The Cate Blanchett Case {Cate Blanchett}

16~ The Heart

I pushed Cate away from me almost instantly, the worst case scenario flooded my mind.

It was the paparazzi. They'd found us. They had a picture. Oh, god, I could imagine the headlines now. I could imagine Hayleigh's smug smirk, which morphed into my mother's look of abject disgust.

I hated to admit it, but it terrified me. I'd always tried to keep me to myself, I hadn't ever wanted to share my thoughts or emotions with anyone. Not even with Jasper.

The panic I'd felt from that damned camera flash flared inside me so quickly that I'd struggled to breathe. Struggled to think and function.

My mother would be so disappointed. Even though I hated her, I couldn't imagine having her so horrified with me. She'd been horrified with me plenty of times before but I strived to avoid that.

The news of this would spread around the world like wildfire, it would ruin me so completely and I didn't know if I could take that.

I hadn't even realised I'd been so out of it until I felt Cate's hands on my face, smoothing away tears I didn't know had fallen, shushing my heavy sobs I wasn't aware I was letting out.

I felt the softness of her clothes against my cheek as she pulled me to her, smoothing my curly hair down with her delicate hands.

"It's okay, Thalia," she spoke to me like I was her number one priority, like my feelings and my safety was the only thing that mattered. I hated how happy that made me feel, I pushed that rotten feeling down until I could just about feel it.

I pushed myself out of Cate's protective embrace, anger shot through me as her absence pained me. "Okay!? It's not okay! Nothing about this is okay, Miss. Blanchett!" I yelled, throwing my arms up petulantly.

Cate held her hands out like she was trying to calm down a spooked horse, her eyes were wide as she watched me. As if I genuinely scared her, or maybe as if she was concerned.

There was also a bit of hurt shining in their cerulean depths.

I turned my back to her, not wanting her sympathy, not wanting to feel guilty. I wanted to leave, my legs wouldn't move. I wanted to move away as she took my arm in her hand, but I couldn't deny the way her soft hand slid up my skin. I wanted to run off down the stone path of the park and forget this ever happened. But there was something about Cate that affected me in ways I hated to admit I liked.

"Shh," she told me, as I was pulled back into her arms, my back against her front, her arms around my waist. I could feel my face flush at this quite inappropriate position, but I didn't move.

"Would you listen to me for just a second, Thalia?" Her lips were against my ear, my eyes were cemented to the floor refusing to turn my head to look into Cate's eyes.

My chest rose with my quick and short breaths and my eyes clouded with tears. Whoever had gotten that picture of our not so professional position would have a field day, they'd probably already left with that incriminating image and it'd be going around by tomorrow, maybe even later tonight.

"Thalia," Cate whispered, her tone soft and caring but also firm. She wanted me to listen but I just couldn't clear my mind of everything I was thinking.

Suddenly, Cate moved one of her arms and next minute her hand was underneath my chin. She guided it gently so I was looking up from the floor and to a bench a bit away from us.

The park was lit by dim gas lamps, they flickered in the gradually darkening park. They were dotted around the whole entire park and one of them stood over the bench Cate had encouraged me to look at.