Christmas Eve Party

"You knew didn't you?! That's why you moved her to your condo so quickly!" Lorenzo's father shouted at him. "Just like Mia" his father continued. "No! Not just like Mia! Reina is different and you didn't give Mia the benefit of the doubt. You just barked commands and expected them to be met" Lorenzo told him. "Pregnant?! Malik won't want to marry her now! Who would want to raise another man's child?!" his father shouted. "A man who marries for love" Lorenzo replied. "This is unacceptable! And I find out now? When she is five months along!" he shouted. His father looked fit to kill, Lorenzo knew from the glint in his father's eye. "You don't have to worry about her disgracing our family, father. I will take care of everything" Lorenzo told him. "I bet you will. I want to see her" his father said with uncontrolled anger. "So you can abuse her? Not on my watch, father. Stay away from Reina or I will have a restraining order issued" Lorenzo replied. "To keep me from my own daughter?!" he shouted. "You mean the daughter you have been abusing for sixteen years? That daughter?" Lorenzo asked. "I will see her, Lorenzo" his father said as he slammed the door. Lorenzo cursed.

"Cybil Carter will be having a fairytale Christmas wedding" E news told Reina. She sighed. Good for her. "Did you two work things out?" Carly asked as she came into the room. Reina started blushing and averted her eyes. "You did, didn't you?" Carly said as she sat on the bed with Reina. "Did you tell him the twins are his?" she asked. Reina shook her head. Carly put her hands on her hips. "I just couldn't, Carly!" I told her. "You will be in hiding for a while, Reina" Riven said as he came into the room. "Why?" Reina asked. "The paparazzi are outside the gate. Some even have tents putting up" he told me. I should have expected this. It was so like them! "Just call Lorenzo and tell him about this. They will all scatter when they hear the word lawsuit" Carly told him. He nodded and left the room.

On Christmas Eve it was always Gertrude's plan to have the entire family over. People were starting to arrive when Reina went upstairs to change. She had been in the kitchen all day helping Gertrude cook. She was going back downstairs when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it" Reina said. She opened the door with a smile on her face. "Merry Christm- Reina's smile faltered when she saw Demetrius and Cybil standing there. She just stood there staring. "Well are you going to let us in?" Cybil asked. Reina stepped aside. "I-I have to go see if the cookies are ready" Reina said as she walked away. Demetrius walked off in the direction Reina went leaving Cybil on her own. 

He casually leaned against the wall and watched Reina take the cookies out of the oven. Demetrius smiled when he saw his cousin's three year old son trying to steal a cookie off the tray. Reina's back was to the tray. "Don't even think about it. They just came out of the oven and they would burn your little fingers" Reina said her back still to the three year old and the tray. The little boy laughed and Reina picked him up into her arms. Demetrius watched in awe as the three year old smiled at Reina. "I promise I will give you three cookies when they cool" she told him as she kissed the top of his head. He nodded while playing with the hair that escaped Reina's ponytail. "Good, now go play" she told him. The little boy scurried off. Riven came into the kitchen from the other way. He nudged Reina and she giggled. "How are the babies doing?" Riven asked her. "Happy and kicking. I think it's because their daddy is here" Reina sighed. "It will be alright" Riven hugged her. Demetrius was still watching intently. "Hey Riven can you come here for a sec?" Carly called from the other room. "I'm coming" he replied. When Riven left Demetrius walked over to Reina. "Hey", "Hi" Reina replied. "Merry Christmas" Demetrius told her. She smiled at him but said nothing. Demetrius pulled her to him. Cybil walked in at that moment. "Ahem" Cybil cleared her throat. They looked up and saw Cybil with hands on her hips. Reina stepped back, away from Demetrius. "I promised a sweet little boy cookies. Excuse me" Reina said as she took up the tray of cookies and left. Cybil just looked at Demetrius, her hands still on her hips and she was pouting. 

She was avoiding him. Demetrius had figured it out the moment he made an attempt to talk to Reina and she claimed that Gertrude had called her even though she didn't. The party was in full swing when Lorenzo arrived with a date. Carly was heartbroken. She excused herself saying she had a headache but Reina knew the real reason. Reina got up and hit her bigger brother in the back of the head. "How callous can you be?" Reina scolded. "I never made any promised. She shouldn't have expected anything" Lorenzo told her.

Reina could have screamed to let out her frustration. She went upstairs to see Carly crying. "I was such a fool! Why would a guy like that want a girl like me?" Carly said when she heard Reina come into the room. "You aren't a fool for being in love" Reina told her friend. Cybil who was coming from the bathroom stopped to eavesdrop on the conversation. "Is this how it is when you see Demetrius with another woman?" Carly asked. Reina nodded. "My big brother will come around. Men are blockheads at time Carly" Reina told her. Carly just nodded. "Let's go back down to the party" Reina told her. Carly shook her head. "You might can handle Demetrius being here with Cybil but I can't bare to see Lorenzo here with that date of his" Carly told me. I understood how my friend felt.  I sighed and nodded. Reina was on her way to the door when she turned to look at her friend. "What?" Carly asked "I haven't heard from Malik in five months" Reina said, touching her tummy. "Isn't that a good thing?" Carly asked. "Not if my dad expects me to marry him. Something doesn't seem right" Reina told her friend. Cybil who was listening instantly got angry.  Why was Reina Cortes interested in all her men?! She is in love with Demetrius and wants Malik to marry her! Her Malik?! -Cybil thought as she angrily stomped away, "I'll bring you some food when I can" Reina told Carly as she left. The party was going wonderfully but Reina could never shake the feeling that she was being watched. More than once she had caught Cybil openly scrutinizing her but she was a master of not letting Demetrius see. When it was finally after twelve people started leaving. "It went well" Gertrude told Reina as the last of the guests left. "It did" Reina agreed. Riven kissed Reina on the top of her head. "I'm gonna turn in to bed" Riven said as he went upstairs. "We'll be leaving too" Cybil said. "It was... good seeing you Cybil" Antonio told her. She nodded. Antonio hugged Reina who had gone quiet. "I'll be turning up to bed" Reina said. She kissed Gertrude and Antonio on the cheek. "Goodnight" she told Demetrius and Cybil.