“ Vulnerability arises when you place your deepest, most guarded secret in someone else’s hands, trusting that they will protect it from the scrutiny of the world. ”
*** 
— Cecile —
His gaze was pleading, unspoken words lingering between us: Tell me. I couldn’t look away. If we hadn’t reached this point, where intimacy had nearly taken over, I might have never felt the need to share this part of myself with him.
“ Well, ” I started, my voice wavering slightly, “ my hymen broke during basketball practice when I was a sophomore in junior high. ” His eyes softened, a strange relief flickering there. I couldn’t quite understand why. “ Everyone assumed I’d just started my period, but they were wrong. The school nurse explained that I was born with a thin hymen, one that could easily break. ” My cheeks flushed under his steady gaze. I hadn’t realized how delicate the topic was until then. “ The pain was intense. I had to be hospitalized and sedated for a few hours before I was able to go home… ”
I watched him nod before he followed up with another question. “ Why did you stop me? ” Though we weren’t touching, the intensity of his gaze sent a shiver through me, leaving me strangely electrified.
“ I made a promise to my late sister not to have sex until marriage… ” Speaking the words aloud made the commitment feel more tangible, almost as if the weight of it had finally settled on me. It struck me as almost laughable—something so personal and, to some, trivial. Others might have grander, more profound reasons, but this was mine.
“And here I thought it was your faith,” he said, his voice quiet, as if he’d just answered an unspoken question I hadn’t dared to ask myself.
“It’s part of it,” I admitted. “But my sister came first.” The conviction in my voice surprised me. It was steadier than I expected, almost as if it came from somewhere deeper than reason.
“Okay…”
I hesitated before turning the question back to him, carefully choosing my words. “ So, what about you, Joel… are you a virgin? ”
“No…” His answer landed heavier than I’d anticipated, though I hadn’t realized I was hoping for a different one. A small part of me had clung to the idea that he might say yes, but then Jemmy crossed my mind. Their relationship would’ve been more intimate, wouldn’t it?
“We never had sex.” His quick response caught me off guard, almost as if he’d been reading my mind.
“Her parents had a rule about waiting until marriage too,” he added, his tone casual yet tinged with something deeper. I nodded slowly, forming an unconscious “o” with my lips. Somehow, I wasn’t as surprised as I thought I’d be.
“So?” I prompted, unsure of what else to say.
“Well…” His voice wavered with hesitation, and my chest tightened. Whatever he was about to say felt significant, like it would carve itself into my memory and refuse to leave.
Would it change how I saw him? That question lingered, unanswered, heavy in the air between us.
****
— Joel —
She was waiting—waiting for my answer—but how could I reveal my deepest secret, knowing it might drive her away?
“Always tell the truth, Joel… no matter how hard it is.” My late mother’s words echoed in my mind, urging me to follow my heart despite the weight of my fears.
“Joel, it’s her choice to decide if you’re worth the risk. Your only duty is to be honest, even if it hurts.” Simeon’s earlier advice resurfaced, and I let out a shaky sigh.
“Cecile.” Her name felt heavy on my tongue, but it was enough to bring her gaze back to mine. I could feel my resolve wavering, my vulnerability all too visible. She must have sensed it, too, because her hands gently covered mine, their warmth grounding me.
“I… I lost my innocence as a child,” I began, each word dragging against the weight of my shame. My throat tightened, but I forced myself to continue. “To my…” The words stuck, choking me. “To my aunt.” My voice barely rose above a whisper, yet I saw the shock flash in her eyes. She heard me.
“Oh no…” she murmured, her voice trembling with empathy.
What followed was a torrent of words—a fractured recounting of everything: the day I learned of my parents’ death, the confusion, the pain, and the betrayal that followed. By the time I finished, I was shaking so badly I could barely hold myself together.
Without hesitation, Cecile pulled me into her arms, wrapping me in her warmth. The moment her embrace surrounded me, my resolve shattered. The dam I’d built to hold everything in came crashing down, and I broke, tears spilling freely as she held me tight.
***
— Cecile —
The news hit me in waves, each one heavier than the last, until I was left reeling, as though struck by lightning.
I struggled to process it—to fathom that Joel, the man I had fallen so deeply for, had endured so much pain... so much more than I ever imagined.
“ I had been having sex with my Aunt every single Friday for over twelve years, as at the time we met… and I just couldn’t do anything about it… though each session killed me and left me like a broken doll after. ” His words rang in my mind like a bell… how was that even possible? what… it was unbelievable. 
“ You remember when I was away from school for days and you were so worried? ” Well, how could I have forgotten that in a million years? When the incident was the starting point of all the issues we’d eventually faced. 
“ Yes… ”
“ My Aunt had confiscated my phone, grounded me and even threatened to have me locked up in a cell if I dared to say anything… so I simply kept quiet. ” By now I was in tears as the emotions I thought had been buried, all came up and we remained in each other’s arms crying and pouring out our hearts… “ I hated what she was doing to me, but I couldn’t do anything as her threat constantly kept ringing at the back of my mind… ” 
“ You could have told me… ” I whispered, holding on to him. 
“ I couldn’t… I just couldn’t… ” The next few minutes were filled with silence as we simply remained in each others minds. 
***
Later,
I was able to summon the courage to finally ask the question that has been burning deep in my soul..
“ How is it possible that we’d almost had sex minutes ago, when you said the thought of it never ceases to disgust you? And it’s probably one of the reasons you never seemed to initiate it with Jemmy? ” I tried to maintain eye contact with him, despite my tomato faced face… the memory of what almost happened earlier was ever so vivid. 
“ I don’t know, Cecile… ” He picked up my right hand and caressed it and I felt the electricity again. “ I simply saw you and wanted you… I have never felt that way before, until now… ” His honesty, coupled with his vulnerability melted my heart. 
“ Um… what about now? ” I dared to ask. 
Rather than respond to me, he pulled me closer and when I wondered what he wanted to do… I felt his mouth kissing my bare shoulders, which caused me to shudder… but that wasn’t enough. His fingers went beneath my top and poked my breasts causing an electricity to surge through me. 
While I was still wondering what was going on… I felt him lie down on the beach sand and pulled me on top of him as our legs tangled. 
He held me in such a way that my breasts felt like they were poking out of my chest and my stomach laid bare… why does it feel like I had intentionally dressed seductively. It hadn’t been my idea, though but Bernie’s and I felt like killing her already. Had she known this would happen?
I stared at the fire in his eyes as our gaze locked, it felt like my senses were reawaken and I immediately understood what he was trying to say.  
“ What do you say, we book a hotel room, red faced? ” His words only made me blush harder, and I tried to retract myself from his embrace but failed. 
“ Relax, I won’t take you now… at least not here. ” His words were meant to be reassuring, but his teasing smile only made them contrast. 
“ But since you’re dressed to seduce me, I’d at least try this. ” I tried to refute his words, but it was too late… my top and skirt were both long gone from my body and I remained in his arms in just my undies as he kissed me like there was no tomorrow.
Rather than try to stop him, I held tightly onto him and let him do his thing… I had probably overestimated his self control until… “ We’d better stop now, or I wouldn’t be able to keep my word. ” And as if I was being struck by lightning, I stood up from his arms, took my clothes and ran away from him.
How amusing.
***
A/N; Gosh! That was indeed intense. What do you think, guys?