. Fuck you, Thomas.

Fuck your stupidity, Thomas, you and Abholio.