The Return To Love

Chapter Eleven

       By late afternoon, Can and Sanem had talked about most everything that had gone on with them over the course of the past seven years..

      Sanem had followed Can by magazine and newspapers, and social media, secretly of course. But she knew there was more... 

     " I tried to stay as far away from Turkey as I could the first couple of years..but a few   years ago I was in bad shape. I had injured my back on a climb and the only place I wanted to be was in Istanbul.." He admitted. 

      Sanem knew how hard it was for Can to talk about his pain, so she listened intently, " So I decided to fly home for a few days to recover. But that feeling of "you" hit me the minute I landed here, so I rented a car at the airport and drove to Bodrum. I stayed with an old friend from school for three days and was miserable....." He said, as he gripped her hand...

     " Then I left... I didn't go back to Istanbul, not until now...and that was only because dad was sick. What are the odds that we would meet, again, in Istanbul, because both our dads were sick...." He chuckled, shaking his head....

      Sanem smiled, thinking the same thing. " I know, I wondered the same.. Is this some kind of higher power intervention.... It could be." She spoke, laughing and her eyes wide with expression...

       He watched her, listened to her....completely mesmerized by her... She was like no other woman on earth, he thought. 

      " So you haven't been back here in a while? Me either....I tried to stay busy, you know, with my book and endorsements." She babbled on, in that typical Sanem fashion, making him smile...

      " And your book.? It's doing well? I admit, I did keep up with it. I watched as it climbed the list,  and I couldn't have been more proud. I wanted to call you, text you, so many times....but I just couldn't." His voice full of emotion.

      The day was slipping away, and they still were engaged in deep conversation. Both revealing more and more of their feelings....

      Can was the first to notice that the sun was disappearing, " Oh hey, it's getting dark outside. What time is it anyway?" He said, picking up his phone to check the time.. " It's almost 6 o'clock... How about some dinner. I know this great little fish place on the coast..." He said, his eyes sparkling.

      Sanem knew just what he was talking about.. the place he had taken her many times, for the best bluefish sandwich in the world... " Sounds great, I just realized, I'm starving."

      They took a few minutes to close up the cabin, " I was really planning on selling this place when I came home this time....but I couldn't do it. Not after I found the scarf here and it had your smell...I knew that was a sign." He muttered, turning the key in the lock....

      Sanem slid her arms around him, " I'm glad you didn't...When I came here a couple of days ago, I prayed on my way out here that you still owned it.. When I got here, I saw all the familiar things, the loungers, the fire pit. And when I looked inside I saw your things still here...."

      Can wrapped her up in his arms. The urge to taste her lips was overwhelming, as he leaned down close to her face..." I could never sell this place...it would be like selling a part of us." He whispered, as his lips grazed hers. 

       The smell of her perfume, the feel of her in his arms, it was amazing.. The tenderness of the kiss at first was breathtaking, but quickly the kiss intensified. He pushed her against the door of the cabin, wanting to ravish every inch of her body....

      Sanem welcomed him, pressing her body against his, letting her emotions go. The kiss was quickly turning into more, Can wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman...

      " Can, Can... we can't.... not like this.." Sanem muttered, pulling  away. Can stepped back, " I know...I want our first time to be special. I'm sorry, but I just want you so much." He gasped, his body shaking.

      Sanem closed her eyes, " I want that too...we have waited so long...let's make it right this time." She told him, fighting off that yearning to finally be his..... She knew she couldn't make that commitment to him until she had told him everything... about everyone....

      Can took her hand, " Yes, it will be special. I want you to be ready. I have waited for you for seven years... so I can wait until the time is right. This time Sanem,.. it will be for the rest of our lives.." He whispered, tracing her face gently with his finger.

      They headed back into town, both emotionally exhausted. Can took her hand, gently kissing her fingers, " What's wrong. You're pretty quiet. Do you want to tell me what you're thinking." 

      She avoided his eyes, " Can, there was another man that I haven told you about, and I don't want to keep it from you." She began, her voice quivering.

      Can looked her way, " Hey, are you ok.... You can tell me, it's okay.  We are here to make things right, remember." He said, stroking her fingers.

      She tried to swallow down her fears before beginning, " This is very hard for me, but I have to say this before I can move on with you. In September of 2020 I traveled to Dubai to promote my book. It was a very lavish affair and there were a lot of people from different countries there." She explained with hesitation... " I met a man there, he was from America...he wasn't even there for my book signing, he was there on business, but a mutual friend introduced us." 

      Can listened, but he knew this was going to be much more serious than the others.... His heart was already beating out of control...

      Sanem covered her mouth with her hand, as if she wanted to stop the words from coming....but she couldn't.. 

      After a minute she continued, " Richard and I started off just going out to dinner a couple of times. It was nice, you know, a nice distraction. Then he extended his stay in Dubai and I took some time off from my book.....and one thing lead to another...." She stammered, holding back the tears.

      Sanem fiercely wiped the tears from her face, as if she were trying to wipe away the past.. "Richard was different...he wasn't like the others. He was probably more like you than Trey, or Javier...... But, then I realized...he wasn't you. As badly as I wanted him to be you...he wasn't." 

      Can was stunned, what was she saying.. Had she actually fallen in love with someone else.. He swerved the car over to the side of the road and stopped. " Sanem, just say it...did you fall in love with this other man." He asked her, his head spinning..

      She shook her head, " Can, no.... I didn't."  She sobbed, feeling so ashamed. "We spent some time together in Dubai, and that's when I saw the article about you and the woman from Switzerland, and the headlines saying that, marriage was right around the corner,...and my whole life exploded all over again." She leaned back in the seat, the tears flowing down her cheeks.

      " That's when I knew,.... I could never love another man. Even if you were going to marry someone else.... I would never be able to be with anyone else..... So that's when Richard returned to America and I went back to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno... and I never thought about any other man after that." She explained, wiping away the tears, relieved that she had finally old Can about everything and everyone...

       So it seemed that fate once again had brought him to her. It might have just been through a picture, but it made her realize that she would never have those feelings for anyone else but Can Divit......

       She waited for Can to say something... but there were no words... He simply wrapped his hand around hers and pulled the car back out onto the road....

       " I think that we should go see our dads at the hospital tomorrow...I know my dad would be happy to see you.... And I want to start making things right with your mom and dad too... Don't you think it time for that." He stated, smiling broadly...