On Saturday James and I headed over to the Mannings' house. I was so excited to see my equal, yet anxious at the same time. Maybe I wouldn't like what she had to say.

It was an unusually warm late February day with temperatures in the low fifties. So, Dr. Manning planned on barbecuing. James rang the doorbell.

"James!" Dr. Manning yelled happily. "Good to see you."

I handed him a German chocolate cake I baked.

"Hello," I said.

"Well, look at you! You look beautiful," Dr. Manning said. He gave me a warm hug and had us all come inside. Oh, how much he reminded me of my father.

I didn't wait for permission to look around the house for Sophia. I found her in the kitchen, preparing a salad.

"Sophia!" I said.

"Corrine, sweetie," Sophia said, wrapping me in her arms. She was warm and smelled sweet, like home during springtime.

"Look at you. You look gorgeous," she said, stretching my arms out to take a look at me. I had put on a new flowing spring dress for the occasion.

"Thank you. So do you. But you always look beautiful," I said, which she certainly did. She was gorgeous and tall and would look stunning even without makeup.

The men were settling in the family room and talking a mile a minute. And they say women talked a lot. Dr. Manning was already mixing drinks, which piqued my interest. I hoped he would ask for my order soon.

"So, what are our plans for today?" I asked her.

"Well, I thought we would have a barbecue and try to eat out in the covered patio. I know it's still pretty cold out, but you've never seen our backyard. There's a gorgeous view of the lake from here, and Richard has already turned on the outside heaters."

"Oh, that sounds perfect."

"Corrine, how about you? Can I interest you in a drink?" Dr. Manning hollered into the kitchen from the bar.

"Yes, please. Some wine would be great." Anything would be great.

I helped Sophia with the last preparations, but she had most everything done before our arrival. Dr. Manning gave Sophia a kiss and then went outside with the steaks to start barbecuing.

Their lives seemed out of a Norman Rockwell painting—a beautiful home, a seemingly perfect relationship, a nice lifestyle. If only people knew. I didn't see why I couldn't have the same. So that I could escape.

After the food was ready, we began carrying things onto the patio. I gasped. The view was so gorgeous. Sophia pointed out their lot. Their backyard had about half an acre of grass. A handful of pine trees lined their property line. Behind that was a crystal blue lake and a scattering of lake houses. There weren't any houses to the left or right of the Mannings' house I could see. Dr. Manning and Sophia had a big piece of paradise carved out just for them. Perfect for a kidnapping situation.

"Sophia, I can't believe you live here," I practically whispered. "You're so lucky."

"I think you're right," she smiled. "I don't take it for granted for a second."

Lunch was a delight, and I had even more fun than I did at Thanksgiving. The conversation was flowing energetically. When I was around the Mannings, I felt like I was with intellectuals. (Albeit psychotic B.F.O. intellectuals.) I strived to be like them, and to be liked by them. Dr. Manning and James were intelligent, witty, and sophisticated. Conversations could involve politics, the news, literature, sports . . . nearly anything.

Most of the time, I only listened, too afraid to jump into the conversations. Most of all, I loved hearing Dr. Manning and James debate about things. Even though I fought it, I felt even more drawn to James in times like these. I had never dated someone so cultured and mature like him before—in my old life.

Sophia nudged me. "Come on, let's go sit on the patio chairs."

Sophia motioned over to the other side of the patio. She filled my wine glass, and we excused ourselves from the table.

"Girl talk, you know," Sophia teased. "You boys wouldn't understand."

I was glad she made light of the situation, but I was sure the men knew exactly what we were doing. It was the whole point of us getting together that day. I was a bit embarrassed. James gave me his half smile I fought liking. I felt my cheeks flush. Damn it.

Yet, maybe that helped me in the long run. I was playing the game—even though it wasn't exactly how I intended.

We settled into our patio chairs, and I thought, This is the life. The view of the lake from this vantage point was even better with fewer trees obstructing the view. A gas-powered fire pit kept us warm.

"So, what has Dr. Manning told you, exactly?" I asked. I was afraid to hear her answer.

"Well, only that he has recently put you on the pill, under your duress."

"Yeah," I sighed. "Well, Dr. Manning told me in his office you went through something similar."

I was leaning over in my lounge chair, desperate to hear her story.

"Yes, that's very, very true. Richard wanted to be sexually active with me about a month or so after we became a family. I really fought it . . . Literally."

Sexually active. As if this was a normal relationship. I wanted to hurl.

"What did you do?" I hoped I wasn't prying too much. But just like seeing a car crash, I had to look.

"Well, I first tried another escape. That's when I got that scar I showed you."

"Yes, I remember."

"Then I refused to take the pill, so Richard began giving me daily shots instead. They didn't have that shot-every-three-months-thing they do now. So, after a few days of battling that, I succumbed to his wishes and figured I was only hurting myself by not taking the pill. Either way, I was going to get the medication. And the shots were no fun, I'll tell you that much. So, I took the pill, but I was still determined I wasn't going to have sex with him, no matter what."

