The United Cartels of America, Season 6 (Queen of the South)

Part 8 - Home Isn't A Place, It's A Person

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6e3Z1cPvx8

Teresa had guessed correctly. James was camping in his fighting studio, where he had a back office with a couch and a bathroom. She saw his Jeep parked in its spot as she walked in the building, her mind still reeling from the exhausting talk with her 10-year-old daughter, who was very attached to James and who kept telling Teresa to go 'bring him home'.

The office sported a mattress with a cover to the one side, the couch was shoved under the window and the desk was cluttered with paper. James hated clutter and the sight of it made her cringe.

He walked in from the bathroom, just as she pulled her hand from the two boxing gloves that lay on the chair. He was barefoot, just jeans and a t-shirt on.

"I got your message!" Teresa said shortly.

He only nodded, standing there silent, as if waiting to pounce.

Teresa took a deep breath and said: "I need to know ...if you flirted with her?"

Teresa knew it had been a setup, but he must have allowed the woman to get this close! There were always two parties to these things! Her mind kept telling her.

James shook his head: "Not consciously. No! Maybe I should have seen it coming, but I didn't."

Teresa was silent for a long time, her eyes moving away from his and onto the office turned into living space.

Obviously, he felt it was his turn and after taking a deep loud breath said: "How is it possible... that you would trust Pote's brain in this situation? Again?"

"I didn't!" Teresa was trying not to sound defensive because the truth was, she had not trusted Pote blindly as she had before. "But... I have been afraid that you'd ...get tired of me...as men often do as time passes...and you'd get attracted to someone younger..."

James looked at her weird, then cocked his head and finally said: "Are you serious right now?"

She nodded, feeling a little stupid, but also brave that she had found strength to verbalize her fears.

James cleared his throat using the time to consider what he was hearing. His angry and despondent mood had not dissipated, but he realized he had had no clue such fears tormented her. Then the thought that she, again, was not sharing enough and hence he was completely in the dark, crossed his mind and he heard himself say: "You know...ahh... I am not that shallow to care about..."

She interrupted him fast as obviously her fears were real: "A hot younger woman who could get you interested..."

This time he interrupted her fast:" Interested in what? ...Sex?" He wasn't trying to hide his annoyance.

Teresa simply nodded.

Frustration was taking over him as he ran his hand through his damp hair: "Jeez...There's a huge difference between sex and love!"

Teresa mumbled "sorry" as he shook his head in disbelief. He wasn't certain the best course of action was to just let things go because the last few days had been hell for him, and he had lived through hell because of her 'walls' several times through the years. So, he took a deep breath and said: "I wish I'd known...that such ideas crossed your mind...but I can't handle your distrust and doubt...I simply can't!"

She nodded silently cursing herself...then Pote for their doubtful minds!

James went on, hand raking his hair again: "When we were young...and we were in the biz...I could swallow you thinking I'd betray you to Camila...or to Finch...The stakes were life and death...And we hadn't been together for very long back then...But now..." His voice trailed off and he looked at her with eyes full of turmoil and pain. Tripping down the painful cobblestones of memory lane was not fun!