We Took the Fall
77: At Least Do It For Her
“Are you sure that this is a good idea?” Fernando asked, his dark eyes settled on Catalina who stood ahead of him, dressed in nothing but her underwear. It had been a while, after she had bumped in Alicia, a couple of weeks had passed, and with a few texts having been exchanged between the two sisters, they’d arranged to head out for dinner, something which had the striker on edge.
A part of him was happy for her, with things between Catalina and her mother seemingly fractured beyond repair, a part of him was pleased that she and Alicia were trying to make amends, but still he remained wary. The situation was complicated, whether it had been intentional or not, he had been engaged to both of the De Marcos sisters, and it meant things would always be awkward, not matter how hard they tried. There was simply no glossing over all that had happened between the three of them.
Catalina, who was quietly pulling her dress up around her body, shook her head, her eyes peeking back at him via the mirror which stood ahead of her. “I thought you wanted me to make amends?” she posed, pulling the lacey material around her shoulders.
Fernando nodded. “I do” he noted “But a double date with your sister and her new boyfriend? It sounds awkward, Lina” he added, his voice softening slightly as he stepped towards her, lightly trailing the zip of her dress up her spine.
It was something he wanted, with their wedding approaching, he wanted Catalina to be surrounded by her friends and her family, but still the idea of spending time with Alicia, let alone Alicia’s new boyfriend, made him uncomfortable, something he wanted to get across to Catalina. It wasn’t likely to be overly pleasant, even if her conversation with Alicia had been good, dinner wasn’t likely to be as pleasant, and he wanted Catalina to know it, not wanting her to get her hopes up.
Catalina closed her eyes at the feel of his fingers, allowing his words to hang around them for a moment, before she let out a soft sigh. “It does sound awkward” she agreed “I mean, since I ran into Cia, we’ve only texted a few times and even then, it’s only been pleasantries and small talk, but I still want to do it. She’s my sister, Nando” she murmured, opening her eyes into his.
“I know she is” Fernando replied softly “And I am all for the two of you trying to make amends before the wedding, but I am still worried. It’s been a while since we’ve all be in the same place at the same time” he added, his fingers gently tucking some of her blonde hair off of her face.
Catalina nodded. “It has been” she noted “But we’re all grownups. I’m sure that we can handle a couple of hours, Nando” she added, quirking a small smile which she knew he adored.
Fernando noticed the smile which had appeared at the corner of her mouth before he let out a soft sigh, something which made Catalina duck forwards, kissing his cheek gently. “I know you’re nervous” she murmured “I mean, the last time that you saw Alicia, we were confronting her about...you know what, but things are different now. She’s got David, and the twins, and me and you, we’ve got Felix. I’m not promising that it’ll be fun, but I think we can handle a couple of hours, no?” she posed gently.
Fernando spared her a soft look, briefly contemplating arguing with her, before he nodded his head slowly. “A couple of hours” he murmured “But if there is a problem...”
“Then we will leave” Catalina agreed.
Fernando offered her another dubious look before nodded his head, quietly offering his hand out towards her. Catalina gently placed her hand in his before she offered it a soft squeeze, wordlessly reassuring him that that night wouldn’t be as bad as he thought it would.
~#~
Nervously tugging at the hem of her dress, Catalina spared a glance around the restaurant, her blue eyes searching for any sign of her older sister. She understood why Fernando was nervous, even despite the amount of time which had passed, what had happened between them and Alicia was still painful to think about, but still she wanted to press ahead, wanting to make amends with at least one member of her family before their wedding day arrived. Lightly smoothing out her dress, she spared another look around the room before she felt an arm wrap around her, startling her slightly.
“Are you alright?” Fernando posed lowly.
Catalina nodded. “Of course” she quipped.
Fernando snorted playfully. “Liar” he mumbled, pressing a kiss against her cheek.
Catalina’s skin warmed at the contact before she spotted a figure stepping towards them, something which caused her to away from Fernando, offering a smile towards Alicia. “Alicia” she greeted “It’s good to see” she added, gently pulling her older sister into a hesitant hug.
Alicia hugged her briefly before she stepped, an awkward smile on her face. “It is good to see you, Cat” she greeted “And you too, Fernando” she added, sparing a look towards the striker who stood awkwardly behind his fiancée.
