We Took the Fall

44: One Slight Issue

“Look at that ring” Catalina smiled as she settled a mug of coffee ahead of Esther, her eyes marvelling at the sparkling engagement ring which sat proudly on her finger. She was thrilled for her friend, Esther deserved to find someone like Alex who worshipped the ground she walked on, and she doubted that she had ever seen Esther happier. Like Catalina, Esther had been unlucky when it came to relationships, but after meeting Alex, she was smitten and Catalina doubted she could have been happier for her. She wanted Esther to get her happily ever after.

“It’s pretty nice right?” Esther teased “Apparently, it belonged to Alex’s grandmother” she added.

“Sentimental” Catalina replied, snuggling into the couch “I always think those are better than the ones that guys buy from stores” she added.

“You say that, but your lovely footballer boyfriend could buy you a pretty decent sized rock” Esther smirked.

Catalina rolled her eyes. “Why are you so obsessed with me and him getting married?” she mused. It wasn’t the first comment that Esther had made, since her own engagement, she had been continuously dropping hints, and it made Catalina curious. She wondered if there was something that Esther knew that she didn’t. It was no secret, Fernando had always made it clear that one day, he wanted to marry his girlfriend, but Catalina hoped that it was still a little way off. To her, living together was a big enough step for them at the moment.

Esther shrugged. “I’d love to be a bridesmaid” she noted.

“You’re going to be a bride” Catalina replied.

“And? Perhaps I just want you happy, Lina” Esther reasoned “And perhaps I have never seen you smile as wide as you do when blondie is around. I like the way you are with him, Lina, and perhaps if I keep dropping hints, he’ll snap you up and you can start having adorable little blondies” she explained earnestly. Like Catalina, Esther wanted her best friend happy, and she had never been so happy before. As hesitant as Esther was about trusting Fernando, she did like the way Catalina was around him.

“Little blondies?” Catalina quipped, taking a biscuit off of the plate she had set on the coffee table.

Esther smiled. “You’d be a wonderful mama” she grinned.

Catalina shook her head. “We’re not about to start having babies, Esther” she noted “We’ve only lived together for a month. I am happy with him, I like the way things are, but there’s no need to rush. We’re not that old” she noted.

Esther shrugged. “I’m just saying. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if you two gave me a little niece or nephew that I could spoil rotten” she teased.

“You want to be Aunt Esther?” Catalina giggled.

“Absolutely” Esther grinned.

Catalina shook her head. “You’re an idiot” she laughed softly.

Esther smiled gently before a small commotion in the hall echoed followed by a shirtless Fernando padding into the room, pulling his earphones out of his ear. “Esther” he noted “Sometimes I think you live here more than I do” he smirked.

“Your apartment is so much nicer than mine” Esther smiled.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Always so nice to see you, Esther” he smiled before he padded into their bedroom.

Esther watched him go before she turned to Catalina, her jaw a little slack.

Catalina giggled. “What did you think he looked like under his shirt?” she teased, nudging her friend “He runs around for a living” she added.

“I know” Esther replied “But wow” she added.

Catalina rolled her eyes. “You obviously came here for a reason, Esther” she noted, nudging her friend once more.

“Yes” Esther noted, pulling her eyes away from the doorway Fernando had padded through “I wanted to talk to you about Alex’s best man” she noted.

Catalina lifted her eyebrow. “In case it escaped your notice, that guy you were gawking at is my boyfriend, so if this is some attempt to set me up then…”

“It’s Jon” Esther interjected.

Catalina blinked. “Jon?” she posed.

“As in Jonathan, the adorably geeky guy you were with before blondie” Esther noted.

Catalina sighed. She should have seen it coming, when she had met Jonathan, he had made it clear that he and Alex were close, but it had slipped her mind. Between Esther getting engaged, her parents’ separation and her own relationship with Fernando, she hadn’t given much thought to Jonathan. Since the night that Alicia had confronted her about her feelings towards Fernando, she hadn’t seen him and it had escaped her that there was a chance that he could be the man that Alex turned to. “Jonathan” she murmured “You’re sure?” she posed.

“Pretty sure. I mean, he came to dinner last night and Alex asked him in front of me, so I’m fairly confident” Esther quipped.

“Does he know that I am going to be your maid of honour?” Catalina posed.

“I told him” Esther noted.

“Why?” Catalina posed.

“Because you’re not backing down on me, Lina” Esther replied firmly.

Catalina sighed. “He’s my ex” she noted.

“And you’re smitten with blondie. It’s only a problem if you let it be” Esther quipped.

“Who’s got a problem?” Fernando quipped as he padded back into the room, his training bag rested on his shoulder.

“No one” Catalina replied.

Fernando arched his eyebrow, not quite believing her, but padded over towards her nevertheless, kissing her lightly. “I have training, but I should be back before long. Should I expect you to be here when I get back?” he posed, resting his forehead on hers for a second.

“I’d think so” Catalina mused “Unless Esther comes up with something to do, I am probably going to be waiting for you” she smiled.

Fernando smiled and pecked her lips once more. “Adios, nena” he smiled before he padded away.

Esther, who had watched the couple’s interaction, shook her head. “You should tell him” she noted.

“You’re not getting married any time soon, Esther” Catalina replied gently “And if I tell him that Jonathan is going to be there, he’ll only throw a fit. He never liked him” she noted.

“Only because Jonny had you” Esther pointed out “And now blondie has you” she added.

“Let’s just cross that bridge when we get to it shall we? It’s not like Jonathan and I are going to have spent that much time together” Catalina mused.

Esther nodded. “Just don’t play with fire, Lina” she noted “You’ll be the one who gets burnt” she added.

Catalina nodded. She wasn’t about to let Jonathan be a problem.
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Thanks to Jayme112234 and FootieJo for the comments :)