?BEATRIX?
Beatrix couldn’t help but smile as she admired the jewelry in front of her. It was truly beautiful. Normally, she wasn’t one to accept gifts from guys, but Neo was different. He had a habit of showering her with gifts, even against her protests. She knew he was just being a good friend, especially since he was also friends with her sister.
Despite her efforts to resist, Beatrix found herself developing feelings for Neo. However, she knew she shouldn’t entertain them. Firstly, he was much older than her and viewed her more like a sister. Secondly, she was still in high school, and she doubted anyone would want to date a high school student. Lastly, she was certain Neo didn’t see her romantically, given the reasons she had just listed.
Carefully, she placed the necklace he had given her inside its box. They had been talking for some time now, and she couldn’t deny that Neo was really sweet. But only as a brother, as she reminded herself.
Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. Beatrix got up from her bed and made her way to the door. Opening it, she was greeted by Neo’s smiling face.
“Hi,” he said warmly, handing her a bouquet of flowers. Beatrix looked at the flowers in surprise before accepting them.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling back at him. She couldn’t ignore how handsome and charming Neo was.
Taking a whiff of the flowers, Beatrix couldn’t help but be enchanted by their sweet fragrance. “It smells nice,” she remarked, smiling.
“Yeah, it does,” Neo agreed, his smile widening.
Neo’s gaze lingered on Beatrix, his eyes sparkling with genuine affection.
“I thought they would brighten up your day,” he said softly, his voice filled with warmth.
Beatrix felt her cheeks flush as she looked at him, a mixture of gratitude and something else stirring within her. She had to remind herself of the boundaries she had set, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with Neo’s thoughtful gestures.
“Thank you, Neo,” she said again, feeling a surge of warmth in her chest. “You always know how to make me smile.”
Neo’s smile widened, and he reached out to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s what friends are for, Bea,” he said tenderly, his touch sending shivers down her spine. And she liked the fact that he called her bea.
As they stood there, a comfortable silence enveloped them, broken only by the sound of their breathing. Beatrix found herself lost in Neo’s eyes, the world around them fading away into insignificance.
But just as quickly as it had come, Beatrix pushed aside her burgeoning feelings. She couldn’t allow herself to get carried away by fantasies that were destined to remain just that – fantasies.
Clearing her throat, she stepped back, breaking the spell that had enveloped them. “Would you like to come in?” she asked, gesturing towards the living room.
Neo nodded, his smile never faltering. “I’d love to,” he replied, following her inside.
As they settled on the couch, Beatrix couldn’t shake the feeling that things between them were about to change. But for now, she would cherish their friendship and the moments they shared, even if they would never be more than that.
“You want some popcorn?” Beatrix offered, breaking the silence that hung between them.
“Yeah, sure,” Neo replied, his heart skipping a beat at her gesture.
“Be right back,” Beatrix said, stepping out of the living room.
As Beatrix disappeared from view, Neo couldn’t help but feel a rush of emotions. Was he seriously blushing because of an eighteen-year-old girl? Oh, no!
He couldn’t keep his feelings hidden any longer. He wanted to tell her, but the thought was daunting.
What if she said no?
There were plenty of reasons why she might reject him. Firstly, he was ten years older than her, making the age gap significant. Secondly, she was still in high school while he had already completed both college and high school. And lastly, he was certain that she didn’t have feelings for older guys.
The tension that had just passed between them lingered in the air, and Neo couldn’t deny that Beatrix might feel uncomfortable.
He needed to gather himself together. Taking a deep breath, he tried to compose himself as he patiently waited for Beatrix to return with the popcorn.
Neo’s mind raced with doubts and uncertainties as he waited for Beatrix to return. He replayed their interactions in his head, searching for any sign that she might feel the same way about him. But the more he thought about it, the more he convinced himself that his feelings were one-sided.
When Beatrix finally returned with a bowl of popcorn, Neo forced a smile, trying to push aside his inner turmoil. And she put on a movie for both of them to watch. he struggled to focus, his mind consumed by the weight of his unspoken emotions.
After what felt like an eternity, the movie ended, and Beatrix glanced over at Neo, noticing his distant expression.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.
