Cristiano

I tried to stay calm but I started to shake instead.

With anger, digust or disbelief, which one I did not know but I didn't like how any one of them felt.

Catalina quickly grabbed my hand under the table and entwined her fingers with mine, her simple touch sending a pleasant warmth throughout my body.

"Just relax, baby. It will be fine." She whispered in my ear softly. I loosened up immediately but the same mixed feeling of dread and anger still lingering omniously over my conscience.

"And here comes the she-devil right now," Adelia said, rolling her dark eyes.

I started to panic even more.

Victor averted his attention to somewhere else, probably used to this kind of altercation by now and knew not to interfere. Adam shook his head in digust and Diana looked like she was ready for an all out fight. Catalina just took on that look that you can't even read. A half smirk that she was known for when dealing with an unwanted obstacle. I've seen it on the rare occasions and long story short she was nearly always right and so she got her way and won many of those fights.

Then she appeared at the table, right next to Adelia who retracted her hand quickly from the close proximity it was to her, as if she would have burned the skin right off of her. She smiled and it did not reach her slightly drooping eyes.

Although she looks beautiful, I know that on the inside, beneath the makeup, the jewellery and the fancy dresses, she is ruthless and vindictive.

"Good evening everyone, It certainly has been a while," Irina spoke up in that accent that used to love but hate with a passion now. 

"Good evening Irina, pleased to see you," Adam said wearily before the pause got too long and embarrassing.

"Glad to see all of you out and about, Catalina, Adelia you're looking well for once and my my especially you Diana. I haven't seen you in the media in what seems like ages," Irina replied voice laced with malice and sarcasm.

"I haven't seen you either Irina, have you really done anything even remotely related to modelling this year?" Diana retorted,"I heard AVON dropped you from their beauty campaign."

Adam and Victor snorted very loudly. Adelia broke out into a fit of silent laughter and Catalina just continue to smirk, almost to the point where it seemed like she was planning something sinister. Irina pretended not to hear what Diana had said.

Her eyes drifted across the round table, glaring daggers at Catalina for a bit (I don't know what's the history with the two of them, I honestly thought they didnt know each other) before coming to a stop at me.

For the first time in a whole year, our eyes locked on each other.

She sneered. I stared back, quite sure my face was betraying all the emotions I felt a this time. Four years of what I thought was tranquilty I spent with her, revealed itself to be just total emptiness and deceit.

"Well isn't this quite a coincedence..." She started but stopped halfway because of the fact that Catalina placed her hand on mine that was on the table and began to massage it. Her eyes darted between the two of us and she put two and two together. Irina glared at Catalina even more fiercely, as if she was trying to make something bad happen to her right now. Catalina just took a sip of her water, then raised her eyebrow as if daring Irina to say something out of line.

"After all those times I didn't want to believe it but then again... I really guess we're very much alike after all, aren't we Hernandez?" Irina asked, shallow blue eyes flashing with disbelief and contempt.

Diana looked at Catalina, then at Adelia and they nodded at each other. Catalina laughed in a dark manner, scaring me and Victor to some extent. 

"No, Shayk we are not. We are on two different sides of the pond. You see the difference between you and I my dear is that I care for things, I nourish them, I dedidcate my time to them, I help them grow and repair broken parts. All you do is tear down, demean and leave destruction in your wake. But I'll let you know something from now, Don't you even dare try anything that might disrupt any of our lives because if you do put one toe or even a hair out of line,  I'll just have to push you back over the line and into reality, because although I am a naturally nice person, I can be dangerous." Catalina said with venom in her voice, that smirk never leaving her face but not reaching her eyes.

Irina started smirking too, but her eyes told a different story. She was scared and Catalina sensed it. Catalina winked back wickedly.

Irina excused herself with a mumble then turned on her heel and retreated to her table. Diana still looked pissed and Adelia looked like if she still wanted to fight.

"What was that all about?" Adam asked,"Catalina, I know something happened between you and Irina. What is it for the love of God, this nonsense can't continue for long." 

"Adam, I am telling you that it is in your best interest that you do not want to know about this." Catalina said putting her eating utensils away and wiping her hands with the napkin.

"Yes, the story is quite too long," Diana said.

....................................................................................................................................

"What was that all about back there?" I asked as I opened the door to the house.

Lucky came bounding up to both of us, barking excitedly and wagging his little golden brown tail. Catalina opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by someone coming down the stairs in a hurry.

