With Every Breath I Take

Chapter Two: Just One

I munched on chips watching an 'I Love Lucy' rerun, laughing at Lucy arguing with Ricky about not giving her enough money, when my doorbell rang.

I groaned as I paused the TV and placed my bag of chips on the coffee table. I stood up from the couch, stretched my back, walked to the door, and looked through my peephole. Theo stood outside my door, holding a takeout bag.

Ugh! I was hoping he wouldn't come. It was our usual routine to have dinner together almost every night but —for the first time in weeks— I wasn't looking forward to it.

I blew out a breath, lifted my chin, opened the door, and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Uh, hi Thalia," he smiled. "I brought us some dinner." He lifted the takeout bag, pointing at it. "It's street tacos from that vendor you love."

I stared at the bag and then back at him. "Is this how you catch up later?" I asked with venom in my voice.

His smile quickly shifted into a frown. "I know you're upset, Thalia. Can I come in? I'd like to explain what happened?"

I continued to stare as I blocked the doorway.

"Princess, please let me in," he begged.

"Fine," I huffed, stepping back and letting him in.

Theo walked into my small apartment and placed the takeaway on top of the coffee table. I didn't have the space for a dining set so, if we ate at my place, we either sat at the kitchen bar or on the couch.

I walked toward the kitchen and quickly grabbed some plates and napkins. Once everything was set up, we sat down and quietly ate our dinner. After my second taco, I no longer had an appetite.

I put my plate down and faced Theo. "Well, are you going to talk?" I asked, breaking the silence.

He looked up from his plate and swallowed. "Uh, yeah," he mumbled. "I'm sorry I couldn't meet you at the office today, Thalia. I was stuck working on some contracts for a big movie studio with my dad and didn't want to leave before everything was completed."

I fiddled with my bracelets and didn't respond.

Why couldn't he tell me this in person?

"I still haven't told my parents about us, sweetheart. I didn't want my dad to learn about our relationship in the middle of a work meeting."

"I don't understand what the big deal is," I replied, as I continued fidgeting with my bangles. "I told my dad and brothers about us the same week we returned from Greece."

"I know I just enjoyed spending time with you without any outside interference. I liked having you all to myself," he joked.

"Theo this isn't a joking matter," I scolded with impatience.

"I know... you're right. I'm sorry, princess. I promise I'm going to tell them soon."

I blew out a breath and looked away, staring into space, as I remembered a similar conversation we had recently.

Ten Days Ago

I lounged on Theo's couch, relaxing after the delicious meal we shared. He sat next to me with my legs over his lap as he massaged my feet.

We'd spent over an hour cooking together and talking about our day. Then, we enjoyed a dinner of breaded chicken and pasta with marinara sauce. For the past three weeks, we'd been spending most of our nights together, sharing a meal, and usually having a sleepover. On some nights we were intimate, and on other nights we just cuddled and fell asleep.

When Theo and I first initiated our relationship, I decided to discuss it with my therapist, Dr. Irina Malkov. I had been seeing Dr. Irina for almost three years and trusted her completely with all the personal details of my life. She was a strong advocate of delaying sexual intimacy until building an emotional connection with your partner, especially for someone like me with a history of depressive episodes. 'Sex is a very big deal, Thalia. You're allowing a partner access to your whole body. I always recommend building trust and an emotional bond before taking that step,' she'd suggested. And so, I discussed it with Theo and he was extremely understanding and supportive. We hadn't had sex until after the three-month mark, and once we did he consistently checked up on me throughout the act.

I listened as Theo told me a funny story about something that happened at work. I was chuckling at his co-worker's antics when his phone rang.

He reached into his back pocket and answered it. "Hi mom," he greeted, happily. "Yes, I can talk...no, you're not bothering me...I'm just with a friend."

After that, I stopped listening and moved up from the couch. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water as Theo continued his conversation with his mother.

Was that all we were? Were we just friends?

Theo approached me after disconnecting his phone call. "Princess, are you alright?" he asked.

I started to slowly nod, but then quickly shook my head. "Is that what we are?" I questioned, quietly.

"What? What do you mean?"

I sipped some water, taking my time to respond. Once I placed my cup down on the counter, I faced him again. "Are we just friends? Because if we're only friends, I'd better head home. I don't do sleepovers with my guy friends."

He quickly closed in on me and reached for my hand, rubbing his thumb over my fingers. "No, Thalia. We're not just friends. You're my beautiful gypsy princess. You're my girl, Thalia. My mom just returned from her trip to France, sweetheart. I haven't had the opportunity to tell my parents about our relationship, but I'll talk to them soon."

Theo's mother, Noelle Banks, was a world-famous supermodel from the 80's and 90's. Although I hadn't had the opportunity to meet her in person, I knew who she was. Most of the world knew who she was. I was aware that she was traveling in Europe because of some tabloids she was featured in.

I took a deep breath and looked into Theo's eyes. "Okay, Theo. But I'm not comfortable with all this secretiveness. I need you to tell them as soon as possible."

He gave me a relieved nod and pulled me in for a hug. "Okay, princess," he whispered.

I broke away from my thoughts as Theo's hand squeezed my leg. I looked up at him and gathered some courage. "Theo, what are your intentions with me?" I asked, cautiously.

He stared back at me with confusion. "Why are you asking me this, sweetheart?"

"I'd like to know your intentions. What are we? Where is our relationship going?"

"Thalia...you're my girl."

"Your girl?"

"Yes," he nodded."

"Don't people call their dogs their girl? Am I the equivalent of a pet?" I was beginning to get angry, so I took a deep breath to control my emotions.

"Thalia, this is ridiculous. Of course, you're not the equivalent of a pet."

"Then, what am I?" I shouted.

"Sweetheart, please calm down," he pleaded as he rubbed my arm. "I'm in this with you. I promise, Thalia. I'm going to talk to my parents soon, and you'll see I'm serious about us."

I stared up at him, and he looked back with an imploring look in his eyes. "Very well," I breathed. "But I'll only give you one more week to tell them...just one."