Neo hesitated for a moment, grappling with his emotions before finally deciding to speak up. “Bea, there’s something I need to tell you,” he began, his voice shaky.
Beatrix’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she turned to face him fully, giving him her full attention.
“I… I really like you,” Neo confessed, his heart pounding in his chest. “I know there’s an age difference, and I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.”
For a moment, there was silence as Beatrix processed his words. Neo braced himself for rejection, steeling his resolve to accept whatever response she gave him.
But then, to his surprise, Beatrix smiled softly, reaching out to gently take his hand in hers. “Neo, I like you too,” she admitted, her eyes shining with sincerity. “And the age difference doesn’t matter to me. What matters is how I feel when I’m with you.”
Relief washed over Neo, filling him with an overwhelming sense of joy. In that moment, all of his doubts and fears melted away, replaced by a newfound sense of hope and possibility.
“Neo, Neo,” Beatrix called out, interrupting his thoughts.
Neo quickly snapped out of his reverie, realizing that the movie had ended and he had been lost in his daydreams.
“Uh, sorry, I have to go,” Neo blurted out, hastily getting to his feet.
“Why?” Beatrix inquired, puzzled by his sudden departure.
“I’ll call you,” Neo promised, already making his way to the door.
As he left her house in a hurry, Beatrix couldn’t help but wonder why he seemed so eager to leave.
~~PHOENIX~~
My second trimester was here, and Rome was taking me. Can you imagine that Jane, that bitch, said her appointment was today too? I felt like she just wanted Rome to come for her appointment and actually leave mine. But I guess Rome really wanted to see his baby. It’s the fifth month already, and the baby was growing really fast.
“Careful,” Rome said as I stepped out of the car.
“I am not blind,” I retorted, rolling my eyes.
“Let me help you with that,” he offered, reaching for the cup of ice cream in my hands.
“No,” I insisted, pulling it away.
“Fine,” he relented.
We made our way into the hospital and found the room where Doctor Phil was waiting for us.
“Welcome,” Doctor Phil greeted us with a smile.
“Hi,” I replied, taking a seat. Pregnancy had made me more lazy, moody, and I seemed to need to pee even more often. This journey wasn’t easy at all. A hundred stars to all the mothers out there.
“How are you feeling, Miss Phoenix?” Doctor Phil asked, gesturing for me to lay on the bed.
“Tired, hungry, moody, and mostly hungry,” I answered as I laid down.
“But you have food provided 24/7,” Rome pointed out.
“What she meant was that she feels hungry all the time, not that she doesn’t get food to eat,” Doctor Phil clarified. I appreciated his understanding.
“Oh,” Rome muttered, turning his attention to the screen.
“About what I asked a few months ago,” Doctor Phil began, rubbing gel on my stomach.
“What is it?” Rome asked eagerly.
“So… I wanted to ask, Miss Phoenix, have you had any sexual intercourse ever since?” Doctor Phil’s question caught me off guard.
My gaze shifted to Rome, who didn’t seem pleased by the inquiry.
“No, I haven’t,” I replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
“As I said before, she really has to because pushing the baby will be hard for her. It’s been a long time since she did anything with anybody, so… it would be very tight by now,” Doctor Phil explained matter-of-factly.
“Is it compulsory?” Rome questioned, his concern evident in his voice.
“Yes, very. It’s for her own good and yours too,” Doctor Phil affirmed, causing Rome to sigh deeply.
“Do you have anybody in mind, Miss Phoenix?” Doctor Phil inquired, and I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at my single status.
“No, Doctor,” I responded, meeting his gaze.
“But maybe you can get into relationships,” he suggested optimistically.
“Uh… who wants to date a pregnant woman?” Rome interjected with a hint of skepticism.
“A lot of guys,” I countered, making Rome scoff in disbelief.
“It might be very difficult at the end, so my advice is that you should start doing it now or maybe Mr. Rome can help,” Doctor Phil suggested with a subtle smile playing on his lips.
To my surprise, Rome didn’t have his usual disgusted look. That was quite new.
“Okay, Doctor, we will see what we can do,” Rome replied, his tone resigned yet open to the idea.
TBC