"You two are home already? I thought you would've been gone longer than this." Samira said looking surprised. The seventeen year old lived two houses down from us and offered to babysit Junior for the night. He liked her alot and she didn't mind spending sometime with him, since my mother was back in Portugal for the month.

"Yes, Samira, the banquet was rather boring. Same people, same crap all over again. That's why we came away early." Catalina said unstrapping and taking off her heels

"Oh okay, I guess, high society functions can get boring," Samira laughed,"I fall asleep at them all the time. That why Dad doesn't take me anywhere anymore."

"Don't you know it," Catalina replied,"I'm going to check on Junior, is he sleeping?"

"Yes he is, I think after dinner, a movie and three rounds of video games he is really exhausted." Samira answered. Catalina laughed and retreated upstairs to check on him, leaving me and Samira downstairs.

"Thank you very much Sam, I appreciate it," I said while walking her to the door.

"You're welcome, it was no trouble at all. He's such a sweet child." She said putting her jacket on and her shoes as well.

"Well Good Night and get home quickly," I replied.

"Good Night, and I almost forgot. Mom said to tell Catalina that she has wednesday free, so they can go shopping then."

"Okay I will, tell your parents I said hello,"  I called after her. She nodded and walked down the drive way. I watched until she reached the gates and then closed the door.

"Yes you were asking me something?" Catalina asked coming briskly back down stairs

"Yes, what was going on back there? Whenever we talked about this, it made me think you two didn't know each other."

"Ahhh, we do know each other and for quite some time too." She replied, taking off her earrings and necklace

"What happened between you two?" I said, taking her hand and leading her upstairs. We passed Junior's bedroom on the way to ours, carefully tiptoeing pass it, so as to not wake him up.

"We first met six years ago I believe. I thought she was a bit haughty but everyone else seemed to like her so I never said anything. That was until she did unspeakable things. Stealing one of my friends fiancee, marry the poor chap and leaving him three months later, aborting the baby they were having just to spite him. And to top it off, she won a $20 million settlement on some unfair grounds. That happened in the span of about a year. But we've never liked each other. I guess is just one of those things that you can't put your finger on. I know for a fact that she doesn't like me for some reason and I obviously do not trust her when she's around." She replied turning around, gesturing for me to unzip her dress.

I did so slowly, trying to process what Lina had just said. Six years ago? That means all of this went on before Irina and I started dating. Was I that blind? Too stupid to see all of the deceit that radiated off of that woman. I never knew of the husband she had nor the baby she aborted. I was so angry, amazed as to how dense I could've been. 

"You're quiet Cris. Care to tell me what you're thinking?" She asked as we settled down on the carpet infront of the TV. It was 1 o'clock and silent movies were our favourites to watch at this time. We found one that suited the mood that both of us were in. Black and white pictures flitted across the screen as she stared at my face so intently I thought she was trying to read my thoughts.

"I'm upset, confused and digusted with myself. I can not believe I went three years not knowing anything about her past and true personality." I said burying my head into the side of the bed.

"Baby, I have said before, it's not your fault. She's manipulative and you were going through a rough period in your life, you were looking for some sort of solace and she offered some. Don't drag yourself down, we've went through this before. You've got to stop thinking like this and you need to realice that was the past and you are on the road to a better life," She said cupping my face in her palms, speaking with such intensity that it almost seemed like if a fire was burning in her hazel green eyes.

"I can't help it, recently it has been getting better but stll sometimes when I'm alone, these thoughts run rampant and......" I started, but she stopped me midway by planting a kiss on my lips. Her own lips were steady and set me strangely at ease, making me forget the troubles in my world. She pulled away slowly, still cupping my face.

"Stop," She said quietly, still examining my face thoroughly,"Do not do this to yourself. Mark my words I will help you get over this. I'll help you become stronger," Pressing her forehead against mine, the warmth that I felt made me remember why I loved this woman in the first place.

She wasn't superficial, she is the realest person I know. She's not vain, conceited nor haughty. She is graceful, independent and straightfoward. She is kind, loving and caring, traits that you often have to search until the ends of the earth to find.

"Let's get away for the week, you have the time and I do too, plus Junior has nothing else to do either. Please let's go on a mini vacation. Help take your mind off of things." She said after a while, a bit frantically at that too.

"Where would we go at this time of the year? I can't think of anywhere," I said in earnest, thrilled at the great idea nevertheless.

"Oh I know of just the place. I'm sure you will love it," She said with the slightest of smiles on her pretty face.