Page 49 of Entangled With You

“Oh, bae. I don’t know how or why, but the way he looked at me when he said he recognized me gave me a bad feeling.”

Mati kisses me softly, cradling my face in his hands.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know he was going to act all weird. You have to trust your gut. I’m glad you said something. We can always find somewhere else to get the piercings.” Mati kisses me one more time before we head back to his bike.

“Hey bae, the sun is going down. Do you know a place here in Quilmes where we can park and watch the sunset?”

His wicked smile is all the confirmation I need to know we’re thinking the same thing. It’s going to be fun.

Chapter 23

Matías Moreno

Cattleya’s parents arrived later than expected last night, so we’re having dinner with them tonight instead. It just so happens that Franco and Sofi are back from their trip, and they’ll be joining us for dinner too. I need to talk to Franco before we go out—I don’t want him to find out I’m dating Cattleya when he sees me arriving hand in hand with her.

From what Cattleya has mentioned, Sofi knows about us, so I quickly text her asking if she and Franco can meet with us at Cattleya’s place before we have to be at the restaurant.

“Hermanita.” Sofi greets Cattleya as soon as she and Franco come inside the apartment. They hug and head to the kitchen, Sofi chatting a mile a minute. I guess their trip was eventful.

“Hey, man,” I say to Franco, and I hate the small tremble in my voice. I know deep inside that things are not like they seemed. I never played with Cattleya. Most importantly, I know that I am where I’m supposed to be: with my soulmate.

“Hey. Not sure why, but I’m not surprised to see you here.” I chuckle at his response and motion for him to take a seat on the couch. The moment I sit down, a playful Tinta comes to take residence in my lap.

“Look at you, all settled in Cata’s life,” Franco says, a hint of humor in his tone, and I relax a little bit.

“Listen, Franco. I still don’t feel like I owe you an apology. I never played Cattleya, we were adults then, and we’re adults now. As far as I can tell, I’m not going anywhere. I’m thankful she moved here, and that pushed me to finally deal with my anxiety and my demons. But at the end of the day, everything that happens between us only involves Cattleya and me. No one else.”

Franco looks at me, a blank expression on his face. If I didn’t know him for as long as I have, I’d be squirming in my seat. But I do know him, it’s his thinking face, and I’m at peace with what I said. Franco shakes his head, amusement replacing the blankness in his face.

“You don’t need to apologize, man. After everything went down in Alamo Peaks, I came home, and my wife handed my ass to me.” I bark out a laugh, and Franco joins me. “I know it wasn’t my place to act like an overprotective brother-in-law. I know everything that happened between the two of you was consensual, and Cata wasn’t actually in pain afterward. She’s just had a crush on you for forever.”

I can feel the heat rising on my neck. “Yeah, she and I both had a crush longer than it should have been healthy, but here we are.” I open my arms, showing him we’re living together and happy.

“You’re a lucky bastard, man. The long-distance relationship thing is something I don’t wish on anyone. The months I was apart from Sofi were torture.” I nod my head because I know he’s right. Now that I’m with Cattleya, I can’t imagine being apart for long periods of time. If she ever gets transferred, I’m going with her. Even if it’s in the middle of nowhere. No questions asked.

“Well, I’m glad we were able to clear things up before my official ‘meet the parents' dinner.”

Franco shudders, and I laugh. “To this day, the thought of being in the same room as Samuel makes me sweat. The man is the nicest person ever, but he has an aura of authority that makes him larger than life.”

I’ve only met him once, but Franco’s description is on point. Samuel is kind but fierce, just like a certain daughter of his who has me head over heels for her.

“Mi cielo, we should get going. Dad doesn’t like waiting, and we have a good forty-minute drive ahead of us.” Sofi joins us and sits on Franco’s lap.

Cattleya simply stands in front of me, her eyes melting at Tinta, who’s patting my lap with her front paws. “Awww, Furball. You love Daddy. Right? We’ll be back.”

Cattleya grabs Tinta and takes him to his perch by the window. “Hey bae, we need to get going, too.”

I stand up, and Sofi and Franco follow suit. On our way out, Franco stops me and gives me a bro hug. “Welcome to the family, boludo. I’m glad we’re going to be real-life bros now.”

I hug him back. “Calm down, bro. I’m not going to propose to mi ángel tonight. We’re just starting.”

Franco glares at me, and I can’t help but laugh. “Dude, don’t you dare break her heart.”

I love him, but he can be so dense sometimes. “Who’s talking about breaking hearts? All I’m saying is Cattleya and I are in no rush to get married. Unlike you, who married Sofi the same day you proposed, I want to take my time experiencing things with Cattleya before I propose. Her team is about to play the championship final; I need to support her and not overwhelm her.”

Franco shakes his head, but he knows I’m right.

When we get to Elena, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city, we’re ushered to a private room. Sofi and Cattleya run to hug their parents, while Franco and I stay back a couple of feet, giving them space.