Shifting slightly, he spared a hesitant look towards Alicia before he stuck his hand out, offering her the best smile he could push onto his face. “You look good, Cia” he greeted timidly.
Alicia flashed him a small smile before she gestured over her shoulder. “David has gotten us a private table” she noted “Are you two sure about staying?” she added, her voice teasing, yet still slightly curious. She wasn’t naïve, the looks on both Catalina and Fernando’s faces confided just how awkward they felt, and she wanted to offer them the opportunity to duck out, even if she was keen to spend time with them. The thing she wanted was to put them in a position where they didn’t feel comfortable.
Catalina let out a soft laugh before she nodded her head. “We’re sure” she insisted.
Alicia offered her a playful look before she quirked a small smile, guiding them through towards the private room where her boyfriend sat, perusing the menu which sat in his hands. “David?” she posed.
David lifted his head at the sound of his name before he pushed himself up to his feet, offering his hand out ahead of him. “You must be Catalina” he greeted.
Catalina nodded. “That would be me” she mused “It’s nice to meet you” she added, shaking his hand swiftly.
David offered her a polite smile before he turned towards Fernando, his expression faltering for a split second before he fixed his smile. “And this is Fernando” he mused “You two are engaged, no?” he pressed.
Fernando frowned, not missing the slight twitch in David’s expression, before he nodded. “We are” he enthused warmly.
David offered him another awkward smile before he gestured towards the table. “Should we sit down?” he posed “I mean, I don’t know about the two of you, but I am pretty hungry” he added, retaking his seat.
Fernando hesitated briefly, contemplating making an excuse, before he nodded his head, moving to take the seat opposite David, something which encouraged Catalina to follow his lead, sitting down at his side.
~#~
“I am just going to pop to the bathroom” Catalina mused as she pushed herself up to her feet, her blue eyes peeking down towards Fernando who sat beside her, awkwardly fiddling with the napkin which sat in his lap. It had been awkward, as Fernando had anticipated, the conversation between the four of them had stopped and started frequently, leaving a lot of room for awkward silences, and it had created a sense of tension, one which Catalina was hoping to escape for a few moments.
Fernando, who’d been staring quietly at his empty plate, looked up at the sound of Catalina’s voice before he nodded his head, offering her a small smile. “OK” he noted simply.
Catalina offered him a sympathetic smile before she moved to step out of the room, David in close pursuit. “I should think about calling a taxi” he noted, following her out of the door.
Fernando watched the pair of them out of the door before the sound of someone clearing their throat reached his ears, causing him to look up, his dark eyes settling on Alicia who sat ahead of him, an awkward smile on her lips. “I’m glad that you came” she noted.
Fernando shook his head. “Alicia...”
“I know I can’t fix it so easily, Fernando” she cut in, knowing what he was going to say “I did a lot damage to my relationship with Catalina when we were together, and I know it’s going to take more than few dinner to put that right, but I am still glad that you came. I’d like to make amends with you too” she insisted gently. She was under no illusions, after all that had transpired between her, Catalina and Fernando, it was almost certainly going to take more than few awkward dinners to put it right, but she wanted to try, even if it was ill-fated. She wanted to try and put things right between them.
Fernando stared at her for a moment before he let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know that that can happen” he noted.
“Fernando...”
“You hurt me” Fernando cut in “When you cheated on me, you hurt me, and it’s not just going to go away. I know I was not anywhere near the perfect boyfriend after we got back to Madrid, but before that, I treated you better and you still treated me like crap. I know what happened between me and Catalina was my fault, I get too close to her and I let her get between us, but you treated her so poorly, Cia, and whilst Lina might be inclined to forgive for it, I’m not. You treated her awfully, you treated me poorly, and I don’t think that I am prepared to let that go” he explained firmly.
Alicia gaped at him for a moment, surprised by his words, before she nodded. “I should have expected that” she noted.
Fernando nodded stoically. “I’m sorry, Cia” he noted.
Alicia shook her head. “You don’t have to say that” she noted “I’m sorry for everything that happened, Fernando, and I hope that for Cat’s sake at least, we can attempt to be civil” she added.
