We Took the Fall

“We really don’t need to do this” Catalina murmured as she sat in the passenger seat of Fernando’s car, her blue eyes tracing the familiar route that lead towards her parents’ home. She could see it, the look of anger that had been prominent on his face for weeks, and she wanted him to calm down a fraction. Yelling and screaming wasn’t going to do anyone any good, no matter how cathartic it seemed in the moment, it was only likely to deepen the fractures that existed between Catalina in her relatives.

“Yes, we do” Fernando replied, swinging the car around another corner “She played us, Lina, she made us out to be horrible people, and I am not going to stand by anymore, not now we have these” he muttered, gesturing to the pictures which sat in his pocket.

Catalina shook her head. “What is it going to achieve?” she posed gently.

Fernando sighed. “Lina, they made you out to be a puta, your own mother and sister, and now you want to spare their feelings? I love that you are so sweet, I really do, but this needs to be done. They need to know that they have no right to mess with you” he insisted firmly. It was a petty move, confronting Alicia with the images that Matteo had provided was likely to achieve little, but he wanted to make it clear that they no longer had the high ground. Anything they could say about Catalina, he could now say about Alicia.

“You know that it won’t help” Catalina murmured.

“Perhaps not, but I am not going to let this opportunity slip past, Lina” he replied, pulling the car to a stop outside of her parents’ home.

Catalina thought for a moment before she nodded her head, her hand lightly squeezing Fernando’s. “Alright” she mused softly. Fernando offered her a little smile before he quietly pushed the car door open, making a beeline towards the front door which he wrapped his hand against.

“What do you want?” Marisol snapped as she pulled the door back, her eyes narrowed on the striker.

Fernando smirked and pulled the photographs out of his jacket pocket, showing the top one off to Marisol who’s eyes widened. “I’d like to have a conversation with your elder daughter” he muttered.

“You can’t” Marisol replied.

Fernando shook his head. “That wasn’t a request, Marisol, I am going to talk to her and I am going to tell her that she has no right whatsoever to make Catalina’s life hell when these pictures make it abundantly clear that she was not faithful to me” he insisted.

“Those pictures don’t prove a thing” Marisol snapped.

Fernando smirked. “So this one, of your naked daughter snuggled up beside another man is innocent is it?” he sneered, flicking to the image which he proudly showed off to the glaring woman. “Your elder daughter is a cheat, Marisol, and I don’t think that you’re that surprised by that revelation. I think she told you and still you insisted on singling out Catalina. I don’t know at what point you decided that one daughter meant more than the other, but this is me telling you that it stops, now” he muttered bitterly.

Marisol shook her head. “All Catalina had to do was let you go” she muttered.

Fernando shook his head. “You’re a horrible woman, Marisol, and I pity Catalina for having to deal with you” he muttered before he moved her aside, padding into the living room where Alicia sat. “You witch” he muttered bitingly.

“Fernando” Alicia quipped “Finally come to your senses have you?” she smirked.

Fernando scoffed. “Like hell would I back track on the best decision I ever made” he spat.

“Then why are you here? Come to beg for me to stop being so mean to your damsel in distress” she mused, her voice laced with a sugary sarcasm that grated on him.

Taking a slightly calming breath, he took a pace forwards and placed the stack of photos onto the coffee table, causing the brunette to lean over, her eyes widening a fraction, something which made the striker smirk. “You recognize them” he mused.

“Where on earth did you find these?” Alicia snapped.

“Your friend Matteo” Fernando replied nonchalantly “He came by this morning” he added.

Alicia shook her head. “These aren’t what they look like” she spat.

“So they aren’t pictures of you, naked and with another man?” Fernando muttered sarcastically.

Alicia stared at them, her expression almost undecipherable.

“He told me what happened, Cia, how you cheated one me when we were in Milan, and I can’t even pretend to be surprised. What was it, Cia? Did you want my money? The attention?” he spat.

“You loved my sister” Alicia spat.

“At the time, I didn’t know that Catalina was your sister” he pointed out smartly “You just wanted someone to pay for you, to get you the attention you wanted, and when it didn’t go your way, you threw your toys of out of the pram like a child. You attacked your sister, both verbally and physically, and all because Catalina, inadvertently, stumbled onto me again. You didn’t care that I had feelings for her and that I didn’t have them for you, you just cared that I could walk away and deny you the attention you felt entitled to” he murmured.

Alicia shook her head.

“You’re done, Cia” Fernando muttered as Santiago, flanked by Catalina and Marisol made their way into the room “If you say another thing, or do anything, to get at me, or at your sister, I will not hold back. This is a onetime deal, Cia. You can retract the article and let things go, or I will be forced to show these to people” he gestured to the photographs.

“You’re threatening me?” she muttered.

Fernando shook his head. “I am offering you a choice. I am not suggesting that we ought to be friends, or even that we pretend that we like one another, but I am not going to let you get at her anymore” he pointed out with a small look towards Catalina who smiled at him shyly.

Alicia noted the exchanged looks and scoffed. “You deserve each other” she spat before she stormed out of the room, her mother in hot pursuit.

Fernando watched her go before he moved towards Catalina, offering her a small smile. “You Ok?” he posed softly.

“I think I might be” Catalina replied gently.

Fernando smiled down at her affectionately before he placed a kiss on her head, hoping that they had managed to put an end to the problem that was her sister.