"So what happened?" I was captivated. She was unraveling my own story.

"Let's just say it was a very rough time in my life. I was a strong nineteen-year-old, but he was much stronger than I. And I lost each time."

I gasped. "So he raped you?" I coiled. I looked over to Dr. Manning and couldn't imagine him as that monster. But, of course, he was.

"Yes, he did, but not willingly. I gave him no choice, really. I even remember one time when Richard was visibly so upset about it afterward and wouldn't come out of the bathroom. I heard him crying. Of course, at the time I didn't care what he was doing, but looking back I can see now the anguish he felt. In essence, I didn't give him any other choice."

I was dumbfounded she was making excuses for him.

"He could've left you alone. They all should leave us alone." My voice cracked. Control yourself, Corrine.

"They don't because they're in love with us, Corrine. Because they're looking for a relationship, not something platonic. Families that want something platonic find a child, not an adult. But if you're taken as an adult or a teen, chances are they're looking for a partnership."

I couldn't process her words fast enough.

"So, what changed for you?"

"Well, it was so long ago," she waved off, as if she could hardly remember. "But, I recall after a month or so, I was really beaten and exhausted. He kept reminding me it didn't have to be like that. That he wanted to be gentle with me, but I wasn't letting him."

Her voice trailed off, and she was remembering things she hadn't yet shared.

"Then, one night I realized it was futile to fight him. I was going nowhere, and he overpowered me every time, just like with the shots. I was tired, so very tired. So, I became a distant observer, lying there and letting him do what he wanted. I was dead. I tried to transport my mind to peaceful places, places I enjoyed in my prior life. What else could I do?"

"So then what happened?" I said, waiting to hear the end of my story. Her story.

"Really, I don't know. All I can say to explain it is that over time, I just started enjoying it, little by little. I don't know. Maybe it was sometimes the wine, lowering my inhibitions. And he was always so nice to me. But whatever it was, I finally came around and realized this could be enjoyable, really enjoyable."

She smiled. "Now, remember," she continued, "I was only nineteen at the time and still a virgin. I hardly knew my own body, let alone a thing about how life worked. Sometime during that whole battle, Richard left a book on my bed, a book about human sexuality. I was embarrassed but intrigued at the same time. They didn't teach these things in school back then. The book was so explicit, and I learned a lot about my body, much more than my inhibited mother ever taught me, that's for certain."

"Wow, I never had a book like that, either."

"But you're twenty-four. You probably know so much more than I did back then."

"Not much more, I bet. I feel so young and inexperienced, especially compared to someone like James." I was embarrassed to admit it.

"Well, you are young, but I hope, Corrine—" She paused a moment. "Please, I care about you. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. No matter how much you want to stay in denial, your fate is inevitable. But you don't have to fight James and have the battle scars I do."

She leaned over and looked at me. "I know I've told you these things before, but don't be the stupid, young fool I was. You already had to learn the hard way once. You don't need a repeat performance. And James is so good to you. He really loves you. And he's waited a lot longer for you to get adjusted than Richard did."

I guessed I was supposed to feel gratitude for that. But all I felt was regret that I wasn't going to escape in time.

We stared at the lake for a while, and a cool breeze was blowing over us.

"Oh, I'm getting chilly," Sophia announced. "I'm going to put on my heavier coat. Be right back."

She went inside the house, and I continued to stare at the beautiful lake with its glistening water. I knew Sophia was right. I shouldn't fight the inevitable. Then maybe one day very soon I could have the same freedoms she had. So that I could get home.

I was in my own world when James came over with a wool blanket and kneeled down by my lounge chair.

"Dreaming about anything good?" he played. He unfolded the blanket and lay it on top of me.

"You'll never know," I teased.

Good job, Corrine.

His eyes had never looked so blue, like the lake. He leaned over and gave me a soft kiss.

"Are you having a good time?" His voice was practically a whisper.

"Yes, always. I love being here. I wish we could come every weekend."

He smiled.

"Are you having a good time?" I asked him.

"Yes, definitely. We're just talking about the primaries. You know, the usual."

Sophia reappeared wearing a lovely suede fur coat and uncharacteristic rabbit slippers. I had to laugh.

"You're sporting some fashionable slippers, Sophia," James said.

"Why, thank you. It's getting chilly." She kicked her leg into the air with a flair fitting her stature.

"I'll let you two get back to your girl talk now," James said. "I just wanted to check in on you."

He gave me a quick, tender kiss on the lips.

After he walked away, I said, "This is a gorgeous view, Sophia. I bet you sit out here a lot."

"When the weather permits, yes. This is one of our favorite spots, actually. We love to have the fire pit going with a good bottle of wine."

