Never Judge

"He is healing well." Selina said in a shy voice.

"Is something wrong?" Cedric asked, glancing at the other people in the room.

​​

"Selina, come on, it was a small argument. We are still friends." Adrianna said as she marched over and pulled Selina to Cedric\'s bedside.

"What happened?" Cedric asked his wife, worried about what the fight had been over.

"I did something wrong." Selina still said shyly.

"Please Selina, I\'m not that kind of woman." Adrianna begged Selina.

"I\'m just not used to people forgiving and forgetting." Selina confessed.

"I told you Adrianna wouldn\'t hold a grudge." Francesca said, rolling her eyes, taking the apple from Adrianna and taking a bite.

"Hey! That\'s for my husband." Adrianna complained.

Francesca simply shrugged and continued to eat the apple. 

"Who the hell peels an apple?" Francesca said as she gave the apple a curious look.

"You never know what bacteria could be on the outside." Miguel said as he joined the others in the room.

"Then just wash it." Francesca said, rolling her eyes. "Germaphobe."

Ram laughed at his girlfriend\'s reaction, earning him a glare from Miguel. 

"I\'m here to check on Cedric\'s wound. Don\'t go attacking me." Miguel teased Francesca.

"How is Alexi?" Cedric asked Miguel.

"He is fine. His injuries have healed." Miguel told Cedric as he removed the bandage covering Cedric\'s wound. "He can be discharged on the same day as you. He will stay at Saints Hospital in the Capital for a few more days or weeks once we get back."

"What\'s the rush to leave?" Cedric asked. If Alexi needed more time to recuperate, why not in the province where things were more peaceful.

"Uncle Jose wants him back as soon as possible." Miguel said with a shrug. "Something about enemies of the state possibly going after Alexi. You know how it has always been."

Cedric nodded, ever since they were young people from rebel factions of the government and spies from other countries had always tried to kidnap or injure Alexi. It was the downside of coming from one of the most prominent political families in the country.

"Have there been new threats?" Cedric asked as he gave Miguel a worried look.

"There are always new threats." Miguel said, shaking his head. "Uncle Jose didn\'t allow Katerina and Natalia to come along. He didn\'t want all three children at risk."

"Have you two made up?" Cedric asked with a smile as he looked at Adrianna and Selina, who were now chatting happily at the side.

"I guess the trauma of Jen and some of her former friends just hurt Selina too much." Adrianna said as they walked back over to him.

"Are you alright now, Selina?" Cedric asked. "I know Adrianna, she considers you to be a friend, she would never hold a grudge. I\'m sure it wasn\'t even a big deal."

"Well it kind of was." Selina nervously said.

Cedric looked at Adrianna and raised an eyebrow at her. Adrianna nodded, admitting that it was a big deal.

"It was related to business." Adrianna said. "But Selina, you should know by now that to us, money is nothing compared to our friends. We would never hold grudges over money."

"I know." Selina said with a frown. "It\'s just I keep waiting for the shoe to fall. I keep waiting for Alexi to break up with me, or for any of you to look down at me. I\'m just not used to this."

"We are different." Cedric said in an attempt to comfort Selina\'s fears.

"Is this a bad time?" Benedict asked as he peeked through the door.

"No, no. Come in." Cedric said as he flinched. Miguel had poked his wound. "Can you not do that?" Cedric grumbled.

"I\'m just checking it." Miguel said, rolling his eyes as he continued to dress the wound.

Benedict entered with Camilla in tow. The siblings seemed to be in a much better mood compared to when they had freshly buried their brother.

"Did you need something?" Cedric asked Camilla and Benedict.

"Can\'t we just visit you cause I wanted to visit my boss and friend?" Camilla asked with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, no." Ian said, joining them.

"Shouldn\'t you be working?" Camilla asked, glaring at Ian.

"No. I\'m done with work for today." Ian said with a grin. "Shouldn\'t you be looking at that tech company?"

"I already have the information." Camilla said, lifting the tablet in her hand. 

"Great, I don\'t need to do the research boss asked me to do." Dave said with a sigh of relief, making everyone laugh.

"But seriously, is there anything you need?" Cedric asked Benedict and Camilla. 

Benedict nudged Camilla, nodding at her.

"Why do I have to ask?" Camilla complained.

"Why are you acting like a child?" Benedict teased his sister.

"It\'s just Cedric, why are you so nervous?" Camilla complained again.

Benedict gave her a \'Why are you asking, you know why\' look, making Camilla roll her eyes at her brother and sigh.

"We just wanted to know if you would be well enough to accompany us tomorrow to our grandfather?" Camilla asked Cedric.

"Yes." Cedric said with a nod. "I will be right?" Cedric asked Miguel who had just finished dressing his wound.

"Yup, should be fine for you to go." Miguel said with a nod, giving his go signal.

"Dave, can you make the arrangements?" Cedric asked.

"No, I\'ll do it." Camilla said, volunteering.

"Are you sure?" Cedric asked her, giving her a worried look. He knew this would take an emotional toll on her.

"Yes." Camilla said with a nod. "I want to do this." 

"Alright." Cedric said, giving her permission. "Maybe arrange for dinner. Would you like to have it at the Ortiz home or at the Lobo Mansion?" Cedric asked.

"I think it would be safer if you had it at the Lobo\'s place." Adrianna suggested. "We don\'t know what dangers you could be walking into if you went there."

"I agree." Benedict said with a nod. "Although, I don\'t want to impose on the Lobo family. They\'ve already done so much to help us."

"You guys have avenged Jam." Adrianna said with a sad look in her eyes. "They would be more than willing to host this meetup." 

"I\'m sure the Lobos would also be happy to see grandpa Ortiz\'s reaction when he realizes that Camilla and you are still alive." Ram said with a grin.

"That would blow him away." Francesca said, nodding in agreement. 

"I guess Miguel should be there." Cedric said, thinking out loud. "I don\'t want the old man to get a heart attack from seeing ghosts."

"He will definitely think we are ghosts." Benedict said, nodding in agreement. "I saw that grandfather had reserved a place for my body in the crypt. I\'m sure Aiden told him that you took my body."

"I\'ll use that so that he won\'t hesitate in meeting up with us." Camilla said with a nod.

"Do you think he already knows about Aiden?" Cedric asked, realizing that the old man might have visited the crypt.

"No." Benedict said, shaking his head. "Camilla and I have been there everyday since we buried Aiden. There has been no sign of him having visited."

"I guess we will have to break the news to him as well." Cedric said with a frown, his guilt eating him up from inside once more.