When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other

Dessert

The boat ride back was beautiful to say the least.

"Would you like to steer?"
Cate asks you with a smirk

"I've never done it before"
You answer

"Here stand in front of me"
She says, removing one hand from the wheel as she takes a step back
"I'll help you"
She adds, reaching her hand out for you

You take her hand & stand in front of her
"Now take the wheel with both hands"
She instructs, you do so. Her hands come to rest on top of yours as she shuffles closer pressing her body against yours
"See you're a natural"
She says proudly, you chuckle considering you are only going straight.
Her arms rest around you, holding you intimately nearly the whole boat ride back, Cate only taking over when it was time to park.

The hotel is dark as you enter, no one to be seen.
"What do you think is going on?"
You ask

"Gosh I don't know, maybe a power outage?"
Cate answers

You walk towards the elevators but there really is no power.
"Where are the stairs?"
You ask as you look to Cate

"That way I think"
She answers, taking your hand, you turn on your phone flashlight & head the way she directed

You walk to the stair door & open it.
There's candles lighting the stairs

"Well that's better than a phone torch"
You say as you turn it off

"If we weren't weak enough earlier, we certainly will be after these"
Cate says with a chuckle

"Oh god yes"
You say laughing back at her as you both begin to climb the stairs
"Only 4 floors and we will be there"
You say, reassuring her this hasn't effected the night, she smiles a knowing smile at you

As you finish the first flight of stairs you see lavender coloured rose petals scattered.
You pause & look at Cate, she smirks a knowing smile.

Lavender Roses: In the language of flowers, lavender roses are used to tell someone that you're enchanted by them. They also represent desire & love at first sight

She nudges you on, there is a letter with a lavender rose on a table of the stair platform.
You look at her again
"Well go on, take a look"
She instructs with an eager smile

"You are crazy"
You say to her with a smile

"All the best people are"
She says smiling with you & watching you closely as you open the letter

You begin reading the handwritten letter

The night we met, I knew you were something else.
I knew that you would be someone who would be important to me, someone who would bring out things out in me that I knew I had inside but didn't know how to access.
Roses can come and go, but you only get one true love of your life and that true love is you.
- Cate

At the bottom of the letter there is pressed rose petals

Cate brings herself closer, wrapping an arm around you as she points to the letter
"They're petals from the bunch of flowers you gave me the first time you saw the play. I had them in my dressing room after the play then after spending time with you, I just knew.
So once the flowers had served their purpose, I picked my favourite petals and pressed them"
She says