Never Judge

At the guest house Nicole sat on the floor with her arms crossed wearing a pout on her face. She was still annoyed that the only time she had with Ian was taken away by Cedric.

"Are you really gonna be that petty over this?" Veronica said as she gave Nicole a cup of tea. Everyone always avoided giving Nicole coffee since she had the tendency to either palpitate or have as much energy as a child on a sugar rush when she had coffee in her system.

"Yes I am." Nicole insisted.

"What's the child complaining about now?" Katerina asked as she arrived with Adrianna and Ayanna.

"Natalia isn't here again?" Nicole intentionally ignored Katerina's question. Katerina assumed that Nicole was not happy with how Cedric had tossed her out of the study and Katerina's hand in it.

"She has work. She's worse than me." Katerina said with a laugh.

"So Veronica, have you completed your marital duties?" Ayanna asked with a wink.

"Ayanna! I don��t think that's something you should ask." Adrianna told her sister in law.

"I bet they haven't." Katerina said grabbing a bottle of wine and a glass then sitting on the couch.

"What makes you so sure?" Veronica asked Katerina with a blush.

"Cause you walk normally and you haven't been bitching about it." Katerina said as she poured herself a glass.

"Isn't it too early for that?" Adrianna was surprised that Katerina was already drinking so early in the morning.

"Well this topic needs alcohol. You can't have cause you're pregnant, Nicole can't cause she's a lightweight and I'm not taking care of her." Katerina said.

"Why do we have to talk about this?" Veronica groaned.

"You're disturbing Katerina." Nicole shouted.

Katerina just laughed at her friends and offered them a glass. Veronica sighed and shook her head but took the glass of wine that Katerina had offered.

"Look, it's all natural. It's a normal part of life that all married couples take part in. I mean we wouldn't be here if our parents hadn't done their marital duties." Katerina casually explained. "Adrianna, you're the only real married one here. Care to help me explain?" 

Adrianna was shy on the topic, talking about this in front of her sister in law was extremely awkward. 

"I don't want to talk about this, so Katerina, drop it." Veronica said in a sudden outburst. It seemed like she was having a really bad day.

"Fine. So what do you want to rant about?" Katerina asked her friend.

"How Cedric took my boyfriend away." Everyone was surprised when Nicole suddenly said this, not because of her speaking when not being spoken to, but rather about her admitting that Ian was actually her boyfriend.

"Ha! You admit it!" Ayanna said, pointing a finger at Nicole.

"No, I mean yes. Okay, fine yes. Ian is my boyfriend, but my family can't know about Ian. You know how they will get. He's not the right kind of guy yet." Nicole finally admitted that she and Ian were in a relationship.

"I win!" Katerina suddenly shouted. She, Ayanna, and Veronica had placed a bet on how long it would take for Nicole to admit that Ian was her boyfriend. 

"What? You guys bet on when I would get a boyfriend?" Nicole had a look of shock and betrayal on her face.

"No. We bet on when you would admit Ian was your boyfriend. Katerina said she could pressure you into admitting it." Ayanna said with a shrug as she handed a card to Katerina. 

"Why are you handing her a card?" Adrianna was puzzled by Ayanna's actions. She had expected her to give Katerina cash or maybe a bag.

"I bet a year's worth of free meals at Nouveau and Bamboo Room. Ray and my brother will compensate me for it. We got Nicole to admit she has a boyfriend, that's so worth it." Ayanna said with the biggest grin.

"Nicole, be careful with love and men." Katerina said in a more serious tone. Among all the sisters Katerina was the one with most experience in these kinds of things. Unlike her friends she defied convention and explored her feelings for other people, she didn't hesitate to love and be loved. As a sad result she had also been hurt more times than most of them. At first the girls thought that she was dating to forget Eric, or to get Eric jealous, but as time went on Katerina didn't seem to be waiting for Eric.

"I know, and Ian is different. He broke his rule for me." Nicole said with a pure smile on her lips.

"What rule?" Veronica asked, suspicious of this rule Nicole had mentioned.

"Well, he's very dedicated to his goal to return his family to its former glory. One of the rules he set for himself is that he wouldn't love since that would distract him from achieving his goal." Nicole explained.

"Do you think he could be using you for his goal?" Veronica pessimistically asked.

"Ian's not like that!" Nicole said, defending her boyfriend.

"She's telling the truth Veronica." Adrianna suddenly said. "Even before he found out who Cedric actually was, Ian has always been like this. He has always been dedicated to something, Cedric and I didn't understand it at first but later on it was Ian himself that told Cedric. Ian has had every opportunity to date one of you girls but he's never taken it."

"How I wish I were as lucky as you guys in love." Katerina said with a sad laugh.

"You'll be lucky if you become my sister in law!" Nicole excitedly told her friend. She had always supported the idea of Eric and Katerina dating and eventually getting married.

"No thanks. I don't think I could stand too much of you." Katerina said, rolling her eyes.

"You still didn't say no about my brother!" Nicole shouted. 

Nicole's timing couldn't have been any better, as she said that Eric, Miguel, and Ray stepped into the guest house and heard what Nicole had said.

"Is Katerina finally saying yes to dating Eric?" Miguel teased.

Katerina jumped when she heard a man's voice. When she noticed the boys had arrived she glared at Nicole.

"Nicole is just being a child. Don't listen to her." Katerina said as she poured herself another glass. Before she could drink the wine the glass was suddenly snatched from her hand.

"It's not healthy to drink so early in the day Katerina." Eric said as he finished the glass of wine for her.

"Oooh, tension." Ray teased as he sat on the couch next to Ayanna. "Isn't Cedric going to join us?"

"NO BECAUSE HE STOLE MY BOYFRIEND!" Nicole shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Why? Why did you have to bring it up Ray." Ayanna complained.

"Nicole I'm pretty sure Cedric isn't gay. How can he steal your boyfriend." Eric teased his younger sister. "And congratulations you finally admitted that Ian is your boyfriend."

"At least I have a real relationship.��� Nicole said, crossing her arms and glaring at Eric.

The group continued to pick on each other until lunch time when Cedric finally appeared with Ian and Camilla to join them. When they arrived Cedric nudged Ian towards Nicole who had suddenly become quiet.

Ian walked over and gave Nicole a hug, resulting in the latter turning as red as a tomato. 

"So she admits it?" Cedric asked in jest.

"Yes. We owe Katerina lunch for a whole year now." Ayanna told her brother proudly.

"By we, do you mean all of us?" Cedric asked.

"Nope, you and Ray. You guys have more money than me so you'll be covering the costs." Ayanna said with a grin.

With Ian in the room Nicole was suddenly calmer and to everyone's entertainment she was also suddenly quiet.

"Ian, when do you plan to propose to my sister? I could get used to this quiet version of her." Eric teased.

Before Ian could say anything Nicole glared at Ian and for his own benefit Ian decided not to answer Eric's question. 

Having finished all of their work in the morning, Camilla was the first to leave, followed by Ian and Nicole. The rest of the group decided to stay and hangout at Cedric's place.

"How did you deal with Calathea?" Katerina finally asked Cedric when she caught him alone.

"A threat." Cedric casually said. "Do you think she will stay away for good?"

"I doubt it. She'll lay low for a while till she thinks we've forgotten what she's done. Then she'll come back." Katerina said.

"Did you and Eric settle your issues from last time?" Cedric asked.

"Eric and I will never settle our issues. It's too complicated. It's easier to just bury them." Katerina said with a frown.

"It will come back to bite you if Calathea comes back." Cedric warned as he left to rejoin the group, leaving Katerina to think on her own.

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