What did he say? What did that mean? He waited silently for my reaction. This man treated me sometimes well, sometimes badly; I didn't understand him. I couldn't understand him; his sea-blue eyes were like the depths of an ocean, drowning me, his lips so close to mine, like a rope tied around them, pulling me towards him... This man was as dangerous as he was passionate...
I was about to open my mouth to speak when his phone rang. Without batting an eyelid, he looked me in the eyes and answered it.
' Brother, there was a disturbance at the venue.'
I'd heard! The place. Where was it?
"I'm coming."
His harsh voice startled me. He reluctantly pulled back, staring me in the eyes, and I took a deep breath, moving my back away from the door.
"See you tonight."
Without giving me a chance to say anything, she left the room, and I followed her. I don't know what my face looked like, but it was clear from Aunt Ahu and Aslı's knowing glances that I'd turned red like a tomato.
My not returning for a long time and Demir and I going to join them at the same time made everything clear.
"Mom, I'm going out. The kids will come and get the stuffed grape leaves. You don't need to carry them. See you in the evening."
"Be careful, son."
I witnessed the anxious, fearful look in Aunt Ahu's eyes. I gestured to Aslı to get up.
"The stuffed grape leaves are finished, let's go get ready, Aunt Ahu. See you later."
"See you, my dear. Deniz, tell my daughter Asude to come to our place this evening; you young people can sit separately."
"Okay, Aunt Ahu."
I finally breathed a sigh of relief when we left the Demir's house. What had I just experienced? Aslı immediately bombarded me with questions.
"What happened? What did you do with my brother? Did the girl corner you in the room?"
My God, this girl really had no control over her voice.
"My daughter, just stop and let the engine cool down. Nothing's wrong."
She shook her head mockingly with a disbelieving look. I would never be able to convince her.
"Sure, sure."
"Come on, let's go home! Let's go get ready."
She was still giggling behind me as I hurried away.
I put on a burgundy crop top, black denim shorts, and left my hair down. I slipped on white sneakers and only applied mascara and a peach-toned lipstick.
When my mother was ready, we left the house together and went to the large area prepared in the square. Almost everyone was seated at the tables, talking to each other, but we hadn't started eating yet.
"My daughter, I'm going to Ahula's place."
"Okay, Mommy."
As my mom went to Aunt Ahu's place, I walked towards my friend who was grinning at me. She linked her arm with mine and started pulling me.
"Come on, the four of us will sit together."
"The four of us?"
I held my breath as I looked at the table, my eyes pointing to where he'd said it. Özgür and Demir were sitting together, talking, while Demir sprawled in his chair, scratching his chin charismatically. One eyebrow was raised as usual. Of course, they had reserved the head of the table for Demir. Just as I was about to look away from Demir, he instantly glanced at me, and I averted my eyes in embarrassment at being caught.
"Welcome, girls."
Of course, it was Özgür who said that.
"Thank you."
"It's good to be here, dear."
Araf was sitting at the head of the table, with Özgür sitting to his left. Aslı gestured to Araf's right.
"You sit there, I'll sit next to Özgür."
I knew her intention perfectly well, but whatever. I silently sat down to Araf's right. Although I felt her eyes silently wandering over me, I didn't turn to her.
"So, how did you find our atmosphere, Deniz?"
Özgür seemed like a friendly person. He looked at me with a slight smile on his face, full of curiosity. My eyes briefly drifted to the large table stretching across it. They were like a family...
"It's nice, it's lovely to see you all together. Do you always have celebrations like this?"
"Yes."
At that moment, my eyes fell on the snake tattoo on Özgür's ring finger. My eyebrow raised as my gaze shifted to the hands of the young people at the table. As far as I could see, many of them had them. The pieces were slowly falling into place. When I finally looked away from the snake tattoo, my eyes met Demir's. He was watching me intently, his eyes narrowed as if he wanted to read my thoughts. He had seen me looking at the tattoos.
"It's gotten cold too."
I nodded at Aslı and stroked my numb arms. I was freezing. If I had known it would be this cold, I would have put something on.
"Yes, I'm freezing."
"That's what happens when you wear clothes that don't cover anything in this weather."
When I looked at Demir in surprise, he glared at my crop top and shorts and gestured to someone.
"Arif!"
The man she called Arif came running towards us, bowing respectfully. This was the person Aunt Ahu had mentioned. I found myself examining him with curiosity. He was quite well-built, dark-skinned, and had a scruffy beard. His coal-black eyes kept looking at Demir without meeting mine for a moment. What was I? A monster?
"Here you go, sir."
"Get my jacket from the car."
I was probably the only one who wasn't surprised, because Özgür, barely able to swallow the water he was drinking, looked at Demir.
"What the hell is going on?"
he muttered under his breath, glancing first at me, then at Demir. When Arif offered Demir his jacket, Demir, without batting an eyelid, handed it to me. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. What was this guy doing?
"Put this on."
Good heavens, stop moving. This guy couldn't do anything without being given orders.
"There's no need."
His deadly gaze instantly found me as he
His deadly gaze instantly found me as he stubbornly held out the jacket in his hand, hissing through clenched teeth,
"Deniz, put this on."
Shrugging, I turned back to face forward while Aslı grinned, pointing us out to Özgür. Thinking Araf had given in to my stubbornness, I glanced at the jacket he'd left on the table when he grabbed my chair and pulled me towards him. I clung to his shoulders in surprise. My hair spread across his shoulders, and although his narrowed eyes briefly glanced at my hair, it was fleeting.
I pulled my hands away as soon as I recovered from my surprise when he picked up the jacket lying on the table and draped it over my shoulders. His lips curved upwards as if he were about to smile, but he restrained himself.
"Don't look at me like a surprised fish," he murmured, and I returned my wide-open eyes to their normal state. A surprised fish?
"Isn't that a bewildered duck?" I asked, a silly question, and this time she really laughed. Her pearly white teeth were revealed, and her eyes narrowed with delight. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. "With your big blue eyes and rosy cheeks, you look like a bewildered fish."
My hands, numb with cold, went to my burning, red cheeks.
"Fish don't have rosy cheeks."
"Then, my little bewildered fish, you will be a fish with rosy cheeks."
My little bewildered fish? What's going on? I hadn't even considered glancing sideways at Demir as I turned back to face forward with a frown.
"I'm not a fish," I muttered, pausing and turning to face him.
"Especially not your fish." He raised his eyebrows mockingly, remained silent, and turned his face towards the inhabitants of the well, and my gaze turned there as well. I witnessed everyone silently watching us.