Chapter THIRTY-SEVEN

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 tell the person to come in, 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 the house." "Why does he need my permission? This is his father's house; he doesn't 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," after my talk with Stefano yesterday, I still couldn't call Santiago to tell him I have forgiven him. I put myself in Emily's shoes, and I am still angry with him. "Miss, if you don't mind me asking, why aren't you speaking with Mr. Santiago?" "He did something awful to a good friend of mine." "Oh, but what he did to your friend, is he sorry about it?" "Yes, he says he is, but that doesn't change anything." "Of course, it does, it changes everything. When we apologize for our wrongdoings, it is 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 about your friend," she says, and I know she is right. If Santiago wasn't sorry about what he did to Emily, he wouldn't 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, but only because you and Stefano believe he is worthy of my forgiveness." "Thank you, Miss," she says walking 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; and he hasn't seen me. "Santiago," I call his name to get his attention. "Yes, wait, did you just call my name?" He says, his whole face lighting up to hear me call his name. Santiago and I are really close, and I know how important it is to him that I forgive him. "Yes, I did." I say, smiling softly. "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, doesn't mean you are off the hook." "I know." he says, pulling me into a hug. "You need to make Emily forgive you too," I say, pulling away. "I know, Sis, I am trying, but it's hard. She says she will think about it, keep your fingers crossed." "I pray she does." To be honest, I don't know if I would forgive Santiago if I was Emily, but I pray she does. 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 I am waiting for him in his office and decide to walk around the warehouse. While I am walking, I hear a few grunting noises, so 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 might be someone from a rival gang. I follow the noise and stop once I reach a dark room. The door is open, 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 believe 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, the way my name rolled out of his tongue is doing crazy things to the lady downstairs. "I was bored, and while I was walking around, I heard a few grunts, and I followed them 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 you didn't." "Why? I hope you know this isn't the first time I have seen 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, the only words I 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 that he sees me as his girlfriend. I can't believe I was telling mom earlier today that I wasn't sure if we have reached that stage to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend. I was unsure if Stefano saw me as his girlfriend, 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 finally asked out on a date with her crush. "Yes, aren't you, my girlfriend?" He says, taking a step closer to me pulling 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 usual, I am so happy, he sees me as his girlfriend. Aurora told me Stefano hasn't 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 sixteen-year-old me that one day Stefano would call himself my boyfriend. I would have called her crazy. 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 too, I am also happy I am your boyfriend," he says, smiling, sealing my lips with his in a passionate kiss.