the river | e. roundtree

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TAKING BACK MY POWER
—

The tour ended earlier than Kathryn anticipated. Sure, she was gone for 9 months, but 9 months wasn't long enough. Especially when you had to come home to a man like Tom Rhodes.

Camila and Billy's baby was born. Kathryn was expecting Billy to meet his baby girl and come back on tour. But deep down, she knew that wouldn't happen.

Before Kathryn knew it she was back home, unpacking her suitcase and Billy had gone off to rehab. Camila brought baby Julia home and Kathryn couldn't help but feel jealous.

Kathryn was happy for Camila, but she was mourning her own loss. She could of had this, she could of been nearly half way through by now. When Julia wrapped her tiny fingers around Kathryn's hand she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"Kat, don't cry," Camila laughed, unaware of what Kathryn had been through these past few months.

"She's adorable," Kathryn sniffed, excusing herself. Karen followed after her, hugging Kathryn while she sobbed her heart out in their shared bedroom.

—
Kathryn Summers: I felt stupid, crying over something that I never even had. I felt weak and I was so over feeling weak all the time.
I didn't want to be powerless anymore, I couldn't.

Interviewer: How did you break the cycle?

Kathryn Summers: I took my power back.
—

When Kathryn returned home Tom had gained a lot of fame. He had starred in 2 hit movies, he was being nominated for awards. Producers wanted Tom to be apart of their movies. Kathryn couldn't be happy for him, she couldn't even look him in the eye.

Tom Rhodes was a charming, handsome man, on the outside. So course people wanted him to star in their films and of course every woman who knew who he was had a crush on him. He was an actor at heart, he was so good at acting, especially in public.

Kathryn had gone out with Karen and Camila for a few hours and returned to Tom's house. She was prepared to give it one more shot, she wanted to make this work. Kathryn wanted to hash things out with Tom.

Kathryn stared up at the wooden door of Tom's house and took a deep breath. "One last time," she mumbled to herself before shoving her key inside the lock and opening the door.

Kathryn came to a halt at the entry way upon hearing another woman moaning out Tom's name. She slowly made her way through the house, stopping at Tom's bedroom door, watching for a few seconds as he cheated on her with another woman.

The woman caught Kathryn's eye and shrieked. Tom turned around, catching a glimpse of Kathryn as she slowly walked away, not saying a single word, ignoring his protests.

Kathryn slammed his door and she ran for her car, sped all the way from Tom's house back to her own. She spent the entire drive in tears. Kathryn wasn't innocent, she had cheated on Tom with Eddie. But this felt like a kick in the guts. All the abuse she had endured, all the horrible words he had spoken to her, all for him to cheat on her with another woman. Kathryn felt like a fool for staying with someone so horrible for so long.

Kathryn pushed the front door open, ignoring everyone as they tried to speak to her and headed straight for her bedroom, where she cried for an hour until Tom came tearing through the front door.

Within that hour Kathryn did three things, she wiped her tears, she picked herself back up and she decided that didn't want to be a survivor, she wanted to be a warrior. So she grew a backbone and for the first time in her life, Kathryn stood up for herself.

"Where is she?!" Tom screamed. Every stood up from the couch, watching Kathryn as she emerged from her room, hands balled into fists, bloodshot eyes. "Kathryn," Tom sighed, rushing over to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Get off me," Kathryn said, pushing him away. Tom frowned, his eyes turning black, anger taking over. "We are over, Tom. I refuse to put up with this bullshit any longer," Kathryn said, her voice just over a whisper.

"You bitch!" Tom spat. "You can't break up with me, you need me. You wouldn't be where you are today without me, do you understand that?" Tom laughed.

"I don't need you, Tom. I never needed you," Kathryn said.

Tom rolled his eyes, fake laughing as if what Kathryn had just said was the funniest thing he had ever heard. "You're going to regret this," Tom said. "You are nothing short of an untalented, whiny, brat!" He shouted.

Everyone in the room was silent, ready to pounce at any second, watching the scene unfold in front of their eyes. They had never heard Tom yell, they had never even heard him curse, but they had always suspected this was how he treated Kathryn when no one was around.

"You know, I used to care about you. Even when you made me feel like I was worthless," Kathryn began, jabbing a finger into his chest. Her backchat was taking him by surprise. "Until I realised how pathetic it was to cry over a man like you," Kathryn glared up at him, holding back the tears that bubbled behind her eyes. She refused to cry. "An insecure, small minded, man."

Tom stared down at her, his face beat red. Without even thinking Tom raised his hand, slapping Kathryn right across the face with everyone standing a few feet behind him.

Chaos ensued. Warren, Graham and Eddie were onto him, pushing him out of the house. Karen was screaming every profanity under the sun at him and once he was at the threshold of the door, Warren's fingers wrapping tight around his collar, pushing him back he realised he had lost.

"You are the reason they name storms after women," Tom sneered, trying to jab one last insult in Kathryn's face.

Kathryn simply smiled, "thank you."

Warren slammed the door in Tom's face and soon after everyone rushed to Kathryn's side, making sure she was okay.

—
Interviewer: I bet you were relieved to finally be rid of Tom Rhodes.

Kathryn Summers: I wished I had done it sooner. You know, I think "you are the reason they name storms after women," was probably the kindest thing he ever said to me.
I know he meant it as an insult, but I didn't take it that way.

Interviewer: How did it feel watching the band protect you like that?

Kathryn Summers: I felt like someone actually cared for me.
Even Eddie was helping out.
It made me feel seen, made me feel important.
They were my family and I was happy they felt the same way about me.
—
Karen Sirko: If he wasn't so tall and muscly I would of punched him, but calling him a dumb son of a bitch was still satisfying.
—
Warren Rojas: I never liked the guy. He was an ass, he put on this good guy facade. I saw right through it.
—
Graham Dunne: You don't treat people like that. You don't hit women.
Kathryn was like a sister to me, if I could go back in time i'd do it all over again.
—
Eddie Roundtree: Fuck that guy. He still makes my blood boil.
I wasn't the biggest fan of Kathryn back then, but still, I cared about her and I didn't want to see her hurt.
—
Kathryn Summers: At the end of the day Tom and I were both liars. He pretended to care and I pretended that I didn't.