Siempre te voy a querer

Chapter 23

Santiago had just arrived at his house after a long day of shopping with Isa. He dropped the bags by the door and leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. The vanilla scent that always accompanied Isa still lingered around his clothes, bringing a soft smile to his face.

As he made his way to the living room, he couldn't help but replay the day's interactions in his mind. The way Isa's touch was always soft and how she smelled so good. He admired her strength, her kindness, and the way she always managed to make him feel better even when he was having a bad day. Despite his past mistakes and how poorly he had treated her, he realized it was time to mend their friendship.

Santiago sat on the couch, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Was he starting to like her? The idea made him nervous. He knew he wasn't ready to take that step yet, but he couldn't ignore the feelings that were beginning to blossom.

He remembered a conversation they had earlier in the car.

"¿Sabes, Isa? A veces pienso que no te he tratado como mereces," Santiago admitted, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

Isa looked at him, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Bueno, todos cometemos errores, Santi. Lo importante es aprender de ellos y seguir adelante."

"Es verdad," Santiago agreed, nodding slowly. "Quiero ser un mejor amigo para ti, empezar de nuevo."

Isa reached over and placed a hand on his arm, her touch sending a shiver down his spine. "Eso suena bien, Santi. Me alegra escucharte decir eso."

Back in his living room, Santiago sighed. He knew Isa deserved better, and he was determined to be that for her, even if it meant taking things slow. The thought of her vanilla scent and her soft touch lingered in his mind, a constant reminder of what he was beginning to feel.

As the evening wore on, Santiago decided it was time to call her. He needed to hear her voice, to reassure himself that he was making the right decision. He picked up his phone and dialed her number, his heart racing as he waited for her to answer.

"Hola, Santi," Isa's voice came through the phone, warm and welcoming.

"Hola, Isa. Solo quería agradecerte por hoy. La pasé muy bien contigo," Santiago said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yo también, Santi. Me alegra que nos estemos acercando de nuevo," Isa replied, and Santiago could hear the smile in her voice.

"Sí, yo también," Santiago said softly. "Oye, Isa, ¿te gustaría salir a cenar algún día? Como amigos, claro."

Isa laughed softly. "Claro, me encantaría. Solo dime cuándo y dónde."

"Perfecto, te avisaré pronto," Santiago replied, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

As he hung up the phone, Santiago felt a sense of hope. He wasn't ready to admit his deeper feelings yet, but he was willing to take the first steps towards building a better friendship with Isa. And maybe, just maybe, it could turn into something more.

————

Edson decided to take Isa to his practice. As soon as they arrived at the training ground, Isa was instantly bombarded with hugs from Edson's teammates. Some even told her how much they had missed her.

"¡Isa, cuánto tiempo sin verte!" exclaimed one of the players, giving her a big hug.

"¡Te extrañamos mucho, Isa!" said another, joining the hug.

"¡Chicos, también los extrañé!" Isa replied, hugging them back with a smile.

After the initial excitement died down, Isa made her way to the player chairs to watch her brother and friends train. She sat next to Diego, scrolling through TikTok videos together. As they laughed at a funny clip, a notification popped up on Isa's phone. She clicked it and read the message aloud.