Page 74 of Care: Part 1

"Call me if you need me to take you home," Adrik informed her.

She smiled at him before pecking his cheek softly. When Avelina pulled away, she opened the car door and got out.

The walk into the hotel seemed so natural because she had gone to take care of Miss Paola numerous times. Avelina didn't even need to say a word to the receptionist as she walked over to the elevator.

Jones, the elevator operator, looked shocked to see her. A smile made its way onto his face as she stepped onto the elevator. "Miss Santos, what brings you here?"

"I came to check up on Miss Paola. How is Alexa and Dani doing?" Avelina asked as she thought back to his children.

He smiled at her serenely before pressing the level to Miss Paola's floor. "Good. They're back in school. I miss them already.”

"You must be really proud.”

"Most certainly,” Mister jones smiled, “How have you been? I haven't seen you in about three months.”

She let out a sigh just as the elevator finally began to move. "I'm okay. I've had a rough past few days, but I'm getting better.”

"You can't keep being too caring to everyone, Miss Santos. You're only going to ever be a small grateful thought in that person’s mind for a day or two," Mister Jones explained.

She tried to process his words. Confusion took over her features as she attempted to process what he was telling her. Suddenly, the elevator doors dinged, alerting her that she was at her destination. As soon as the doors split apart, Avelina stepped out of the elevator.

Mister Jones waved just as the elevator doors slid closed. "Bye, Miss Santos!"

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it as she stared at the elevator doors.

Walking down the hallway, she hurriedly knocked on Miss Paola's door. Time was ticking by, and it was taking forever for Miss Paola to do something as simple as opening the door. Worry quickly added perspiration to her skin as she brought her fist up to pound on the door once more.

"Miss Paola!"

Suddenly, the door pulled open to a smiling Miss Paola. Avelina didn't think the woman ever smiled. Now, there she was, smiling as if she had just seen the best-looking guy in the world.

"I have just seen the best-looking guy in the world!" Miss Paola let out happily.

Miss Paola looked like she wanted to squeal out in happiness as Avelina stepped into the house.

"You called me over here just to tell me that?"

"No. I called you over here because he says he knows you," Miss Paola chuckled, "you didn't think to tell me about him? If you two used to mess with each other, I'm not sorry to tell you that I won't back off. You can have one of my ex's if you want—they're rich and probably dead."

"Who?"

“Well, there is Jeffery. He is so rich, but he has a small pe-”

“No, who is here?” Avelina asked.

She didn’t bother waiting for Miss Paola’s answer because she walked into her home. Her eyes were in a frenzy as they tried to hunt down the man Miss Paola was referring to. The moment she looked over at the couch to see Vincent, her heart dropped in a pit of guilt.

"Avelina," Vincent let out. "As my sister, I have to protect you. So, I must ask, what do you think you're doing messing around with that Russian again?"

"What goes on between Adrik and I has nothing to do with you.”

"That's where you're wrong. It has everything to do with me. After all that I've told you about the wrong in their family, you really think you can just go and betray us—me, grandma, mama, and papa?" He questioned with anger smeared all over his face.

"Adrik wasn't the one that convinced you to steal from a mafia! A mafia! What do you expect for them to do to our family, huh? You expected them to hug us and tell us that everything will be okay?"

He seemed hurt by her statement—she saw it all over his face. Culpability was trying to carve itself into her heart, but her anger wasn't allowing it to. She had enough of being told what to do. She had enough of continuously fearing the feelings of others.

"I'm not betraying any of you. Unless you can tell me that Adrik has harmed my family or me in any way, then I will never hate him for something that his sister did. I'm sure you've harmed and hurt people, and I know that I would hate it if they used what you did against me! It would be hypocritical and unfair for me to do that to Adrik. It's not fair!" She exclaimed.