Destiny gave and took away you

Part 1: Destiny Tied Us Up

My name is John (well, let's call me that). Growing up, I was the young guy who just couldn't seem to find his other half. It felt like girls looked right past me. If I had to rate myself, I was a solid 6, but my eyes were always set on the 8s. I hung out with a tight-knit group of five guys.
We weren't bad kids; we just spent our time loitering outside, killing time in apartment stairwells, waiting for life to happen.

​One day, my friends invited me on a triple date. Any kind of female attention felt like a lottery ticket to me-a chance to finally stop being alone, to finally know what it felt like to experience hot kisses, bare skin, and real passion.
​Unfortunately, it was a complete disaster.
​We all met by the Baltic Sea. It was a warm summer day. My friends' dates were these beautiful, older girls. And me? I got paired with one of the girls' young cousins.

She was at an age where she was probably still thinking about playing with dolls, while I was a teenager whose mind was racing with thoughts of sex, pleasure, and all the wicked things in between. The date was a massive joke to my friends; they laughed at my "luck" for an entire week. But I was raised to be polite, so I stayed by her side out of respect and finished the date. I just never texted her afterward.

​Right around that time, new social networking sites were blowing up. I didn't waste any time. I created an account and started my search-looking for the girl who would become my path of love and trials. I tried talking to so many girls, trying to set up meetings, all with zero success.

​Then, one day, a brunette messaged me. She was beautiful, definitely an 8 at the very least.
​We started chatting, and I vividly remember the intense mix of excitement and caution I felt. I had never been this lucky. Our connection was so seamless and mutual that it almost felt strange. Then, one day, she confessed that she had fallen for me. I opened her picture again. She had a slightly darker complexion, a dusting of freckles, and a romantic smile playing on her lips. I found myself daydreaming about our lips meeting in a fiery kiss. Just thinking about it sent a rush of hot blood south; I was a young stallion, fueled by surging teenage hormones, desperate for the real thing. She was slender, but with blossoming curves and the waist of a maturing young woman.

​We finally decided to meet. We spent a long time planning it because she was just as nervous as I was. Eventually, she said, "If you want to meet, I'll bring a friend with me, and you bring a friend too."
​It was a great idea. From my group of guys, I picked Ben-he was single at the time and the most polite out of all of us. We agreed to meet at a small town by the sea. I planned my move immediately: I knew exactly where to get alcohol so we could drink cocktails while watching the sunset.
​Ben and I hurried to the bus stop, and when they arrived, we all got onto the bus together, heading straight for the back seats. Her name was Ieva, and her friend was a blonde named Jane. Ben paired off with Jane, and Ieva and I sat next to each other. I was practically drooling over her, terrified of making a wrong move, but we managed to joke around with her friend to break the ice.

​When we got to the sea, we drank our cocktails, and then something strange happened.
​Ieva looked at me and said, "I have a question."
"Alright, I'm listening," I replied.
"Can you tell me your parents' names?"
​I was completely caught off guard. Why would she need to know that? I didn't get it, but she wouldn't let it go. "Just as a joke, tell me," she urged.
"Alright," I said slowly. "My mom is Rose, and my dad is Jack."
​Her face instantly fell. A deep sadness washed over her features before she asked, "Do you live in the Bari district?"
"Yeah," I said, my heart starting to race. "How do you know all this?"
​She went completely silent. It felt like the whole world around us just stopped. Ben and Jane went quiet too. I had my arm wrapped around her, totally confused, having no idea what was happening.
​Then, in a quiet, trembling voice, she whispered, "I'm your second cousin. My dad is your dad's cousin. We just haven't seen each other in a long time because my parents have been divorced for years."
​I froze. I genuinely remembered nothing about her, and I hadn't suspected a thing. But family can't be together. Family can't love each other like that. My mind slammed into a brick wall. I let go of her. All I could think was: What will our parents think? How could I do this? Even though I was incredibly attracted to her, even though I would have gladly taken her to bed despite being a virgin, I just couldn't.
​She started to cry. Through her tears, she told me she loved me, that she truly liked me. But I kept pulling away, repeating that we were family, that this was impossible. I suggested we head home and offered to walk her back to her neighborhood in the city.
She didn't stop crying on the bus ride back. She kept trying to take my hand, trying to find some kind of loophole, but I couldn't do it. I was raised to believe that crossing that bloodline was an absolute taboo.
​Meanwhile, I noticed that Ben and Jane hadn't clicked at all. In fact, Jane had essentially rejected him. So, my mind in a state of absolute chaos, I took matters into my own hands. I started flirting with Jane. She was totally different from Ieva, a completely different vibe, but I was so terrified of going back to being alone. Seeing Jane's interest in me, I acted like I didn't even notice my crying cousin sitting nearby.

​Looking back now, of course, I deeply regret hurting someone like that. But at the time, my head was a mess of teenage confusion and panic. My logic was raw and selfish: If I can't have the one I want, I'll take the one who's showing me attention.

​And that is how the twisted hand of destiny introduced me to Jane. A strange, cruel accident that sparked a connection, leading me straight into a ten-year bond.
​In the next chapter, we will dive into those new feelings-and the unimaginable obstacles I never saw coming.