The Cate Blanchett Case {Cate Blanchett}

28~The Complete Bliss

The painting had moved. 

It was the first thing I noticed upon entering the guest bedroom, the curtains were open letting the golden sun of dusk seep through and dimly light the room. It was getting late. But that didn't matter really.

Where had the painting gone? 

The wall lay bare, even if I hadn't had seen the painting I'd still have thought there was something missing. Something essential had been ripped from the wall, something that for some reason spoke to me.

"I moved the painting into my room, for some reason it reminded me of you," Cate had stood by the door, watching me in silence as I looked at the hollow space where that beautiful piece of art had once resided.

Funny. I thought, looking over at her and smiling softly. I could have said the exact same. 

Upon meeting my gaze her face flushed and suddenly I was completely enthralled by her beauty. God, she was beautiful. I'd noticed it often, I just chose not to acknowledge it.

The was she'd smile as if I was the one beacon of happiness in her life, her lips stretching into a smile I could only describe as perfect. There was something ethereal about her, but at the same time not quite. I knew she wasn't perfect, none of us were, but for some reason I found it so hard to point out a flaw or an imperfection.

The way her eyes would regard you with such passion and emotion, the way they'd light up when I spoke, or the way they'd fill with tears that held burdens and would eventually spill over her full cheeks. I'd known Cate for not very long, I didn't even know I'd realised all those things about her.

I'd denied myself. It infuriated me to think, I'd refused myself of happiness for such a long time, I wasted what time I had with her. I could only hope that I could have forever with her now, despite the impending trouble we'd gotten ourselves into.

"I-I don't suppose you'd like to go and see it?" My heart seemed to mirror her words, a quick flurry of sounds strung together to form the most perfect of sentences. Her question had been so delightful that I'd practically jumped up, as if to tell her that nothing would make me happier. 

Without another word we left the guest room, falling into step beside each other. She seemed to move naturally, her arm snaking around my waist as we walked. As usual my heart leapt, or maybe sang, probably both. I'd never get over her touch, I'd never not enjoy it, after I'd spent so long trying to deny my feelings I wanted to be as close to her as I could.

"Thank you," I suddenly felt inclined to speak, almost as if I owed it to her, this sudden display of gratitude. "For this and for, you know, for not giving up on me," I murmured, failing to meet her eyes and cursing myself for not doing so.

And then she chuckled. It was possibly one of the most alluring sounds to leave her and it had been me to make her do it. I couldn't help but take pride in that, I had no idea what she found funny but I'd still made her laugh.

Of course, a part of me found it exasperating that I didn't know what was funny. That insecure part of me believed that she was laughing at me because of something stupid I'd said.

However, it seemed Cate simply found my gratitude amusing for all she said was: "Thalia, I'd done what any person would have done when they're falling in love, I think inside of that is beauty. Love is like a drug, it takes all control from you, you simply go mad with desire and passion and completeness," 

Part of me wished she wouldn't stop talking, however, we'd found ourselves in a comfortable silence once again. 

As soon as Cate had whisked me away back to her car we'd decided to settle in silence, after she'd uttered those radiant and meaningful words to me back in my old place of work. Nothing more needed to be said, our silence said everything.

I was finally going to let myself be loved.

Cate's bedroom was beautiful, I knew that Cate had studied art history and had a taste for art. I, for one, had never been particularly interested. But looking upon that painting again was extraordinary, like finally seeing for the first time.

Cate let me go so I could go over to the far wall and refrain from running my finger along the canvas, it truly was magnificent. Various plants dotted the room and a huge bookcase decorated one of the walls, complete with a range of different books, I wonder if Cate had read all of them.

As I walked over to the bookcase Cate spoke. "I was thinking..." Cate trailed off as I ran my fingers over the spines, some were grievously old and others were brand new, none of them left a trace of dust on my fingers. Possibly indicating that they weren't just there as decoration.

I turned around to look at Cate, smiling deviously, "I love it when you do that," I grinned and watched as her eyes darkened and a playful smile graced her features.

"Would you like to stay over tonight?" She asked me, stepping closer, it would have seemed like such an innocent question if she hadn't had looked at me so suggestively. 

She was very close to me, I could feel the heat radiating from her.

Suddenly, I wasn't so confident. I wasn't an idiot, I knew what she had suggested, I'd just never done anything like it before. It terrified and excited me all at once. 

Cate seemed to read me like a book and that suggestive expression dropped almost as if it had burnt her, she moved and encased me within her arms, as if forming some protective barrier around me. 

"If you don't want to, Thalia, I wouldn't want to pressure you. I just-" 

My finger pressed over her soft lips, I could see the surprise ignite in her eyes and quickly after a sense of excitement. "I'd be happy to, I've wasted enough time denying you and myself," I whispered and leaned into her arms, finding comfort in the way she was taller than me by a couple of inches, enjoying the way her cool breath tousled the stray hairs on my head.

I may have not been quite ready for something major in our relationship, but I trusted Cate and I knew she trusted me. She wouldn't do anything unless I wanted to, I had 100% confidence in that statement. I could only hope for that amount of confidence in myself.