Holding Her, Loving You

Chapter Twenty: Veronica Gomez

Cesc glared up at the house where his girlfriend had grown up, he hated this place and what it stood for; Belina’s parents had never liked him and he doubted that had changed now that he was back in her life.

“It’ll be fine… we’ll stay for an hour before we make our excuses and leave,” the brunette said as she glanced at her boyfriend, she knew how much he didn’t want to be here and neither did she; Veronica Gomez was a force to be reckoned with and she had always made it clear that any man that her daughter dated had to have her approval.

Cesc looked at her and nodded his head, he smiled as she took a deep breath before climbing out of his Audi A3 and smoothed out her black pencil dress with cord and mesh detail that she had paired with silver heeled sandals.

The footballer followed his girlfriend’s lead as she helped their son from the car, he wanted this over with as soon as possible since he knew that Veronica would pick at his relationship with Belina; they might have only been back together for three weeks and he was sure that she would end it for them.

“Mama, why are we here?” Alejandro asked as he stared up at his grandmother’s house, he was aware how much his grandmother didn’t like him or the fact that his birth had ruined her reputation; the little boy had heard many of his mother’s arguments with his grandmother about how she treated him and how she wanted him gone.

“Because your abuela has asked to see us,” Belina said politely as she carefully moved towards the door, she doubted that her mother would be pleased if they kept her waiting for long; Veronica had spent years drilling the fact that it was ruin to keep someone waiting into Belina’s head.

***

“Madre it’s nice to see you again,” Belina said softly as she felt Cesc rest a hand on her lower back, she swallowed as she stared at her mother remembering the last time that she had seen her like this; it had been her father’s funeral and it hadn’t ended well for either of the women.

“I wish I could say the same,” Veronica said as she turned to look at her only child, she pursed her lips as she stared at the couple and their son; she knew the moment that Alejandro had met his father that this was how everything was going to end and it wasn’t what she wanted.

Cesc glared at the woman before him, he remembered how much trouble that she had caused him in the past and he knew that she was very likely to try and do it again.

Alejandro moved closer to his mother as she rested her hands on his shoulders, she squeezed them softly in comfort as she watched her mother; she knew that there was going to be a lot of hateful words said at this meeting.

“Why don’t we just get down to business… why are we here Veronica?” Cesc said not wanting to waste a moment in this place, he knew being nice and doing things her way didn’t work and only ended up with a fight between him and Belina; he wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction.

Belina glanced at her boyfriend, she knew that he didn’t like her mother and she didn’t blame him since she wasn’t that fond of her own mother either but she knew that this wasn’t going to end well if he was going to snap at Veronica like that.

“You know why you are here Fàbregas… how dare you get back together with my daughter, you had a family with another woman,” Veronica spat disgusted as he glared at the footballer, she didn’t know why her daughter had taken him back after all that he had done and how he had left her pregnant.

Cesc swallowed as he glanced at his girlfriend, he knew that not everyone was welcoming to the idea that he had end his relationship with Daniella to get back with Belina but he wasn’t going to change his plans because it upset some people.

“I have a family with your daughter… I love Bel and our son,” Cesc argued back before Belina rested a hand on his arm to calm him, she didn’t want him saying something that he should which would only result in them fighting more with her mother.

Veronica pursed her lips as she watched her daughter with the footballer, she didn’t understand why Belina refused the way out that she had offered her; Pedro was still in love with her and was willing to ignore the fact that she’d had another man’s child to marry her.

“Madre… nothing you can say will change anything, I am with Cesc,” Belina said as she moved closer to the footballer as if to show her mother that she wouldn’t change her mind on any of this; she had made her choice just like she had nine years before.

Cesc smirked as he looked at Veronica, he knew that if Belina put her foot down like this then he was important to her; he just hoped that Veronica wouldn’t lash out and hurt his girlfriend in anyway.

“Your padre, God bless his soul, will be rolling in his grave… how can you do this to me? To us?” Veronica said as she stared at her daughter, she couldn’t believe that this was happening again and that Belina was still refusing her what she wanted most.

If the brunette married Pedro then they would have status that they’d never had before but she had still chosen Cesc over the man that her parents had chosen for her.

“I have done nothing to you… I don’t want any man that you have chosen for me because of his status, I love Cesc,” Belina said as she realised that this was just how the conversation had been nine years before; she felt like a teenager again and not for the right reasons.

Veronica opened and closed her mouth in shock at her daughter’s words, she had heard it before but she had never seen the passion in the brunette’s eyes like this; she looked at Cesc who seemed smug about what was happening.

***

“That went well,” Cesc mused as Alejandro clambered in the car as Belina rubbed her temples and looked at her boyfriend, she rolled her eyes as she leant against the car; she knew that everything was going to change from here from them.

Cesc sighed as he rested his hands on Belina’s hips, he brushed his lips against hers as he drew her close to him; he knew that she was worrying but Veronica wasn’t their problem and she never would be.

“It’ll be okay Bel… no matter what happens I’ll always be here for you and Alex,” Cesc whispered as he kissed her softly, he knew that he wasn’t going to make a mess of things; he loved the brunette and after everything that they had been through he wasn’t going to lose her now.

Belina nudged her head against Cesc, her mind swirled with the knowledge that she was still keeping something from him; she hadn’t wanted to tell him that there was a chance that she was pregnant again.

The footballer held his girlfriend close as he rested his head on top of hers, he had picked up on the fact that she was keeping something from him; he closed his eyes as he held her close knowing that whatever it was then he would stay by her side.

“Let’s go home,” Belina said as she stepped back away from Cesc and moved to get into the car, she ignored the look on his face knowing that in a couple of weeks she would know for sure.