Letting go of Pete
"Hello Jane, can I sit with you?" The stranger but handsome-looking young guy walked up to me, gesturing to the empty seat I had fought several times to keep for Sandra, my roommate. As much as I wanted to give a mean and disappointing response to the cute, dark-skinned average-height guy that looked desperate, the estrogen hormone in me betrayed me and knocked off my senses, nodding sheepishly to him to sit beside me. His fragrance was definitely a Fenty Eau de Parfum, which further weakened me in my marrow.
"You're new?" I asked, almost rhetorical. I hadn't seen him before since freshman, and being in my penultimate year, I was familiar with everyone. Strangely, he knew my name, and I knew I needed to get as much information about him as soon as possible.
"Kind of. I got transferred here three weeks ago from Ukraine." He said this, sitting down on the empty chair I had reserved for my friend.
"That means you are not a regular." I chuckled, rolling my eyes up.
"Maybe I have been doing some documentation amidst meeting up with lectures. Thank you for the seat."
"You're welcome, and your name is?"
"Apologies, I'm Pete," he said, stretching out his right hand, which I shook gently. His palm was soft, I must admit.
"I guess the Ukraine war affected your academics?" I asked after he sat down, trying to dissipate the awkward silence between Pete and me, even though the lecture hall was rowdy enough to deafen us.
"Yes, it did!" He sighed with a shrug.
Barely five minutes after he sat down, I saw Sandra walk up to me with a questioning look. Unfortunately, I had told her I had a seat reserved for her, and getting off this hook was not going to be easy. "Hey Sandy, baby, meet Pete, my new friend." I faked a smile at her, blinking my eyes severally so she would understand the undertone message and find an alternative.
"Oh, Pete, it's nice to meet you. I'm Sandra, but my baby girl here calls me Sandy. You're new here?" Sandra said with a smile as she stretched her hand to Pete for a shake. For a moment, I felt a spark of jealousy, especially because Sandra was equally beautiful and had told me she was expecting a prince charming to come her way before the semester ended. I watched as Pete shook her hand with a smile. "Your hand is so soft, and you look so cute." Sandra continued. At this point, I could barely take it any longer and had to cough out my inconvenience. "See you around, Pete." Sandra continued with a smile at Pete. She turned to look at me with a smirk before walking away.
I wanted to jump on her for teasing me indirectly, using Pete, since she sensed I desired Pete for myself, and I knew if it were back in the hostel, we would have thrown pillows at each other in a friendly fight. I was glad she left us for the moment, and Pete and I got along well throughout the lecture time.
My friendship with Pete gradually blossomed into love, and all went well except that Pete was too good-looking for any lady to pass by unnoticed, and my jealousy had its control button plunged into the depths of the oceans. Sandra was kind enough to stay away from Pete, but the other ladies on campus I had little control over. It seemed they all wanted a piece of him, or so I thought.
Three years later, we were done with school, and Pete wanted us to settle down for marriage. But here was Pete leaving my life because I could not contain the other ladies around him. Everyone, especially ladies, was drawn to him even when he was not interested in them, but I did not want to battle the jealousy of losing him to another in the future. He was not at fault, but my insecurities would not ease the erratic beats in my heart at every beep or beckon.
"I hope someday you meet someone who satisfies your insecurities." Pete said that and walked out of the door. I looked hard at him as he walked out of the house. A part of me ravaged to call him back, but deep within the abyss of pride and indecisiveness, my ego crawled in solitude till his very shape eluded my eyes.
"I made the right choice." I muttered to myself in an attempt to defy the consequences of my resolution.
Some love stories do not have a happy ending. It's unfortunate that she leaves Pete for reasons of insecurity, vs. insurmountable challenges in the relationship. But that is certainly a realistic scenario! Thank you for sharing your story in The Ink Well, and for reading and commenting on the work of other community members.
Thank you very much. I'm glad you found the piece relatable