Is this destiny?

~ Los Angeles, Corey's apartment ~

Earlier that day, while Masika and Zack were enjoying their first breakfast as a couple at the Cliffside Villa, in Corey's apartment, Merve was sitting in the living room of Corey's apartment and nervously playing with her fingers.

On the previous night, Corey stayed at the Cliffside Villa after Masika's birthday celebration. Today, just like they planned, Corey and Merve met in the morning for a run, they had breakfast together in the bustling dining room with many other kids from the Cliffside Villa, and now they are in Corey's apartment.

When they arrived, Corey showed Merve around and told her to make herself at home while he freshens up and changes.

Currently, Merve is painfully aware that they are alone. Just Corey and she and no one else. And she is nervous.

Merve almost jumped out of her skin when Corey hopped over the backrest of the sofa and sat next to her.

"Sorry for startling you." Corey said with a big smile on his face. He is happy that he gets to spend the day with Merve.

"Are you OK?" Corey asked when he noticed that something is off with Merve.

"Yeah, why?"

"You seem… tense." Corey voiced his observation.

"What is there to be tense about?" Merve spoke quickly because she was nervous. "It's just the two of us. In your apartment. No one else. Why would I be tense?"

Corey's face exploded into a smile. "You are tense because it's just the two of us? Why? Are you having… naughty thoughts?"

"No." Merve lied. In the next moment, she realized that her intense blush is exposing her lie, but it was too late to take it back.

Corey loves how Merve blushes easily. And she had no idea how that makes her several times cuter.

"Somehow…" Corey inched closer. "I don't believe you…"

Merve's eyes widened more the closer Corey came, and she inhaled sharply when his lips brushed against hers.

"I like you, Merve…" Corey whispered into her lips. "No matter if we are alone or in a crowd, I will never do anything that you don't approve of."

Corey's words made Merve relax. Her arms moved around Corey and she responded to his kisses eagerly.

Little by little, the air around them became heady and they fell on the sofa with Merve on the bottom.

Corey's palms moved over the sides of her torso and his thumbs lightly grazed the outer sides of her breasts with the purpose of gauging if she will let him do it or not. And she didn't object.

Corey got bolder. His body pressed on top of hers and with his knees he spread her legs apart while his right hand reached for her left leg, lifting it slightly so that he can get better access to the cradle of her thighs.

Merve felt him grinding against her core and unexpectedly her sweet and lustful thoughts about Corey got invaded by images of her father hitting her and pushing her on the kitchen table. She panicked. What if Corey finds out that she is not a virgin? What will he think of her? She needs to stop this before it goes any further!

"No!" Merve screamed and pushed Corey off from her.

Corey scrambled off and he was surprised that Merve leaped off from the sofa and went to the corner where she squatted and hugged herself.

Corey could see that Merve is in distress. He wondered if she gave him any hints that she is uncomfortable and that he should stop, but he missed them because he got carried away.

"I'm sorry Merve. I won't do it again." Corey said anxiously while scolding himself silently. This was supposed to be their day, just the two of them enjoying, and he messed it up. Big time. 

Merve remembered that Sarah and JoAnna offered her counseling for victims of abuse, but Merve refused. Merve said that she is fine and that she does not need it and she convinced herself how what happened that day was not important. And now she knows that she was wrong. Those horrid memories of her father from the day she returned home didn't disappear, they were waiting for the right moment to come out and spoil her happiness. And more dreadful than memories are the consequences of that terrible day and the fact that she sees herself as someone dirty… someone not worthy to be with an amazing guy like Corey.

Merve looked at Corey's concerned expression and she was not aware that tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Corey…" Merve said weakly. "You did nothing wrong. It's me."

Corey was not sure if he should believe her. If it's not him, who could be? But she is talking, and he found that encouraging.

Corey slowly approached Merve and squatted one step away from her. He wiped her tears with his fingers before asking: "Will you tell me what happened?"

Merve nodded and took a deep breath before she started talking: "I never told you the details on how I ended up with Sarah and Aiden. You see… I was born in Turkey, in a small rural village where the man of the house decides on everything and for my family, that was my father…" She told him about her childhood which was dominated by her father, how she got kidnapped, rescued, and returned home, only to need another rescue. "I thought that they will welcome me home, but… He hurt me." Merve dissolved into sobs.

Corey hugged Merve. "It's OK. You don't need to tell me more. I understand."

Merve felt drained of energy, and she was embarrassed to talk about what her father did, but she also knew that if she does not say it now, she never will. And she wants Corey to know things about her, good and bad.

At that time, Merve didn't know what her father did. She only knew that he hurt her and that there was blood. But after learning about bodies and how things work, she knows what happened, and she can't be with a man without explaining the lack of blood on their first night. Would anyone believe her, or will they think that she is a loose girl?

Merve comes from a background where premarital sex is out of the question, and she does not want her husband to find out on their wedding night that she is not a virgin. Of course, during the last three years, her views expanded, and she knows that many young couples get intimate before marriage, but she still believes that men value virginity and she lost hers even though she was never with a man.

Merve took a deep breath and pushed Corey away. She looked into his eyes. "No, Corey, you don't understand. When I got home, the only thing my father was concerned about was if I am still pure or if kidnappers had their way with me. He pinned me on the kitchen table, ripped my panties, and… used a rolling pin. There was blood, but instead of feeling guilt for what he did, he started unbuttoning his pants. He said that since I'm not pure anymore, it does not matter how it happened and he wanted to get a go at me…"

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