I smiled and nodded in agreement as Aunty Zeynep walked out of the garden. Aunty Ahu stood in front of me, took my hand in hers, and smiled reassuringly.
"Dear, please don't mind Nuran. I understand you — don't you dare feel guilty, you did absolutely the right thing. Oh, and Deniz was going to come over to help us get ready — we're having a neighborhood celebration for the soldiers tonight. Would you like to come too?"
"Of course, Aunty Ahu — I'll be there."
She pulled me into a hug, and I smiled and hugged her back.
"Alright, Asude — take care."
As she said goodbye and left us, my mom looked at me with sad eyes.
"I can't get that man out of my head."
"No, mom — please don't think like that. That man's gone now, okay?"
She just nodded quietly. I was struggling to hold myself back from going after Nuran and hurting her — she'd upset my mom for no reason at all.
"Come on, you go inside. I'll go find Deniz, then we'll head over to Aunty Ahu's to help get ready."
"Okay, my dear."
As I walked to leave the garden, I ran into those blue eyes — he was standing by the garden gate, watching me again with his furrowed eyebrows and intense gaze.
Why does this man keep popping up everywhere! I stepped out of the garden and stood right in front of him, looking into his eyes challengingly.
"Did you want to say something?"
"You threw Aunty Nuran out of the house. Why?"
So now he was starting to stick his nose into my business too. What did this man have to do with me?
"It's none of your concern."
"It is my concern."
I was genuinely about to lose it. Why wasn't I jumping on him right now and messing up that thick hair of his?
"By what right, Demir?"
He must have been surprised by me saying his name — his eyes scanned me for a long moment, then he cleared his throat and looked out over the neighborhood.
"I don't want unpleasant business in this neighborhood, Deniz."
Deniz. He'd said it so sharply, so forcefully, that it made my insides tremble.
"She talked to my mom, so I did the right thing and threw her out of my house. No one gets to come into my home and talk to my mom like that. Are you satisfied now?" I said, pausing to turn back to him.
"And why are you so damn rude!"
His eyebrows furrowed deeply as he stepped right up to me again, angry as ever. Why did he always have to get in my face?
"Look here, girl,"
"I'm looking, aren't I?"
"Are you testing me, for god's sake! Look at me, Deniz — I'm not like those jerks you know. Standing in front of you is Demir Kozcu — not just some 'guy'."
"I can tell you're not like the jerks I know from all this rudeness of yours. But don't you forget this — I won't bow down to you, or to anyone. I'm not going to obey you like everyone else in this neighborhood, Demir Kozcu."
His lips curved up in a dangerous smile as he slowly leaned in toward my face and brushed his cheek against mine. My breathing hitched at the closeness, and my body tensed in shock.
"Challenge accepted, Deniz Güneş."