The Art of Love

Prologue: He and She

Staring out over the vast lake he felt a shiver course through his body. Another day of the same torture would be one more day closer to forgiveness. That's all he hoped for. He had every right to be there. Morality would state that he had no right under god to be anywhere near but he couldn't deal with that right now. His own demons exacted their toll every time he stood and watched and pretended to be someone else. He had done this. It was his fault and he would see it through if only to hand her over to another.

He was a confirmed bachelor at just 28 or so he thought. A photographer of wildlife and conservation working for the National Geographic as well as PETA and an extreme sports enthusiast who lived in between Los Angeles and NY most of the time and the rest in Turkey, when he was needed to be back home. As CEO of his fathers company he could lead from anywhere but home base would always be Turkiye.He was traveling back to attend the wedding of his younger brother. Can's life was uncomplicated. He preferred his relationships brief, simple with no strings. He was relentless when in pursuit of a deal, a piece of art or property. He avoided relationships at all costs but enjoyed his friendships and his travels. He was confidant and self assured of his looks, his intelligence and his credibility. He was proud of his character and reputation and was fair and honest with all his dealings. Ever cautious, pragmatic and aloof he never saw the day coming when he would give his heart away to a beautiful and creative woman who was everything he feared to be himself. Her naïveté, sincerity and kindness won over his distrustful heart. Her beauty brought him to his knees and he was at her beck and call. She owned his heart and soul until for a brief time he mistakenly believed she betrayed him with another. The very person who had tried to defame his father over the authenticity of a famed piece of art claiming it was a forgery and that the Divit galleries knew it when they sold it. His fury over having been fooled so completely ate away at him until all he could see was revenge. He loved her but that wouldn't stop him. He would have her and take his revenge. It was too late when he realized the truth but the damage had already been done. Leaving her heart in tatters he never imagined it would be he who would be ruined. The real betrayal had been to his own heart. Only she could heal him but would she ever let him near her again.

Even now she had a hard time separating her memories from what she had been told. It was a constant struggle to keep track of things. She already knew how to do this, to fight against the odds but did she really want to? Everything she had every dreamed of had been ripped away. First it had been due to her own stupid trusting nature. Surely for a grown woman of her age she should have realized she was being played. The second time was when fate stepped in and dealt her yet another blow as if she hadn't been handed plenty over the course of her life. She could either fight or give up and right now she wanted to simply let go and give in to the strange voice in her head that said she didn't need to work so hard. What was the point. Nothing would ever be the same. His kindness and concern that he showed was comforting to her broken heart. She had been so surprised but he reassured her that life could still be wonderful if only she would allow him to show her. That strong voice that for so long told her to dig deep and move forward was so week now she could scarcely hear it.
The only thing that remained the same was the image she held onto in her minds eye. He would forever live there for as long as she lived.

She picked up the pieces of her shattered life and left again only this time no one knew where she had gone. Almost six months had passed from that fateful day and she had come to terms with the fact that her heart could beat with a hole it it after all. She went about her days completing her tasks and even enjoying the company of the people she worked with but it was the animals that reminded her that she still had some feeling trapped inside her. She was asked to go into the city to retrieve the shipment that had arrived with the new medications and she was happy to do it. Leaving the tiny town to go to the big city was a welcome distraction. She changed and put on a pink printed mini skirt with a flounce and a white wrap around blouse with capped sleeves and a pair of sneakers. Simple but lively. She needed a little color in her dreary life. She took a taxi in and walked to the offices that called about the delivery. Once finished she headed to a coffee shop to grab a cup of coffee and a sweet treat and emerged back onto the street. She stepped out into the street hailing a taxi with her arm. She heard her name called by a voice so known to her it could have been her very own. She turned slowly only to confirm she had not been mistaken. He was standing on the sidewalk to her left, staring right at her, through her even. She had been shocked and mesmerized by his intense stare that she never heard the car approach as she backed up into the street again. The last thing she heard was the horn of the cars and her name called out by him once more as she watched the expression on his beautiful face change from surprise to anger to shock. That was the last thing she remembered before waking up to darkness. A darkness so pervasive that it stole her soul, her joy and her dreams.