Pote, James and Teresa pull through the driveway, James checks his watch it was about 1:30am. Maybe he should have taken up on Pote's offer for the slushy, trying to hold back a yawn.
Teresa was quiet the whole drive home after they had to bury Guero, James hated the guy but it was a shame he didn't get a proper burial. But that's how things worked in this business and James found that out along time ago, even his time in Afghanistan soldiers had to be buried with unmarked graves, to make room for more of the living.
James turns and looks at Teresa whois still just staring out the window. Pote gives James a look the says 'she shouldn't be alone tonight' as he turns off the ignition. James nods his agreement hops out of the car first Pote following suit.
James walks around the car to the drivers side passenger door and opens it. Teresa's eyes look cold, lost and full of sorrow. "Teresa here, let me help you out" James says softly as he offers her his hand.
She takes it barely looking him the eye, brushing past him and walking towards the house.
James then calls out "Hey we found your car, I'll grab your bag for you". She turns and gives a nod of acknowledgement, then continues to walk towards the from door.
Pote locks the car and says "Hey look she's going to be okay, shes strong which I'm sure you already know that". Pote takes breath in almost not sure how to continue.
"Look Teresita may not want hear this but, she wouldn't have been able to let him go on her own. She may not see it now but him gone is the best thing for everyone. Teresa wouldn't have been able to build an empire as her old self, and he would have just brought that back out of her".
Pote the gives James a pat on the shoulder and heads towards the house.
As James makes he up the house, all the lights were off except the one upstairs. He knows its Teresa, him and Pote barley got any sleep, so he knows Pote is probably sleeping himself, what he should do.
James finds himself walking towards Teresa's room anyways.
He knocks "Teresa are you alright?" He knows she's not but at least she knows he's here.
"Yeah its okay to come in James" Teresa replies.
He opens the door the room lit with just a single lamp on by her beside table. James could tell she had been crying not just from the puffiness of her eyes, but from the box of tissues next to her. But she dries her eyes.
James walks over and sits at the foot of the bed. There is a long pause between them neither of them knowing how to start the conversation.
James says hands clasped together "I'm sorry about Guero I know you loved him, and he loved you. Any man able to last eight months of torture earns my respect" another long pause "and I understand why because I would do the same".
Teresa slides next the James, and pulls his hands into her lap, and lays her head on his solider.
James sat there absorbing her warmth, even with the sorrow behind her eyes. He pulls her into a hug arms wrapped around her head and hers around his torso. He could feel her trying to hold back her tears.
James whispers against her neck "You may not see it now, but you will get past this". She breaks a little and James rubs her back, and she buries herself deeper into him.
James the first to pulls away, he wipes the remain tears away from her face, even with smudged mascara she still looked beautiful.
"I am willing to let you go…" James says still holding her face.
The light and stubbornness seemed to return to her eyes once more, and she says with conviction "No".
"I've lost Guero, but when I saw him in the prison, I didn't feel the same way I felt when we were running to Europe and I was waiting for him at the docks"
She pulls away and sits on the bed again, wipes her tears and pulls her hair back.
James still standing unsure of what to say or where this was going.
Teresa looks up at him. "James I don't feel what I've felt Guero in my past life, I've grown so much over the past six months that when I see him, all I see in myself is the girl who changed money in Culican and the girl who fell in love with a drug dealer. A weak girl".
Teresa stands up and runs her hands through her hair again.
"I don't - didn't- want to go back that, but I had to get him out of Camilla's prison or else that could've been me if it wasn't for his loyalty and bravery those months".
James is still looking at her still not fully understanding where this was going.
Teresa steps to James closing the space between them. Reminding her of the first night they seemed to admit their feeling for on another. She didn't really know when she started to see James differently maybe it was on the rooftop in Malta , maybe it was on train car. Maybe it was all those times he saved her and didn't tell Camilla about the maid. Maybe it was when he gave money and a game boy for Tony. Maybe it was when he jumped through the window and saved her ass over and over gain. Teresa knew in her heart, that Guero wouldn't have done that for her, even with his declarations of love.
"James, I want you and only you, but the kiss and the sex wasn't just a heat of the moment. I care about you, maybe even can love you". James closes his eyes almost like he's trying to fully process this himself. Teresa brings her hands up toward his face, there foreheads pressed against each other.
Hours before, James wrestled with himself about leaving and letting Gureo and Teresa be happy. Now it was like weights have been lifted off of his chest.
James pulled Teresa by her hips close to him, kissing her deeply. He takes off her jacket and her struggling to get off his. She then takes off his T-shit sculpting his body in all the right places. Teresa runs her hands along his body really seeing him for the first time. The last time, is was full of passion and wanting to close to each other every moment. Now she really wanted to take him in.
She traced his tattoos, as he began to kiss her neck. James then takes off Teresa's shirt. Runs his hands along her stomach, taking her in as well. She could feel her entire body responding to his touch.
"Did you wanna take this to bed?" Teresa asks, a smile creeping up on her face
"Pote is in the room a few doors down you know" James replies lips back on her neck.
"we'll just have to be quiet then?" Teresa replies.
James pulls away for a moment and says "Teresa are you sure, we just buried Guero hours before"
"I want you James" Teresa says with the conviction back into her eyes, she pulls him back closer to her feeling his muscles alone this back. They make their way to the bed. Teresa on top and straddling him, his hands on her ass.
In between kisses Teresa struggles to take off her jeans. James flips her over "let me". He kisses down her neck, down her throat across her chest, down towards her belly button, her back arching as he gets lower.
He takes off her jeans with such gentleness she can hardly breath. He gives her a look, a question if he can proceed, she gives a nod and he removes her panties. James then works his way back up kissing her thigh her hip, her stomach again and then he removes her bra. Teresa hands in his hair
He begins his way back up to her mouth with a kiss on the curve of her breast. Then her collar bone and back to her mouth. She flips him over "my turn" she kisses his chest and works her way along his ab muscles. Feeling his heat under her touch, she reaches his belt and unbuckles it. She pulls of his jeans and underwear. Admiring the full length of him, he pulls he back close to him and flips her over.
James looks into Teresa's eyes full and glistening with the heat and lust between them. He kisses her, her mouth open to his own. Thrusts in and again and again. "James" Teresa sighs Both keeping in mind the quiet they have to keep. Both, gasping and collapsing beside each other. Teresa resting her head on his chest and sighing tracing circles on his chest along his tattoos.
"When will I learn more about these?"
James giving a small smirk "later"
"Oh come on, don't make me wrestle you for it" Teresa propping herself up on her elbow.
"So you'd think you'd win Teresa?" James is over top off her now hand on hip.
"maybe" Teresa trying to hold in a giggle.
Maybe another night, I really need some sleep, its now 2:30am and I think Pote will be wondering why we are not up for breakfast" James replies
Kissing her forehead, then lips deeply. He holds her close and they both fall asleep in each others arms never letting go.