Page 33 of A Follow-Through in Faking

Catalina

“If they try to feed me one more fucking tasteless sandwich, I’m going to throw a pillow at their heads,” Sage says, glaring at the tray with food in front of her.

A nurse caught me bringing her food two days ago and told me this hospital has a strict policy against that.

I got a warning not to do it again lest I want to be kicked out of the hospital , or whatever the fuck they said to me.

I was too distracted by Charlie laughing at me for getting scolded and Sage’s complaining grunting noises.

Vanessa was frowning at the nurse because of how ridiculous it was.

“If only you hadn’t been so reckless about sneaking food in,” Sage goes on, and I scowl at her.

“Eat your tasteless sandwhich,” I grumble, but when she smiles at me, I smile back.

It’s been hardly more than a week since her surgery, but she looks much better.

They’re keeping her here to ensure there are no complications.

According to the doctors monitoring her she’s supposed to get discharged soon to fly back home.

This isn’t the first time Sage had to withdraw from a tournament, so she’s taken the news of not being able to play for a while much better than I would have.

“What if I told you I brought you some dessert?” Charlie asks, piquing Sage’s interest.

“I’d ask why you didn’t bring me a bucket of chicken tenders too,” she replies, but her eyes are full of amusement as Charlie walks toward her with a wicked smile.

“They would have smelled the chicken. They can’t smell the chocolate bar,” they say and pull out said bar, holding it up so Sage can admire it.

“Marry me, Charlie,” Sage teases, and Charlie bursts into laughter.

“Eat your chocolate bar, woman,” is their only reply as they shake their head, but I notice the smile on their face. The way their eyes sparkle too.

I look back at Sage, wondering if maybe there’s something there I didn’t notice before.

The thought leaves quickly because Ness gets up and walks to the window in Sage’s room, looking out of it with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Sage is munching on the chocolate bar now with Charlie watching her from the chair they’re occupying, so I walk toward Ness, placing a hand on her arm once I’m close enough.

“You alright?” Her brown eyes meet mine, and she forces a smile.

“Nothing I can’t fix.” I furrow my brows at her non-committal answer, and Ness lets out a sigh.

“I’m having some trouble with one of my biggest distributors, but it’ll be okay.

Once I figure that out, I can get back to designing your next outfit for the next tournament.

I’m trying to figure out what message we can send this time. Any ideas?”

I smile softly at her.

“Hundreds,” I reply, and she grins back at me, leaning forward to wrap me up in a hug she needs very badly. And I hug her back because I’ll be damned if I didn’t give my friends the kind of comfort they’re always so happy to give me.

Santiago: Hey, carino. I know we were meant to go out on a date tomorrow, but I have to reschedule. I’m having an episode, and Manu isn’t home to help me through it. Please don’t hate me. I promise to see you as soon as it passes.

Ever since I received the message an hour ago, I have been running to get all of his favorite things.

His favorite croissants from the café. Some iced tea from his favorite brand.

Some Lebkuchen from the grocery store. A bunch of other snacks he always talks about.

I also got him a plushie of a bunny that looks like Tornado, bought a new game for us to try out together, and in case he doesn’t want to do any of that, I’ve taken my car to his house so he can drive it and cheer him up.

He may have been sponsored by Spark Racing with his Lightning Bolt, but my Ragna Velocità Rossa is still one of his favorite cars in the world.

If Santi hadn’t told me he needs to be distracted and talk through these episodes, I wouldn’t be on my way to him.

Other people prefer to be left alone when they have episodes of depression, but my sunshine man isn’t like that.

He needs to be around people he cares about, and if he didn’t think he’d be a burden to me, he’d have asked me to come to him.

But I don’t mind him not saying anything. He’s done so much for me without me saying a single word, like all of the dates he took me on. Playing doubles with me. Getting me tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix where I will meet Valentina Romana in person for the first time.

I’m still annoyed with Santi for meeting Adrian Romana and Nevaeh Fuchs-Romana all those years ago for a tennis session.

I knew he had history with Nevaeh, but I hated him for meeting her and her husband again without me present.

I admire her, and I’m a big fan of Adrian.

His performance at Velocità Rossa in Formula 1 is unlike any other, except for his sister’s, of course.

