Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)
Redmption 238

Redmption 238

Eden might have been flirting with me, and I could choose to ignore it, but I couldn’t afford to delaymeeting Arthur. However, his message was

inappropriate given the late hour. The timing was off.

If I responded now, he might take the opportunity to make some other demands. If I agreed, itwouldn’t be ideal. But if I refused, it could give him leverage to use against me regarding my desireto meet with his father.

The best approach was to ignore him as I had done yesterday.

I snapped back to reality and continued chatting with Lisa. I hadn’t paid much attention to what shesaid earlier, but now I heard her ask, “So, now that you and Brandon are officially together. What’sthe next step?”

“What next step?” I was still distracted by Eden’s message.

“You know, what comes next in a romantic relationship? Of course, it’s the physical aspect,” Lisasaid with a teasing tone.

I understood immediately. “Brandon is a decent guy, okay?”

“Does being decent mean he has no emotions or desires? Does it mean he doesn’t want to start afamily?” Lisa followed up with two pointed

questions.

Then, she added with a huff, “Chris is also very decent.”

I fell silent. Lisa seemed to notice my emotion and clarified, “I don’t mean anything specific. I justwant to point out that in a romantic relationship, dopamine is released, which boosts adrenalinelevels and stimulates sexual desire.

“Let’s put it this way. A man who truly loves you will have urges and will want to be intimate withyou. If he doesn’t or can easily control himself, it’s likely he doesn’t love you as deeply.” Lisaanalyzed love using her medical knowledge.

I thought about the years I spent with Chris. Although we were publicly

recognized as an engaged couple, our most intimate actions had just been holding hands orhugging briefly.

It seemed that he never had those kinds of thoughts about me. I used to think it was out of respect,like a modern–day gentleman. I even

questioned my allure.

But now, with Lisa’s analysis, I realized that Chris’s feelings for me might not have been as deep asI thought. He also said he wasn’t interested in that kind of thing because we were too familiar.

Lisa then asked, “Maddie, does Brandon show any interest in that aspect, or does he cling to youand not want to let go?”

I recalled the time I stood at the door with Brandon. We embraced each other, neither of us willing topull away,

“There is interest, how could there not be? But it’s all within the bounds of

propriety,” I explained.

“Bullshit!” Lisa exclaimed. “If a man really loves you deeply, he’ll want to be completely immersed inyou and to merge with you.”

Her blunt words made my throat go dry. I walked to the kitchen, poured a

glass of water, and took a sip.

“Is that so? I don’t really understand these things. Dr. Carline, you’re truly an expert. You know alot.”

Lisa detected the teasing tone in my voice. “I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want you to miss out.Brandon may be principled and reserved, but you can take the initiative.”

I choked on my drink upon hearing Lisa’s words. It turned out that she had said all that to encourageme to take the initiative.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation and asked, “Why can’t I just have a pure and genuine relationshipwithout having to use my looks to influence someone?”

“That’s not what I meant. It’s because a good man like Brandon is highly sought after. If you don’tact, someone else will.”

32

Listening to Lisa, I realized how concerned she was about my lifelong

affars

“Maddie, you’ve probably heard this before. A man who wants to sleep with you doesn’t necessantlylove you, but a man who loves you will definitely want to sleep with you, Lisa concluded with a sharp

summary.

I wasn’t inexperienced in relationships. Having been through one with Chris, I thought I understoodthese dynamics.

“But true love isri’t just about physical attraction.” I shared my perspective.

‘Sex and attraction are basic human desires.” Lisa continued to push the point

I hadn’t thought much about it before, but Lisa’s words made me reflect on the times Brandon and Ihad spent alone together when nothing had ever happened.

I was such a vibrant and attractive woman, and he had shown interest in me, yet nothing hadhappened.

In hindsight, this seemed a bit strange. I began to wonder if I had

encountered another man who claimed to love but didn’t truly feel it. I hoped I wasn’t that unlucky.

Thinking this through, I felt the need to test Brandon, but I couldn’t just be as proactive as Lisasuggested.