Better Off Friends

Chapter 6: That Night

It had been right after Kate and Sam had separated. She called Leo in tears, and he had flown to England to stay with her the next day.

They were asleep in her bed together, just like they were now, when Kate woke up with a start, thinking she heard a noise, like a door slamming.

She sat up, her heart hammering in her chest from being woken up so suddenly. When she didn't hear anything for a moment, she was convinced she had only imagined it, and she lay back down again.

"What the hell, Kate? You couldn't even wait one fucking day to jump into bed with him?"

She sat bolt upright, having just started to drift off to sleep again, to see Sam standing in the doorway in a rumpled black shirt and jeans.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, quickly glancing over at Leo. He was still sleeping peacefully--he really could sleep through anything.

"Well, Kate," he said, stepping further into the the room and not even attempting to keep his voice down, "I was out by myself tonight when it hit me. I hate being without you. I really do. Everything just feels ... wrong right now. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry and that I wanted to try again, but I came back here to find you already in bed with him!"

He pointed at Leo, who had woken up and was looking between them.

"Sam--" Leo started, sitting up, but Sam ignored him.

"I should have known it would have been him, too," Sam continued. " If the way you acted when we were filming was--"

"You know what?" Kate said, getting out of bed and cutting him off. "First of all, nothing happened between Leo and me, not that it's any of your goddamn business. He came here because I needed comfort after everything that happened between us! And second of all, you are completely out of your mind if you thought you could waltz in here and give me your speech about how much you miss and me and how you don't want to lose me and you actually thought I'd fall for it again. I am done, Sam. We've been through this way too many times to count. I'm done with you and all of your bullshit. I wouldn't take you back if my life depended on it."

She should have been anticipating the slap, but she didn't see it coming, and she cried out as fire ripped across her cheek. The impact was so hard that she hit her head on the wall and collapsed.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" she head Leo roar in a similar tone of voice he had used for the argument scenes in Revolutionary Road.

She tried to get up, but the room started spinning and she couldn't keep her balance.

"You stay the hell away from her and get the fuck out of here!"

Leo's voice was getting fainter, and then all she could hear was thumping and yelling, but she couldn't make out what was being said. She curled up where she was on the floor and closed her eyes tightly, wishing it would all be over.

"Katie, it's okay. He's gone now."

The next thing she knew, Leo's arms were around her, warm and strong, making her feel safe just like they always did.

"I have to get the locks rekeyed," she mumbled. "I don't want him to come back. Thank God the kids were at my parents tonight."

"It's gonna be okay now," he said softly, stroking her hair.

She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him to see a purple bruise starting to bloom on his right cheekbone. Her hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh, God, Leo! He did that to you?"

"It's okay, Kate. It really doesn't--"

"I need to get you some ice," she said, pulling herself out of his arms and trying to stand up again, only to find that she was still too dizzy. She flung her arm out to the wall to steady herself before she could fall again, and then Leo's arms were around her.