“Hi, I’m here to see Santiago Castillo. I’m his girlfriend,” I say to the security person at his apartment complex.

“Name?” they answer, their broad shoulders and muscular, tall frame intimidating me a little.

“Catalina Sanchez.” The security person nods, then crosses their massive arms over their chest.

I swallow hard.

“What does he call you?” they ask, and I almost stutter out a wrong response. They’re intimidating me so much, I’m not even sure anymore if I really am Santiago’s girlfriend.

Fake girlfriend.

“ Mariquita since childhood. Carino more recently,” I blurt out, and they give a satisfied nod as they finally let me through. The valet takes my key and gives me a ticket, and when I walk inside, I find a person in the lobby of the apartment complex already waiting for me.

“Ms. Sanchez, please follow me. Mr. Castillo gave us very specific instructions on what to do when you finally came to his apartment,” he says, gesturing toward where the elevators are.

He brings me all the way to Santi’s floor, then leads me to his apartment number.

“He has given us this spare key to give to you as well.” He hands me a key, then leaves me standing in front of Santi’s door, dumbfounded and baffled.

For someone who’s never been in a relationship, Santiago sure knows how to make a girl feel special.

Even though I have a key, I knock first. It’s only when several minutes pass and there is no answer that I decide to use the key Santi intended for me.

I unlock the door, finding his apartment completely silent and dark.

Tornado welcomes me by the door, spinning in a circle.

He has his own little area in Santi’s apartment, but he must have left him out to run around, something he always does when he’s home.

I pick him up and carry him with me as I walk through the rest of the apartment, enjoying the way he nuzzles into my arms, his cute, little nose wiggling from side to side.

Santi can’t take him with him to most tournaments, and he usually stays with a friend who has a few bunnies himself.

The curtains are shut, there are no sounds, and I know exactly where he’s hiding before I walk through his apartment and down the hall to where his bedroom must be.

The door is wide open, and I find Santi in his bed with the blanket wrapped around his entire body, even his head.

The only thing peeking out is his face, but I think that’s mostly so he can watch whatever show or movie he put on, on his phone.

I place Tornado on the bed, and he wastes no time in hopping toward Santi.

My knuckles brush against the door, finally catching his attention.

“Catalina?” he asks, slowly sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes as if he can’t quite believe I’m standing here.

“I’m sorry, I just came in. I knocked, but there was no answer, and I was given a key,” I explain, rubbing my left arm as a nervous laugh escapes me. “Is this the wrong thing to do? I thought maybe… I don’t know. I thought you might need me.”

Santi’s amber eyes study me for several long seconds, his mouth opening and closing as he looks for the right words.

All I can focus on are the circles underneath his eyes.

He looks less like himself. His tanned skin is unusually pale, which isn’t from not being in the sun.

We only came back from Australia yesterday, and up until we left, he was on the court, beneath the sun, every spare second to train with me.

So, I know it’s something else. I know it’s him genuinely not feeling good.

“I do need you. I need you more than air right now, Cata, but you shouldn’t have to see me like this.

You shouldn’t have to deal with me when I have no idea how to crawl out of this hole I’ve fallen into,” he explains, which spurs me on to close the distance between us.

I sink onto his bed, my hand finding his before I snake my fingers around his.

“Let me be the ladder to help you climb out of it, Santi.” His eyes soften visibly, his shoulders untensing as his eyebrows also unforrow.

A look of relief covers his features. “I promise if you let me be there for you, I will be. I’ll always be there when you need me.

” Santi lifts his hand to my cheek, the adrenaline of the surprise of seeing me slowly slipping out of him, leaving him entirely without energy.

“I’m sorry,” he says, his hand shaking a little as he lifts it to my face.

“I need to brush my teeth and shower, but I can’t find the strength to.

I feel so unmotivated to do anything but stay in bed, but at the same time, I’m so uncomfortable because I haven’t washed myself.

” His hand drops from my face, but I take it in both of mine, pressing it to my chest as tears fill his tired eyes.

“I can help you.” He gives me several slow nods as the tears drop down his cheeks. “Come on, Santi. I’ll help you feel better,” I say and stand up, pulling him with me.