A 'SUB' REQUEST (Cate Blanchett x OC)

Chapter 6: A surprise confession

"Hylda, sweetheart," Cate picked up. The term of endearment pricked my ears. I thought of Cate's naked body pressed upon mine in the pool as she whispered "sweetheart", and in the throes and delusions of ecstasy, I believed I was the only one she ever called that. 

Then she stood up and paced around the room, agitated - her fingers kept picking on her earlobe. "You're...what?" 

Cate opened the door, and the worst nightmare scenario of my life unfolded before my very eyes. There was Hylda, in the flesh, standing right outside our hotel room in London, on the last night of our secret voyage that no one was supposed to know about. Blood started pounding on my temples. 

Hylda's eyes, expressionless, moved to Cate and then landed on me, and for a second they seemed like they would never move from me again. Cate sat down with her head in her hands like a scolded child, a state I'd never seen her in. "I can explain..." but before any more words got out, Hylda interrupted. 

"What on earth do you think you're doing here?" Her tone threw daggers at me. 

By some force of indignation and my temper still filling to the brim of my head, I decided to comport myself like I was my own person. I did not belong to anyone. I did not owe anyone an explanation. "Isn't it obvious?" I responded, "I'm here with Cate. And I could ask you the same." 

A ghastly silence that forebode a tsunami. 

"I see. And did you ever ask Cate if she's here with you?" 

The question caught me off guard. 

"Yes Hylda, she's here with me," Cate said calmly, "I have to play the piano in a project, and she's going to help me practice." 

"Wow, I didn't know you were that good. You didn't even major in piano at Juilliard." 

Damn she did research into me. She did not come here on a whim. She must have known, for days. 

"Hylda, how did you even find us?" Cate asked wearily. 

"It wasn't difficult to trace. Everyone in Bath saw you through the window. And it was not the piano you were playing. " 

"This is really not fair." 

"We had a contract, which you breached. You want to be known as Dyke Blanchett on every Variety headline forever!?" Hylda was fuming. 

"You have no right to interfere with me like this." 

"As a matter of fact, I do. I've known you a long time, Cate. You were always headstrong, but you weren't reckless. Mindless. The divorce was bad enough for your reputation, and now this?" she waved in my direction like I was some kind of object. 

A flood of emotions drowned me, a cocktail of humiliation, shame, and regret shoved down my throat. I got up and ran out of the room, tears streaking down my face that were soon dissipated by the cold night air. I walked briskly downstairs to the lavish Victorian lobby, and straight onto the street. After looking over my shoulder to check if I wasn't being followed or spied on, I started walking in the direction of the Tower Bridge.

-----

Moonlight glistened on the Thames as I stood over the railing looking out. The cityscape was shrouded in a light mist. The London eye sat in a stately fashion not far away like a diamond ring over water. 

I must've stood there for over half an hour before a hand rested on my shoulder. It was Cate, her blond locks billowing a bit in her face and brushing her black suit. 

"I thought I'd find you here," her voice was deep and tender. 

"There's been a lot of following around going on today," I uttered under my breath, haven't completely regained my calm. 

"I saw you staring at the bridge while we first drove into the city." she said, holding up her hand to wipe away the remnants of my tears, "you seemed enamored." 

"I do appreciate the view."

"Here, let me show you something." 

She grabbed my hand and led me up one of the towers. We were so high up above the water I had a touch of vertigo, but in an exciting way. Sweat emerged between my hands and the railing I clutched onto.

"You must be really confused about what just happened. Hylda's left the hotel for now - I told her to leave us alone." 

"Why did you let her walk all over you like that?" I finally spoke. 

"Darling, Hylda and I have a very complicated relationship that went back 20 years. She's done so much for me and she's a dear friend, I couldn't possibly imagine my life or career without her. That said, I had to tell her you were here with me in a professional capacity. Hylda's had feelings for me ever since we met. That's why she acts a bit...territorial around me." 

The jealous bitch. She had a personal stake in our relationship all along, and I was naive enough to think she was actually looking out for Cate's best interests. 

"Well do you like her back?" I asked almost as a knee-jerk reaction. 

"Finally an honest line of questioning from you," she put her hand on mine, "I like Hylda dearly. Like a sister." 

My face must've looked palpably relieved.

"What I really followed you all the way out here to say is," she continued, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. You didn't deserve any of that. I feel horrible for dragging you into all of this - and frankly, all I wanted to do since I came to London was to spend more time with you. In public."

 I teared up once again, and Cate held me in her arms against the railing, gently pressing her lips into mine. Her fragrance permeated all of my pores, and my body curved and relaxed the way it does only when it came home. As the intensifying pleasure rippled in waves, she said,

"I think I'm in love with you." 

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