5. Catalina, My December Darling

5. Catalina

CATALINA

I ’ve successfully been able to avoid my mother and her incessant request for my maid-of-honor speech for the last two days. Thankfully, by the time I crawl out of bed, she is already retiring to her room for the evening, claiming she has a headache after spending the day helping my sister figure out who can bake her a cake at the last minute for her wedding.

While eating a bowl of leftovers my dad saved for me, I check my phone for new messages. I’m not the most outgoing person, but I connected with a few nurses back in college who have refused to let me forget about them. Monica, Nancy, and Winny even created a group chat where we can catch up on everyone’s lives, send the latest celebrity gossip, and share any job openings.

Last year, I got lucky that my agency set me up with a job at Monica’s same hospital, so I flew over there and spent two months working and hanging out with her. I shelled out on a nice little spot close to the beach, and I swear it was one of the best subleases I’ve ever stayed in.

The Work Wives group chat, which was founded and named by Monica back when we were nursing students, is alive and well this evening after I mentioned my agency setting me up with another job opportunity in Los Angeles as soon as my sister gets married.

Nancy

What will it take for you to request a job near me?

Monica

Shall I suggest moving somewhere more appealing?

Nancy

What’s wrong with Arkansas?

Monica

The fact that it isn’t California.

Winny

I hear Colorado is the new Cali.

Monica

According to whom? The people who had to move out of LA because it was too expensive?

Nancy

Careful, Monica. Your privilege is showing.

Monica

My privilege? Come visit my studio apartment and we will see about that.

Nancy

Speaking of convincing Catalina to come visit, I have a mansion.

Monica

Yeah because it’s ARKANSAS.

I fight a laugh as I respond.

Wish I could see you all soon, but I’m staying in Lake Wisteria for the month.

Monica

WHAT?

Nancy

Since when?

Winny

And you planned on telling us this news when exactly…?

I just agreed to take the job a couple of weeks ago.

Seemed easier to stay put and help my sister with anything she might need for the wedding.

Nancy

You’re a good sister.

The bar is low.

Nancy

Just don’t show up to her wedding hungover and you’ll be loads better than me.

Winny

And don’t sleep with the best man.

Nancy

I forgot that happened! I must’ve wiped that traumatic memory from my brain, but thanks for the reminder.

An uncomfortable tightness forms in my chest when I consider the best man of my sister’s wedding.

It’s bad enough that I once dated the groom, even though we never slept together, but to possibly be interested in his best man, too? Worst idea ever.

A one-time fling to get Luke out of my system would only lead to more problems than it’s worth, and any residual awkwardness that’ll occur afterward is reason enough to steer clear of him. Acting on a fleeting attraction would only further complicate an already sticky situation between Gabriela, Aiden, and me, so I’d rather keep my head down and make it through the month without any mistakes or unnecessary drama.

I already dated the groom, so I’ll pass on the best man.

Later that night, once I return home after helping my sister finalize the seating chart for the wedding, I try working on my maid of honor speech. I only make it through a single sentence when a new message from an unknown number pops up on my phone.

Unknown number

Hey.

I’m about to report the message as spam before a new one pops up with a photo of a Styrofoam cup I recognize all too well from the hospital.

Unknown number

If I die tonight, please let them know I hated every sip of this.

My lips twitch as I save Luke’s contact information incorrectly, solely because it makes me laugh.

I spend the next five minutes considering if I should answer him or not before reminding myself that it would be rude to snub my future brother-in-law’s best friend.

If you end up dying, I *almost* feel bad for being the last person you text.

Lucas

Some might consider that a form of flattery.

What’s the antonym of that?

Lucas

Fuck if I know. I’m a doctor, not a thesaurus.

I hate that he’s funny. It would be a hell of a lot easier to ignore him if he wasn’t actively trying to not only talk to me but make me laugh too.

I come to my senses, and I’m about to exit the chat when another text shows up.

Lucas

I’m about this close to buying an espresso machine for the first-floor break room.

He includes an emoji of two fingers pinched together with only a hair of space between them.

Because I can’t seem to control myself tonight, I reply back.

Given the number of nights you spend there in a single week, I highly suggest it.

Lucas

Nurse’s orders?

I find my lips curling at the corners.

You’re the doctor, so I’ll defer to you.

Lucas

Deferring to me might be hot in the bedroom, but not in real life.

And now I’m thinking about Luke in a completely different setting as he hovers over me, leaving a trail of kisses down my neck before?—

My phone buzzes in my hand, killing the fantasy with a single message.

Lucas

That was inappropriate.

Extremely.

Talking is one thing, but flirting? A recipe for disaster to say the least.

Lucas

Point is I don’t know everything.

Lucas

In fact, between us, I google symptoms and drug doses on a weekly basis.

I think I now understand why you don’t wear your white coat.

He follows up with a trio of question marks.

Because you’re an imposter.

Lucas

Do you think that would be plausible cause for the government to forgive my student loan debt?

I hear those get passed on to family members when you die, so I think not.

Lucas

In that case, bottoms up.

He includes a coffee cup emoji, followed by a skull with crossbones.

Talking to Luke has become…easy. He has this natural charm that makes me want to keep the conversation going, which in itself is a miracle because I’m always looking for the easiest opportunity to see myself out of them.

Instead of letting our text thread die with his last message, I spend a few minutes searching for the espresso machine Winny bought herself for Christmas last year and send him the link. It’s one that uses pods that can be ordered online or purchased at a mall thirty minutes away.

