Standing frozen at the entrance was only going to get me into trouble. I forced myself to act natural and walked toward the bar counter. I sat on one of the completely empty bar stools.
I scanned the room with quick, subtle glances, trying to spot Kerem, but things weren't looking good. In that greasy, smoke-filled, ancient-looking bar—one that felt like it had been built around the same time as the pyramids—there wasn't the slightest trace of Kerem.
How was that even possible? I'd seen him walk in with my own eyes. There was no way he slipped out without me noticing. Especially when one of the only working streetlights in the entire street was right outside this bar.
I was no longer convinced this was just some stupid prank he'd planned to make me regret what I'd said. My instincts kept telling me something else was going on here. But I had no idea how I was supposed to figure out what that was.
Maybe blending in until I picked up something about where he was would be my best shot. With that plan in mind, I turned my attention to the bartender and realized he was watching me too.
Judging by his expression, he cared less about my drink order and more about what I was doing there. With partially graying black hair, sharp features, and a solid build, it was clear he'd once been a handsome man. But the wrinkles carved by life and the slight belly his faded clothes couldn't hide made him look more like one of those retired hunters from nature TV shows.
When I finally decided to speak, I forced a faint, weary smile.
"Can I get a beer?"
The man slid the beer he'd poured from under the counter toward me without taking his eyes off me. I took a small sip and threw quick glances around.
Most of the customers were old men scattered across a dozen tables, all looking worn-out and thoroughly alcoholic. Besides them, a few scattered tables held women who looked like they'd said "go ahead and paint me too" during home renovations—tragic makeup, tight dresses showing uneven curves, and shrill laughter at everything and nothing.
The "youth population" consisted of a few high school kids clustered around the pool table, none of whom looked capable of forming two sentences without swearing.
Aside from a few men who occasionally glanced my way, I didn't seem to be attracting much attention anymore. But as I looked forward again, I grew even less confident that I'd ever figure out where Kerem had vanished.
The hunter uncle finally gave in to his curiosity and spoke while arranging his glasses.
"A girl like you being in a place like this at this hour isn't normal. And you don't look lost either."
It was time to put my imagination to work. Telling him something believable was my only chance of learning where Kerem might be.
As much as I wanted to say, "Thanks to a certain beautiful-eyed lunatic," I couldn't. I swallowed the curses on the tip of my tongue and leaned my elbows on the counter. Wrapping my hands around the glass, I let out a deep sigh.
I launched into the first tragic love story that came to mind, tailoring it to my situation, and the old man immediately listened with full attention. Halfway through, I paused and swallowed hard for dramatic effect. When I couldn't hold it anymore and wiped away two tears, the hunter uncle handed me a napkin.
I took it and continued with a strained smile.
"Unfortunately, what I thought was my happy ending turned out to be the beginning of my nightmare. Last week I found out I'm two months pregnant. I even tried to get rid of the baby without telling him, but I couldn't."
The cold, detached look in his eyes softened into something almost fatherly.
Good job, Duru. Keep going. Don't break character.
I pushed my glass aside and folded my hands.
"When I finally gathered the courage to tell him, he stopped answering my calls. I couldn't find him at school or at home. When I asked his friends, they eventually gave me this address. I guess he's been here a couple of times. So… I came all the way here for one last hope."
I wiped the rest of my tears with the napkin and looked at him hopefully. Honestly, the loss this country suffered because I chose engineering over theater was indescribable.
The man was just opening his mouth to speak when a door in the back—one I hadn't noticed because it blended with the wall—opened.
A huge man in a suit, maybe only a few years older than me, stepped out—sending a fresh wave of unease through me. He walked over to the bartender and started whispering to him.
I tried to catch what they were saying, but the chatter and laughter drowned everything out. The only thing I picked up was something about "closing someone's account tonight."
That sent a rush of panic through me. What if the person they meant was Kerem? What if they were planning something?
Since he wasn't here, he had to be on the other side of that door. This was serious now. I had to get through that door no matter what.
When the big man returned and shut the door, I turned back to the hunter uncle. He must have seen the fear on my face, because he sighed and shook his head.
"This place isn't for you, girl. Even if your man is here, there's nothing you can do. Go home before something happens. Think of your child."
My eyes welled up again as I looked at him pleadingly.
"I came all the way here for him, uncle. Please… help me, just a little?"
As I anxiously waited for his answer, a loud crash followed by shouting came from the back. When he turned angrily toward the noise, my eyes drifted to the door—left slightly ajar.
"Now or never," I told myself and slipped behind the bar.
I quietly approached the door and was reaching for it when a hand grabbed my arm—freezing me in place.
"Where you going, pretty? We could've had a drink together."
When I turned to look at the guy holding my arm, I barely stopped myself from screaming in pure frustration.
Just great. A kid half my size trying to act macho was about to ruin my entire plan.
I snapped, grabbed his hand, twisted it back, and pinned it behind him. Who would've thought a basic self-defense move I learned from Yiğit would actually come in handy one day?
He tried to free his hand, stunned by my reaction, but I tightened my grip and hissed at him.
"Go bother someone your own age before I break your arm, kid!"
Ignoring the clueless look on his face, I shoved the door open and slipped inside.
Seeing the long wooden staircase ahead, I knew it was too late to turn back now. I climbed up slowly and silently.
At the top, the sight of a long hallway split into two rows of doors did nothing to help my courage, and I let out a tense breath.
I had no idea what kind of people were behind these doors, so knocking wasn't an option. My only choice was to listen at each door until I heard him.
I paused at every door for at least a few moments, moving slowly. When I reached the last one, I swallowed hard. I had to hear him this time.
Pressing my ear against the door, I heard nothing but a woman talking heatedly inside. Still, this was my last chance—I couldn't give up.
As I continued listening, one of the doors near the stairwell opened. The man stepping out turned back when someone called him, and my eyes widened in fear.
It was the huge guy I'd seen downstairs, and if he caught me here, I was definitely in trouble.
I had only one escape.
I flung open the door I'd been listening at, slipped inside before he stepped out, and shut it behind me. I leaned against the door, closed my eyes, and let out a shaky breath.
That was close.
"Duru?"
Kerem?