The Cate Blanchett Case {Cate Blanchett}

27~The Worth Of It

Sheila was sat typing away at her computer, she giggled slightly not even realising I was there. I didn't want to have a friendly catch up with her, I was on my way to Hayleigh's to give my notice and then I'd leave.

My shoes clicked as I made my way across the marble floor, towards the elevator. I had just made it past Sheila's desk when she became aware of my presence. "Thalia?" She began, her voice was confused, as if she couldn't believe I was here of all places.

She probably read the newspaper, or maybe she'd seen it and not read it out of respect for me.

I stopped momentarily, looking back at her, she really was a beautiful woman. In different circumstances, where she wasn't married and Cate didn't exist, I would have liked to date her possibly. Maybe things would have been different if I just had.

"Hi, Sheila," I said quietly, I sounded ashamed. I was ashamed and now I was crawling back with my tail tucked between my legs ready to tell Hayleigh that I'd taken on too much and now I wanted out.

She smiled briefly before standing and hurrying over to me, a sort of confused expression on her face, "you can't go up there," she told me pleasantly, which contrasted with the information she was giving me. "Without an appointment, of course," she added onto the end, watching me wearily as I stepped closer to the elevator, a fake smile still on her face.

It was then it clicked, I knew that look, I knew exactly what she was thinking. I'd seen that look a thousand times over. She'd heard the news obviously, it was practically pasted onto the front window, Hayleigh probably told her to put it up. 

Sheila was judging me. I didn't know exactly what she thought of me, of course I didn't, I couldn't read minds. But the way she'd look at me and then avert her gaze when I looked back at her, the way she'd frown slightly when she looked away. Her opinion on me had changed, what was it?

"Sheila, I work here," I informed her, she already knew this, why was she making this so difficult? I stepped closer to her and frowned as she moved back from me, as if she was scared of me, as if I was diseased.

"Not anymore, Hayleigh made it clear to me I wasn't to let you up to her office," she shrugged indifferently, as if we hadn't been friends for ages. I mean we hadn't been super close but we were still friendly with each other. What had changed? Apart from the whole kissing Cate issue.

This all seemed like a very Hayleigh thing to do, only she would fire me without making me aware. I guess I didn't have to quit then, that worked out. 

Instead of putting up a fuss I sighed and shrugged and then moved to leave this stupid building, kind of thankful I didn't have to have a final showdown with Hayleigh. It was just as I was leaving that Sheila cleared her throat, as if she wanted my attention.

I turned to look at her and narrowed my eyes in confusion, hadn't she been the one so desperate for me to leave. Sheila didn't say anything, she just hurried behind her desk and loudly opened a door. She rooted around for a second and then pulled out.... my phone?

I frowned and walked towards her desk as she slid my phone onto the top of it, closer to me. "Hayleigh told me to give you this when you came back, she also said thank you," Sheila said, her eyes looked everywhere but me and I felt that she knew something more and she was intentionally avoiding telling me.

Confused, I took my phone and powered it on. I laughed sardonically upon seeing my lock screen, it was the picture of Cate and I kissing in the newspaper. How had she gotten my phone? How did she know my password?

I turned my phone around in my hand looking for any damage on it, finding nothing I moved to scroll through it as Sheila went onto explain her previous statement. "She said there was some sort of voice recording there for you to listen to," she told me.

Frowning, I went into my voice notes and instantly noticed something wrong. There was only one voice note, which was weird because I'd recorded all of the interviews I held with Cate. Confused, I tapped on the voice note and held the speaker up close to my ear, biting my lip at the silence that ensued.

Just as I was about to ask Sheila what this all was about Hayleigh's voice came through the speaker. "I would like to thank you, Thalia, first of all for giving me a bigger story than first anticipated. Not only did you deliver the original piece we wanted, you brought us something even more interesting," her voice was taunting and she sounded smug, I could picture the smug smile she'd worn while recording this. What a bitch.

"Now, you may be very confused. So to put it simply, for your little dyke brain, this story that you like to call 'The Cate Blanchett Case', as you labelled it here in your voice notes. This story is now mine and I can assure you that it will be published, I will take great pleasure in ensuring that it is. However, that's not all that will be published, thanks to that lovely little picture of you and Cate I've got more evidence that she's a cheater," Hayleigh went on.

"I told you that you weren't cut out for this, it's pathetic really, you're an amateur. Irrelevant, living in the shadows of people who are really great, like your friend Amy. Thanks to her all of this is possible, now in case you didn't know you're fired. Don't worry though because I'll make sure all credits from the story go to you, I'm sure Cate would be delighted to know you broke your silly, little promise, bye."

My hands shook and I couldn't seem to see anything but red. Rage. Pure and raw rage flooded my chest, it was so intense that I dropped my phone. It didn't matter to me though, this emotion, this strange and foreign emotion. I'd been feeling a lot of emotions like that lately.

It was upon realising that I was capable of those emotions that the tears came, tears of sadness? Tears of guilt? I didn't know. What I did know, however, was that I needed to talk to Cate. I needed to tell her that ever since she'd come into my life, I'd felt more than I'd ever felt before.

It seemed the universe was done torturing me, however, it seemed that I'd endured enough punishment to last a lifetime. Because practically seconds later the doors to the building flew open and frantic footsteps approached me. 

And just like that I fell into Cate's arms, a place I never wanted to leave, a place I realised I'd always return to. 

"I've got you, Thalia, everything's okay," she whispered, her lips pressed against my ear, her hands pulling me into her. Smoothing over my hair and rubbing up and down my back. 

We both knew nothing was okay, we both were battered and broken, we'd both been taken to our limit and now we were healing together. The thought of having her, when no one else wanted me, wasn't such a bad thought.

I guess that this was inevitable, I guess that we were supposed to find each other. 

Even though it took a little longer than necessary. 

It was worth it though. And as I tilted my head up to hers and touched her lips with my own, I knew it was all worth it. As we moved as one and melted into each other, I knew that it was all worth it. 

"I think I love you, Thalia,"

And I knew it was all worth it.

~

Hm, I think this is dog shite, anyway. I hope you enjoyed, not over yet though, buckle in because it's about to kick off I think anyway my brain might have other plans.