Fernando nodded his head. “I am sure that we can” he insisted before he pushed himself up to his feet, mumbling about finding Catalina. Offering Alicia one last awkward smile, he stepped out of the door before he let out a small sigh in relief, hoping that that was the last time that he had to deal with Catalina’s sister for a while.
A part of him was happy for her, with things between Catalina and her mother seemingly fractured beyond repair, a part of him was pleased that she and Alicia were trying to make amends, but still he remained wary. The situation was complicated, whether it had been intentional or not, he had been engaged to both of the De Marcos sisters, and it meant things would always be awkward, not matter how hard they tried. There was simply no glossing over all that had happened between the three of them.
Catalina, who was quietly pulling her dress up around her body, shook her head, her eyes peeking back at him via the mirror which stood ahead of her. “I thought you wanted me to make amends?” she posed, pulling the lacey material around her shoulders.
Fernando nodded. “I do” he noted “But a double date with your sister and her new boyfriend? It sounds awkward, Lina” he added, his voice softening slightly as he stepped towards her, lightly trailing the zip of her dress up her spine.
It was something he wanted, with their wedding approaching, he wanted Catalina to be surrounded by her friends and her family, but still the idea of spending time with Alicia, let alone Alicia’s new boyfriend, made him uncomfortable, something he wanted to get across to Catalina. It wasn’t likely to be overly pleasant, even if her conversation with Alicia had been good, dinner wasn’t likely to be as pleasant, and he wanted Catalina to know it, not wanting her to get her hopes up.
Catalina closed her eyes at the feel of his fingers, allowing his words to hang around them for a moment, before she let out a soft sigh. “It does sound awkward” she agreed “I mean, since I ran into Cia, we’ve only texted a few times and even then, it’s only been pleasantries and small talk, but I still want to do it. She’s my sister, Nando” she murmured, opening her eyes into his.
“I know she is” Fernando replied softly “And I am all for the two of you trying to make amends before the wedding, but I am still worried. It’s been a while since we’ve all be in the same place at the same time” he added, his fingers gently tucking some of her blonde hair off of her face.
Catalina nodded. “It has been” she noted “But we’re all grownups. I’m sure that we can handle a couple of hours, Nando” she added, quirking a small smile which she knew he adored.
Fernando noticed the smile which had appeared at the corner of her mouth before he let out a soft sigh, something which made Catalina duck forwards, kissing his cheek gently. “I know you’re nervous” she murmured “I mean, the last time that you saw Alicia, we were confronting her about...you know what, but things are different now. She’s got David, and the twins, and me and you, we’ve got Felix. I’m not promising that it’ll be fun, but I think we can handle a couple of hours, no?” she posed gently.
Fernando spared her a soft look, briefly contemplating arguing with her, before he nodded his head slowly. “A couple of hours” he murmured “But if there is a problem...”
“Then we will leave” Catalina agreed.
Fernando offered her another dubious look before nodded his head, quietly offering his hand out towards her. Catalina gently placed her hand in his before she offered it a soft squeeze, wordlessly reassuring him that that night wouldn’t be as bad as he thought it would.
~#~
Nervously tugging at the hem of her dress, Catalina spared a glance around the restaurant, her blue eyes searching for any sign of her older sister. She understood why Fernando was nervous, even despite the amount of time which had passed, what had happened between them and Alicia was still painful to think about, but still she wanted to press ahead, wanting to make amends with at least one member of her family before their wedding day arrived. Lightly smoothing out her dress, she spared another look around the room before she felt an arm wrap around her, startling her slightly.
“Are you alright?” Fernando posed lowly.
Catalina nodded. “Of course” she quipped.
Fernando snorted playfully. “Liar” he mumbled, pressing a kiss against her cheek.
Catalina’s skin warmed at the contact before she spotted a figure stepping towards them, something which caused her to away from Fernando, offering a smile towards Alicia. “Alicia” she greeted “It’s good to see” she added, gently pulling her older sister into a hesitant hug.
Alicia hugged her briefly before she stepped, an awkward smile on her face. “It is good to see you, Cat” she greeted “And you too, Fernando” she added, sparing a look towards the striker who stood awkwardly behind his fiancée.
Shifting slightly, he spared a hesitant look towards Alicia before he stuck his hand out, offering her the best smile he could push onto his face. “You look good, Cia” he greeted timidly.
