Love Out Loud

Driving to the gym, Wes is relieved at how he left the house on a positive note. He still needs to come up with a way to help Andre but, in the meantime, he needs to focus on what to say to Katrina. She is sitting in the passenger seat in her gym outfit, wearing her gym outfit and her short hair is tied up into a loose ponytail. He can tell she is nervous, as if the impact of last night has finally landed. Deciding to take a page from Andre’s book, he asks “Would you like to start first or shall I?”

Katrina starts talking first. “I know this morning I was acting… differently. I’ve just been reading a lot of stuff on relationships recently and one article in particular struck me. The article suggests trying to speak like you are the other partner talking to yourself. The gist of it is to say what you feel out loud helps bring the subconscious thoughts to the conscious mind, or something like that.”

“Ah, so what you were saying this morning about not denying fantasies was you talking to yourself?”

“Yeah, I didn’t intend to blurt it out like that, but I kind of got wrapped up in the moment.”

“Hoo boy, I’ll say, you and I both were more than ‘kind of wrapped up in the moment’. Anyways, go on.”

Blushing, Katrina continues “In any relationship, communication is important, and I haven’t been communicating properly about my fantasies. I want to tell you something and please try to understand I do love you. I don’t want you to think less of me.”

“Kat, I love you. It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“Well… I…” Katrina hesitates but then clears her throat before releasing a word avalanche. “I became incredibly turned on by the fact that the love of my life had sex with someone else right next to me. I’m so sorry, I’m a terrible girlfriend. Here you were assaulted and all I could think about was how aroused it made me. The reason I woke you up and rode you was because I felt like… I don’t know, like I had to reclaim you. Like I was balancing out some kind of score sheet, and I rode you hard like I was competing with her in some way. Then, when you were in the bathroom that is what I was thinking of when I started masturbating. When you caught me, I was so overwhelmed with arousal that the only thing I could think to do was yell at you to jump me. Again, I’m so sorry, please, please, please don’t break up with me.”

Wes is flabbergasted for a moment at this revelation. Katrina’s cheeks are now bright red and she can’t even look at him. “Well that is… surprising to hear. But… hey look at me.” She turns her head, but her eyes lag behind until she can no longer delay, and then looks at him in earnest. “I love you, and your fantasies are just as valid as mine are, regardless of what they entail. I know it took a lot of courage to say that out loud and it means a great deal you confided in me. Take a deep breath and relax. I’m not upset. In fact, during my long talk with Andre, I said when I thought it was you doing that BDSM stuff to me, I enjoyed it. I’ve decided not to let this experience negatively affect me and neither should you. What happened, happened. And, together, we will move forward from it.”

“Really?!” Katrina cries as she lurches in for a hug. Wes protests “Woah, hold on beautiful, let me park first.” Having arrived at the gym’s parking lot, Wes finds a spot to park the car. They embrace and kiss each other. A tear trickles over each of her cheeks. A minute passes, then another. They break the kiss and both lovers rest their forehead against the other. After another minute the tight hugging relents.

“Alright, the most wonderful girlfriend in all the world, feeling better?” Katrina giggles and wipes away the tears. “Yes, but I think you meant most wonderful and gorgeous girlfriend in the whole galaxy.” Wes chortles “Ah, but galaxy sized love is reserved for fiancées. I think it’s high time we arranged for an upgrade.”

Her eyes go wide “Oh my God. Don’t you dare propose to me in my gym clothes with a puffy face from crying.”

“Too late, the paparazzi have already taken a million pictures. We’re gonna be front page in the tabloids.” Katrina throws a light punch at Wes. “You better shut up before I break it off with you. Then the whole world will know you blew it.” He retorts “That would be a damn shame. Although… I guess I could always ask Domeno, right?”

Katrina throws another light punch and replies with faux indignation “You unbelievable bastard.” They’re both laughing now. This is the happiest moment they have had in their relationship so far.

Back home from their gym trip, where they half-heartedly worked out as they were too busy making kissy faces and laughing. Wes has his finger through his key ring and is spinning the keys as he walks from the car to the townhouse. Katrina is right behind him as they reach the front door. He opens the door, bows, and overtly gestures with an open hand for her to enter first. In a faux gentlemanly accent he says “Girlfriends or fiancées first.” Katrina rolls her eyes as she steps through “We’ll talk about it later, you goofball.”

Ascending the first set of stairs, Katrina abruptly comes to a halt near the top. Wes is right behind her when he jokingly comments “Kat were on the stairs not an escalator.” Upon reaching the top, and looking in the same direction she is, his jovial mood drops. Both are frozen in place by what they see. Sitting at the kitchen table, across from Andre, is a woman with curly black hair who is looking at them over her right shoulder with a distinctive round bruise visible.

A series of images and sounds flash through Wes’s mind. The figure in the doorway yelling, the woman on the floor screaming, the red front sight and white light of his handgun, and a makeup smeared crying face. He cannot fathom how the person from his jumbled memories ended up sitting in the very same chair he sat in earlier this morning. In his bewilderment, the only indisputable fact he can be sure of is…

It’s her.