The lunch with my girls was fun, full of laughter and teasing. Afterward, we stopped by Clicks to pick up a few cosmetics before catching a taxi home. One by one, we got dropped off at our respective houses.
When I stepped inside, I found my mom and Romeo in the living room, locked in an intense gaming session. These two could pass for siblings with the way they bicker and play together.
I greet them and proceed to my room to pack away my cosmetics and snacks away, before I heard back to the sitting room yo join the mother and son.
"Hey, sis. So… how's Pedro?" Romeo asked with a mischievous grin.
My eyes widened, and I shot him a look. "The mom is here, look!" I whispered through clenched teeth.
But my brother? Oh no, he had no mercy. He turned to our mother with a smug expression. "Pedro is her boyfriend. See how she's glowing and happy? She's in love."
Shut up, Romeo!" I grabbed a couch cushion and hurled it at him. He dodged it effortlessly, laughing.
Mom raised an eyebrow. "Who's Pedro?"
"No one," I blurted out quickly.
Romeo smirked. "Come on, am I lying?"
Mom shook her head, her lips curling into a small smile. "Lisa, if you have a boyfriend, I just hope he won't hurt you or distract you from your studies."
He won't, Mom, I assured her. "Besides, he actually helps me study and encourages me. You've seen my test scores—am I doing bad?"
Mom sighed, nodding. "No, your tests are quite good. If you say he's a good influence, then I'd like to meet this Pedro one day."
I nearly choked. "Hell no. Not now. Give us time to enjoy our relationship without getting parents involved."
Mom chuckled as she stood up. "Alright, alright. But the day will come." let me start with dinner I want an early sleep tonight.
Okay mom....
I stood up and smacked Romeo lightly on the head before heading to my room. He just laughed, victorious as always.
Once inside, I closed the door behind me and flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. My friends' words from earlier echoed in my mind.
We've been dating for three months… so why is he taking things so slow?
The thought sent a pang through my chest. Doesn't he want me that way? Or worse… is he sleeping with someone else?
I groaned, rubbing my forehead. Look at you, breaking your own heart over your own overthinking.
Then came the voice of reason. What if he's just respecting you? Waiting until you're ready?
But another thought slithered in. Or what if he's just being patient with you while getting it elsewhere?
I squeezed my eyes shut, my thoughts buzzing so loudly they made me dizzy. Ugh, stop it!
Needing a distraction, I grabbed my phone and sent a text.
Me: Hey babe.
A response came almost instantly.
Pedro: Hi, my love. How are you? How was your day?
Me: It was fine. Yours?
Pedro: Hectic. So busy. Just got home—gonna take a quick shower and rest a bit. I'll call you before you sleep, okay, love?
Me: Okay, babe. Rest well. Bye.
I sighed, staring at the screen even after the chat ended. His words were simple, reassuring even, but they didn't quiet my doubts. Was I just overthinking? Or was there something I wasn't seeing?
Later that night, just as my eyelids were growing heavy, my phone buzzed softly on the nightstand. I didn't need to check I already knew who it was.
I grabbed it and answered. "Hey, babe."
His deep voice came through the receiver, smooth and warm. "Hey, beautiful. You sound sleepy."
"I was dozing off," I admitted, turning onto my side. "But I wanted to hear your voice before I sleep."
He chuckled. "Good, because I was planning to call even if you were asleep. I missed you today."
A small smile tugged at my lips, but the weight of my earlier thoughts still lingered. I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Pedro… can I ask you something?"
"Of course. What's wrong?" His voice immediately shifted, now laced with concern.
I bit my lip, feeling silly but needing to know. "Why haven't we… you know… slept together?"
Silence stretched between us for a moment before he finally spoke. "Lisa…" His tone was gentle.
I rushed to explain, my heart pounding. "I mean, it's been three months, and I don't want to pressure you or anything, but… is there something wrong? Are you just not attracted to me like that? Or… is there someone else?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them, my insecurity spilling over.
"Lisa," he said firmly this time. "Stop that."
I swallowed hard, gripping my phone tighter.
"I promise you, there is no one else," he said, his voice steady. "I love you, and I'm very much attracted to you."
"Then why?" I whispered.
He sighed, as if choosing his words carefully. "Because I want to do this right. I don't want us to rush into something that we're not ready for. And I especially don't want you to feel like you have to do anything just because we've been together for a while."
My chest tightened.
"You mean too much to me, Lisa," he continued. "This is your first time, and I don't want it to be just a moment I want it to be special. When you're ready, then we will. But only when you're ready."
Tears pricked my eyes. I hadn't realized just how much his reassurance meant to me. "So… you're really waiting for me?"
"Of course," he said softly. "You're worth the wait."
I exhaled, a weight lifting off my chest. "I'm sorry for overthinking."
He chuckled. "It's okay. I like that you talk to me about what's on your mind."
I smiled, feeling silly for doubting him. "I love you."
"I love you too, baby. Now, get some rest."
"Okay. Goodnight, Pedro."
"Goodnight, my love."
As I ended the call, I lay back against my pillow, my heart full. Maybe I was overthinking. Maybe, just maybe, I had found someone who truly cared about me not just for my body, but for my heart too. And with Pedro I think I'm ready to give up my purity.