After mom leaves, I finish packing all the things I need. I am about to walk out of the room when I hear a knock at the door again. I ask the person to come in, and our maid, Sarah, steps in.
"Good day Miss," Sarah says,
"Hello Sarah, what do you need?"
"Mr. Santiago is downstairs asking for your permission to enter inside the house."
"Why does he need my permission? This is also his father's house. He does not need my permission to enter."
Every time Santiago has come by the house to try and talk to me. I leave the house before he can even say two words.
"He knows that, but he wants to make sure you don't leave once he enters."
"I can't guarantee that" Even after my talk with Stefano yesterday, I still couldn't call Santiago and tell him I have forgiven him. I put myself back in Emily's shoes, and I am still angry with him.
"Miss, if you don't mind me asking, why are you not speaking with Mr. Santiago?"
"He did something awful to a good friend of mine."
"Oh, and what he did to this your friend is he sorry about it."
"Yes, he says he is, but that does not change anything."
"Of course, it changes everything. When we apologize for our wrongdoings, it's the only way to change what the past has done to that person. I don't know what Mr. Santiago did, but I know he is truly sorry to your friend," She says, and I know she is right.
If Santiago was not sorry to Emily, he would not even try to talk to her. I know in my heart that he regrets what he did, but I can't help still being a little mad at him.
"You really believe he is sorry."
"Yes, I do. Please, Miss, go downstairs and listen to what Mr. Santiago has to say"
"Alright, I will just because you and Stefano believe he is worthy of my forgiveness."
"Thank you, miss," She says and walks out of my room with me following behind.
I walk down the stairs and find Santiago standing by the entrance at the front door. He is using his phone, so he has not seen me.
"Santiago," I call his name to get his attention.
"Yes, wait, did you just call my name?" He says as his whole face lightens up to hear me call his name. Santiago and I are really close, so I know how important it is to him that I forgive him.
"Yes, I did," I say with a soft smile.
"That means you have forgiven me?" He asks, hopeful
"Yes, I have."
"Thank you, sis," He says, smiling.
"You are welcome, but just because I have forgiven, you does not mean you are off the hook."
"I know," He says and pulls me into a hug.
"You need to make Emily forgive you too," I say once we pull apart
"I know, sis, and I am trying, but it's hard. She says she will think about it, so fingers crossed."
"I pray she does." To be honest, I don't know if I would forgive Santiago if I was Emily, and I actually pray she does because I don't want to see Santiago hurt.
Stefano and I arrived in California hours ago. I am in his office at the warehouse, waiting for him while he deals with problems that needed his immediate attention. I get bored while waiting for him in his office and decide to walk around the warehouse.
While walking, I hear a few grunt noises, and I know that they are beating someone up. It's not surprising to hear someone in pain in a mafia warehouse. I am sure he probably tried to steal something, or he might be someone from a rival gang. I follow the noise and stop once I reach a dark room. The door is open, and the only light in the room is on a man tied to a chair with blood all over him. Stefano comes up from behind the man and lands a hard punch to his face. I have seen men beaten up countless times, but Stefano looks super hot while beating the man for some odd reason. His sleeves are rolled up, showing off those beautiful tattoos on his arms. Every time he throws a punch at the man, his veins pop, and his muscles flex. Oh my God, he looks really sexy right now. I feel myself getting hot, and I can't imagine watching him beat up someone is turning me on. I am brought back to earth when Stefano says my name.
"Andrea, what are you doing here?" He asks, and the way my name rolled out of his tongue is doing crazy things to the lady downstairs.
"I was bored, and while walking around, I heard a few grunt noises, so I followed it here."
"I am sorry I am taking a lot of time. I am almost done; please go back to the office and wait for me."
"I don't mind waiting for you here."
"I would prefer if you don't."
"Why? I hope you know this is not the first time I see someone beaten to death" I wonder why he wants me gone.
"I know, but this is the first time you will watch your boyfriend do it," Stefano says, and the only words my ears hear are 'Boyfriend.' I can't believe he called himself my boyfriend. Does that mean he sees me as his girlfriend? Of course, it means he sees me as his girlfriend. I can't believe I was telling mom earlier today that I was not sure if we have reached that stage to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend. I was unsure if Stefano saw me as his girlfriend, and I can't believe he does. I am mentally dancing right now. Ahhhh, that's me trying to scream in my head.
"Hmm, boyfriend," I say, smiling like a schoolgirl that was finally asked out on a date by her crush.
"Yes, or aren't you my girlfriend?" He says, taking a step closer to me and pulls me into his arms. He cleaned his bloody hands before he walked up to me.
"I am your girlfriend," I say a little higher than I supposed to, but it's because I am so happy he sees me as his girlfriend. Aurora told me Stefano has not dated in a while and has had only the occasional one nightstand. For him to call me his girlfriend means I am really special to him. If you told 16 years old me that one day Stefano would call himself my boyfriend. I would have called her crazy because the way Stefano broke my heart the day I told him I had feelings for him made me think I would never be with him. I can't believe it's happening right now.
"I am happy you are my girlfriend because I am also happy that I am your boyfriend," He says, smiling, and seals my lips with his in a passionate kiss.