Lucas

Serious question. If I invest in this costly machine, would you come visit me in the first-floor break room?

You? No.

The machine? Absolutely.

The dots appear and disappear twice before his next message comes through.

Lucas

Favorite flavor?

Hazelnut.

Lucas

Your wish is my command.

Luke texts me multiple times, but I keep my replies to a minimum of fifteen characters or less. It’s easy to erect a wall, especially when I consider how a single conversation with him made me smile and laugh in a way I haven’t done with a man in a long time.

Keeping my distance is in everyone’s best interest. Things with Gaby and me are tense as it is, so the last thing I need to do is add another complicated layer to our family situation by becoming involved with the one person I will never be able to avoid.

Fate must be on my side because Luke and I haven’t run into each other at work for the next few days. After drinking a particularly watery cup of coffee from the machine, I almost texted him to check on the status of his espresso machine, but I deleted my message before I gained the nerve to hit send.

I should keep to myself during my time in Lake Wisteria. It’s not like I plan on sticking around past January 1st, so it’s best for me to avoid complicating matters by showing interest in my future brother-in-law’s best friend. That title automatically would turn a one-night stand into a one-night mistake I’d have to face every time Gaby and Aiden decide to bring us all together.

Yet no matter how many times I’ve told myself that this past week, I’m reminded of Luke every time I pass by that disgusting coffee machine, and the urge to reach out to him becomes stronger.

Thinking about Luke in any capacity makes me…confused. After spending the last two years disliking him, I’m not sure what to make of my growing fascination toward him, and I find myself thinking about him on more than one occasion.

So when my sister invites me to join her and Aiden at the Lake Wist-mas Holiday Extravaganza that weekend, I jump at the opportunity to get out of the house and distract myself. In my desperation, I didn’t truly consider what it would be like to spend an extended amount of time with my ex-boyfriend and my sister.

Before I started dating Aiden, Gaby and I were closer than ever, but now our relationship feels strained in a way that makes me anxious. I’m hoping this month can help us move past the awkwardness, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

I love my hometown, but I’ve made it a point to find the furthest jobs I can get from Lake Wisteria, especially during the holidays. Given my mom’s side hustle of selling bottles of my family’s famous coquito , there was no way she and my dad could take time to visit.

Before the whole Aiden situation, Gabriela would alternate each year between spending Christmas with me and my family, but luckily for her, this year we can spend every single second of the holiday season together, starting with today’s block party in the town square.

“I’m so happy you’re here!” Gabriela claps her mittens together like she always did when we were little.

“Really?”

She snorts. “Yes, really. Is that so hard to believe?”

I stay quiet.

“Okay. What’s going on?” She nudges me.

“Nothing,” I say a little too quickly.

“Is it because of…” She tips her head in Aiden’s direction.

“No.” I emphasize.

Some tension bleeds away from her shoulders. “Oh. Good.”

“I just feel bad.”

“About what?”

“How weird things have gotten between us.”

Her eyes soften. “Well, things are a little…”

“Awkward?”

A puff of warm air escapes her mouth from her soft chuckle. “Yes. Exactly.”

“I hate it.”

“Same.” She ropes an arm around me. “How do we fix it?”

“I don’t know.” It’s not like we both haven’t put an effort into our relationship, but no matter how hard we try, there is this lingering awkwardness there.

Is it because of Gaby and Aiden, or does it have something to do with you?

A tightness in my chest makes breathing difficult. All this time, I thought my issue had more to do with Gaby and Aiden’s relationship, but maybe my insecurity about never finding love is the real issue. That I wasn’t tense about Aiden and Gaby per se, but rather the loneliness that always hits me whenever I spend time with a couple who remind me of what I don’t have.

How will you ever find love when you find every reason to keep your walls up?

“Can we agree to never let a man get between us?” My sister asks, interrupting my spiral.

I clear my head with a quick shake. “Absolutely. Maybe I’ll cut my losses and swear off men forever.”

Gaby hip-checks me. “Let’s not go to that extreme.”

“I don’t know. What’s so great about them anyway?”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that.” Aiden tosses an arm around my sister’s shoulder.

“Good,” I say with a roll of my eyes while my sister giggles.

God, their love is so damn sweet, I’m instantly nauseated. Thankfully, the lights around us blink out, and everyone quiets as the mayor starts the countdown.

“Five…” the crowd gathered around us chants. “Four…three…two…one.”

Everyone oohs and ahs as the forty-foot tree is lit.

My sister stares up at it like a kid opening their presents on Christmas morning, and even I find myself entranced for a moment by all the twinkling lights. Despite the chilly air hitting us, a warmth spreads through my body as I remember the countless Christmas seasons we stood here with Gabriela holding my hand while Mami and Papi had their arms wrapped around each other.

Gabriela breaks the moment with an excited clap as she turns to face Aiden and me. “So, what do we want to do first? Sleigh ride through the town? Hot cocoa by the fire? S’mores?”

“Whatever you want.” Aiden tucks my sister into his side to protect her from the wind coming off the lake while I’m stuck blowing on my mitten-covered hands to feel something other than the early signs of frostbite.

You won’t be alone forever, I tell myself. Just for now.

“Should we go ice skating?” Gabriela’s eyes light up.

I remember the last time I sprained my ankle and wince. “Um. I might pass on that one, but you should do it if you want.”

“Actually, I think I know the perfect activity.” Gabriela grins.

I decide to trust my sister and hope for the best. “Lead the way.”

VOTE1

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