Alicia flashed him a small smile before she gestured over her shoulder. “David has gotten us a private table” she noted “Are you two sure about staying?” she added, her voice teasing, yet still slightly curious. She wasn’t naïve, the looks on both Catalina and Fernando’s faces confided just how awkward they felt, and she wanted to offer them the opportunity to duck out, even if she was keen to spend time with them. The thing she wanted was to put them in a position where they didn’t feel comfortable.
Catalina let out a soft laugh before she nodded her head. “We’re sure” she insisted.
Alicia offered her a playful look before she quirked a small smile, guiding them through towards the private room where her boyfriend sat, perusing the menu which sat in his hands. “David?” she posed.
David lifted his head at the sound of his name before he pushed himself up to his feet, offering his hand out ahead of him. “You must be Catalina” he greeted.
Catalina nodded. “That would be me” she mused “It’s nice to meet you” she added, shaking his hand swiftly.
David offered her a polite smile before he turned towards Fernando, his expression faltering for a split second before he fixed his smile. “And this is Fernando” he mused “You two are engaged, no?” he pressed.
Fernando frowned, not missing the slight twitch in David’s expression, before he nodded. “We are” he enthused warmly.
David offered him another awkward smile before he gestured towards the table. “Should we sit down?” he posed “I mean, I don’t know about the two of you, but I am pretty hungry” he added, retaking his seat.
Fernando hesitated briefly, contemplating making an excuse, before he nodded his head, moving to take the seat opposite David, something which encouraged Catalina to follow his lead, sitting down at his side.
~#~
“I am just going to pop to the bathroom” Catalina mused as she pushed herself up to her feet, her blue eyes peeking down towards Fernando who sat beside her, awkwardly fiddling with the napkin which sat in his lap. It had been awkward, as Fernando had anticipated, the conversation between the four of them had stopped and started frequently, leaving a lot of room for awkward silences, and it had created a sense of tension, one which Catalina was hoping to escape for a few moments.
Fernando, who’d been staring quietly at his empty plate, looked up at the sound of Catalina’s voice before he nodded his head, offering her a small smile. “OK” he noted simply.
Catalina offered him a sympathetic smile before she moved to step out of the room, David in close pursuit. “I should think about calling a taxi” he noted, following her out of the door.
Fernando watched the pair of them out of the door before the sound of someone clearing their throat reached his ears, causing him to look up, his dark eyes settling on Alicia who sat ahead of him, an awkward smile on her lips. “I’m glad that you came” she noted.
Fernando shook his head. “Alicia...”
“I know I can’t fix it so easily, Fernando” she cut in, knowing what he was going to say “I did a lot damage to my relationship with Catalina when we were together, and I know it’s going to take more than few dinner to put that right, but I am still glad that you came. I’d like to make amends with you too” she insisted gently. She was under no illusions, after all that had transpired between her, Catalina and Fernando, it was almost certainly going to take more than few awkward dinners to put it right, but she wanted to try, even if it was ill-fated. She wanted to try and put things right between them.
Fernando stared at her for a moment before he let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know that that can happen” he noted.
“Fernando...”
“You hurt me” Fernando cut in “When you cheated on me, you hurt me, and it’s not just going to go away. I know I was not anywhere near the perfect boyfriend after we got back to Madrid, but before that, I treated you better and you still treated me like crap. I know what happened between me and Catalina was my fault, I get too close to her and I let her get between us, but you treated her so poorly, Cia, and whilst Lina might be inclined to forgive for it, I’m not. You treated her awfully, you treated me poorly, and I don’t think that I am prepared to let that go” he explained firmly.
Alicia gaped at him for a moment, surprised by his words, before she nodded. “I should have expected that” she noted.
Fernando nodded stoically. “I’m sorry, Cia” he noted.
Alicia shook her head. “You don’t have to say that” she noted “I’m sorry for everything that happened, Fernando, and I hope that for Cat’s sake at least, we can attempt to be civil” she added.
Fernando nodded his head. “I am sure that we can” he insisted before he pushed himself up to his feet, mumbling about finding Catalina. Offering Alicia one last awkward smile, he stepped out of the door before he let out a small sigh in relief, hoping that that was the last time that he had to deal with Catalina’s sister for a while.