James is in Teresa's penthouse recovering. He has been asleep and healing. Teresa looks one last time at his direction, laying peacefully on the bed, as if he hasn't slept in years. She slowly and quietly leaves the room. She is met with Pote in her living room. "Is he awake?" Pote asks. "Still asleep" Teresa answers. "He does need it." She adds. He nods. "How is everything else?" She asked. "Everything is doing fine. We have doubled our security like you said..." Pote trails off. Teresa nodded. I know what he was going to say, since James came back. But I didnt say it out loud and neither did he. "Keep me posted with everything." Teresa replied. "Always" Pote said. He left soon after.
Teresa went in the guest room where James was sleeping. Checking on him before going to bed. She saw some movement. "James?" She asked softly. He looks at her direction. "You're awake." She tried her best to not get too excited. He nods. She goes to him, sits on the bed and holds his hand. She looks down, fighting tears. Happiness? Sadness? Who knows. She is glad he's back. He falls right back to sleep.
James opens his eyes, sees Teresa and looks around and clears his throat. "Where's Pote?" James asked softly. Teresa fights back a smile. "He's just in the living room. He wasn't the first person I expected you to ask for." Teresa starts to stand up "I'll go get him." This made James smile as he holds her hand "No, he wasn't. I just want to make sure you're safe." He slowly looks over at Teresa. "I need to explain. Where I have been. Why I left." Teresa shakes her head. "No, you don't. I made a mistake in not trusting you. I know I hurt you. Just rest. It can wait.". "No, it can't and yes, I do." He said with force as he sat up. "And after that, you'll know everything. You will always know that you can trust me." He never looked away the whole time. Neither did Teresa. She just waited.
"Devon reached out to me. He wanted me back. Fix the mess I made. All that. I told him initially, I wasn't going to go back. That's when he came and attacked us. Since then, I have been looking for a way out. So you won't get in the way of my mess." He closed his eyes, paused then opens them again and looks straight at Teresa. Eyes like lazer beams. It made her shiver. "Devon kept calling me. I ignored the calls. Until...you didn't trust me and I thought I misread what I was to you. That what we had and been through meant more to me and it didn't to you." James said looking away. "What we did." As he looks at Teresa. "What I thought we had. I wasn't sure." He pauses and this saddens Teresa. She couldn't look at him. She didn't know she hurt him this much. That he thought what we had was meaningless. "When...I realized on what I assumed was wrong...I called him." He looks to Teresa as she frowns. "I thought this would be a chance to just clean up my mess, protect you and show you you can trust me." He explained hoarsely. I...didnt want to leave you. And if I did, I knew I would always come back. Whrn I truly could without having you in the cross fire.. I didn't want him to use you to get to me." Teresa facing him. "So I went with him. Paid what I owed him. Made sure he would leave you alone. That was the deal and I did it. Made sure that you would be kept safe. I did it all." He deeply exhaled. "For you." James said softly looking at Teresa. She has never seen him so open. So vulnerable. Her heart ached with what he just told her. He left for me. So I wouldn't be hurt. Making sure I would be protected. "Now, there isn't anything between us anymore. Now you know everything." He exhales deeply. "I didn't know any of this. I did look for you." Teresa said. James nods "I thought you might. Devon hid me well. He had the means to do it." Teresa looks at him with wonder. "That's it. No more secrets from me. You will always have the truth with me, Teresa." James promised. "I hope you can finally trust me." He added.
Pote arrives at Teresa's penthouse and sees James. "You coming with us?" He asked. "Yeah." James answers. Pote scoffs. Teresa comes in the room and looks at James with a questioning look. "Its best to drop the news to everyone at the same time" James explains.
In Teresa's office. James explains everything to Teresa, Pote and George. Just leaves the part of that is just for him and Teresa. "Welcome back Santiago! Look at you being our knight and shining armor." George hugs him. Teresa said. "I spoke with Oksana. What she said coincides what James told us, we need all the army we got without being seen." She added. Everyone nods in agreement. "Think you can do this, Cabron?" Pote asks "I wouldn't be here if I couldn't." James responds. Pote grunts.