From the look on her face, she was miles away. I reached over and stroked her arm, then rested my hand on hers. She squeezed my hand without looking at me. I could've stayed like that forever. She had let me into her world, and I was forever grateful. It couldn't have been easy to talk about being raped, whether she called it that or not.

The rest of the evening was blissful. I liked the four of us together. Something about the combination of our personalities made conversations flow seamlessly. The afternoon slowly gave way to evening. James was sitting next to me on the couch as we sipped our coffee and ate dessert.

I leaned into his ear. "Are we going to spend the night?" I asked hopefully.

"No. What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know. Can we? It's getting late, and we shouldn't drive home this late."

"It's only seven," he chuckled.

"But it's dark. No one should drive after dark. And it might snow."

He laughed. "There is no snow in the forecast. Sorry, Corrine, we can't stay," James said.

"Aw, come on," I said, giving him a quick, persuasive kiss. Maybe this wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.

"You're killing me." He leaned in for another kiss.

"OK, love birds," Sophia interrupted. "Enough of that monkey business."

Everyone laughed. I was tipsy enough to almost forget this horrid situation.

We didn't leave until about nine that night. After all that wine, all I wanted to do was sleep. It was such a long day, yet so fun and informative. I felt fulfilled. I had the information I sought, whether I wanted to hear it or not. Somehow I had to submit to James sexually so I could become free.

The highway was swirling below me, and it was lulling me to sleep. Instead of facing outward toward the window, I slowly put my head on his shoulders as he drove.

* * *

About a week later, I was progressively getting tired of my normal workout routine. Although I enjoyed the benefits of being fit, I certainly didn't like all of the work it took to get there. I yearned for some variety, and I even mentioned to James a couple times I would love a video or anything to spice up our routines. He said he'd look around, but that was a couple weeks ago.

"Looking good, Corrine. How long have you been running?" James asked while I was on the treadmill. He was busy with the weights.

I looked on the console. "Thirty-three minutes," I huffed.

"I can't believe how much progress you've made in such a short amount of time. I'm impressed."

"Thanks."

After our workouts were done, we recuperated while lying on the carpet, drinking our water.

"Oh, man, that was killer," I said.

"You should still be stretching. Don't let those muscles tighten up on you," James warned.

"How do you know so much about fitness anyway?"

"I don't know. It was always an interest of mine. I remember in high school there was a weight room, and some of my friends and I would hang out there. As I started seeing my body firm up and girls noticing, that's all it took." He chuckled.

"But you're interested in healthy eating, too. You're not just a weightlifting jock."

"Yeah, too many guys lift weights, then go eat fast food. Or smoke a cigarette. I don't get that. What's the point?"

"So, where did you grow up?" I asked.

"A city outside of Las Vegas."

"That must've been an interesting lifestyle."

"Yeah, that's a tough area to bring up kids, I think. I got in a lot of trouble there, especially when I turned twenty-one and turned to partying as my college major."

He stared blankly at the ceiling.

"What was your major?"

"Well, it was business administration. But I took a two year hiatus in the middle of my junior year."

"Really? How come?"

He was quiet for a few moments, and I wondered if I was prying.

"Let's just say my priorities got all mixed up. I was failing my classes and spending too much time partying."

He stopped talking, so I took it that was the end of his story. I wasn't going to press him any further. But, then he continued.

"One Saturday night some of my friends and I were drinking too much. It was about two in the morning, and we left a casino and got into the car. My friend Damon decided he should drive because he only had a few beers. But, really, none of us should've been driving . . . Anyway, we were messing around and driving much too fast. The next thing I remembered was some girl walking across the street . . . She was killed instantly."

I gasped and felt so badly for them and her family. James kept staring up at the ceiling, his mind a million miles away.

"After that, I swore off partying and quit school. I went into a depression for a long time and tried to focus back on my workouts. That's when I met Dr. Manning. I don't know what I would've done without him."

"What do you mean?"

"He lifted me out of my mess. He really became a savior for me and made me realize it was an accident, that I wasn't doing anybody a favor by sacrificing my life because of this girl's death. Instead, I should be living my life better in order for her death not to be in vain. So, I did."

"What happened to your friend Damon?"

"He was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and got five years in jail. He served two years and then was released. But he was never the same after that, obviously. He's done nothing with his life, from what I've heard."

"But you went back to college and finished, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did. Once I got my priorities straight."

I sat up with my face on James's chest. He stroked my messy hair.

"I love you, Corrine," he said, lifting his head up for a kiss.

"Thank you for sharing that story with me. I feel like there's so much I don't know about you."

"I think there's a lot I don't know about you, either. But we have a lifetime to share with one another." He smiled.

And in that moment, I felt a ache in my stomach. An almost remorse that I was leaving.

Thank you for reading. I'd love any feedback. Have a great day!