The Cate Blanchett Case {Cate Blanchett}

35~The Realisation

I spent the whole day locked away. Away from the world, away from responsibilities, and far away from Cate. But not at all for away from myself, not as far as I would have liked to be.

My brain whispered misery to me. My mother, Claire, the newspaper, all of it was spinning around in my head like some sort of whirlwind. Especially Cate. She'd been checking on me every once in a while, soft knocks on the bedroom door to make sure I was doing okay. I'd been such a bitch towards her. I'd ignored her, while she offered me food and reminded me that I could speak to her whenever I felt I was ready.

I felt horrible, she probably did too. I just didn't know how to confront the whole thing. Where did I even start? The paper? The run-in with Claire? The slap?

That fucking slap. I'd half the mind to go straight to the public and tell them all about how Lillian Greene was a venomous, abusive psycho. I knew, however, that it'd only look bad on me though. It'd seem like I was trying to distract the world from the story of me and Cate. The story I'd practically written and handed to Hayleigh.

A part of me felt like I wouldn't be seeing my mother again, not for a long, long time. It didn't really phase me, it was just one thing to tick off of the to-do list. 

"Thalia?" I heard my name through the thick door of the spare bedroom, it was Cate again and this time I could tell she'd been crying. Her voice was thick, as if she was trying to hide the fact that she'd been crying. However, I didn't miss the way her voice wobbled as she said my name.

Maybe I should respond. I thought to myself and then quickly decided against it, I wasn't ready yet. I recognized it was unfair of me, to push Cate away while evading my responsibilities. It was selfish to deny her an explanation, she was only worried.

Sighing, I got up from my position beside the double bed in the room, I'd been crouched awkwardly resulting in a few aches and pains as I stood and made my way over to the locked door. 

"Cate," I whispered, pressing a hand against the door and leaning my head against the cold, pale wood. 

I heard her let out a little gasp, as if she couldn't believe I'd spoken to her. How long had it been? I glanced over at the digital clock that sat on the desk in the spare room, it read 11:12P.M it was late. Guilt bit at me like a rabid dog. I'd left Cate worrying for so long. Too long.

Not wanting to wait any longer I unlocked the wretched door that put a physical barrier between Cate and I. She was stood there, her arms folded and her eyes watery, she looked like a cross of irate and distraught. Would there ever be a time when I would make Cate feel good instead of hurt her? 

Sadness and pain were the only emotions I ever seemed to see on her face. 

No words were disclosed, instead, Cate surged forward and took me in her arms. Burying her face into my neck she whispered comfort and 'I love you's', I could feel a fresh wave of hot tears spill down her cheeks and onto my neck.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, holding onto Cate like my life depended on it and, to be honest in this moment, it really did. It felt like I never stopped apologizing to the woman I loved, apologies were heard more than professions of love were. 

"It's okay, darling, it's okay. We're okay," she rasped in my ear before placing a sensual kiss on my neck and then moving down to mark up my collar bone. "Let me take care of you, Thalia, let me help you," she said slowly, I didn't miss the sexual note in her speech.

It didn't take a genius to guess what happened next.

~

I don't think I loved anything more than waking up beside Cate. It was becoming my favorite thing. Being tangled in a mess of arms and legs, being able to feel her steady breath brush against my skin and her long eyelashes flutter against my face. 

"I know you're awake," she yawned, sending a hot wave of shivers throughout my body. Her voice was raspy, I loved her morning voice, it made me want to wake up over and over again just in order to hear it. "I was thinking maybe we could go for a walk today..." she hesitated and I furrowed my brows in interest, "talk things over, you could tell me what's going on,"

It sounded like a suggestion, but I knew she was desperate to hear and try and help in any way she could. I just had to trust her and open up and work through it with her, I knew we'd be able to, it'd just take a while.

"Yeah, sure," I shrugged and nodded at the same time, hoping I didn't come across as indifferent or reluctant. I smiled softly as I saw genuine delight grace her features, she seemed proud of herself and I was in no way prepared to ruin that for her. 

~

The sun hadn't even risen fully, the world was silent as we strolled together, and nothing but birds made a sound. It was peaceful and I enjoyed it.

The air was crisp and clean and I found myself inhaling often to get a fresh feeling in my lungs. Cate's hand was warm in my own, different from the gentle nip of the cold breeze, her hand was soft and comforting and I was glad I'd decided to come on this walk.

I glanced over at her and smiled, she wasn't looking, she'd spotted a pair of robin redbreasts and had been invested in them as we walked around the small park we'd stumbled across. Her nose and cheeks were slightly reddened with the cold and her lips chapped slightly still slightly swollen from the quick make-out session we'd partaken in before leaving.

Her hair was tied back into a small ponytail and her face was void of any make-up, she looked like she'd just jumped out of the shower. She wore a long coat that stopped just above her knees, it was a grey color that complimented her very well.

Her eyes would always be my favorite feature of hers, piercing and the deepest, most intense blue I'd ever seen. Filled with such wonder and appreciation for the world around her, I'd caught her in a moment where for now no worries plagued her mind and she was genuinely relaxed.

"You look beautiful," the compliment seemed to leave my mouth before I even thought about it, and truthfully I didn't really need to think about it. She did indeed look beautiful but in my sudden moment of admiration, I'd ruined that pure moment where she was completely in her own world.

Her eyes snapped to my own and she grinned, a toothy grin I didn't think I'd ever seen on her more. It only made her look more radiant. 

Without much more conversation we walked a bit longer, Cate hooking her arm with my own before spotting a bench by a small pond and pulling me over. I knew that this would be the part where I'd have to speak to her and communicate and hopefully, it'd go well.

And so we sat on that park bench and it was there I told her everything. The newspaper, Claire, my mother, the slap. Everything. And at the end of it all, she took me in her arms and held me until the sun rose and the first few people started to gather in the park, and even then she stayed, with me in her protective embrace and it was then I sort of knew. 

Nothing else but Cate mattered to me anymore, as long as I had her everything would be fine.

And then her phone went off, ruining our completely perfect moment for what I thought would be forever. Instead of ignoring it like I wished she had done, she fished the phone out of her coat pocket and looked at it.

Suddenly, her face lit up, like it was Christmas or something. My interest was instantly piqued. "What? What is it?" I asked her frantically, clutching her arm as her eyes scanned the message once more before looking back up to me.

"You'll never guess who's coming to visit tomorrow!" She exclaimed, giggling as I struggled to guess who on earth could get her this excited. 

Eventually getting fed up with my ridiculous guesses like the Easter bunny or a dinosaur, Cate rolled her eyes and then turned her phone so I could see it. 

And Holy Hell.