"Now that they have seen it, there's no point in hiding anymore, sweetheart."
My mouth fell open at how calmly he said it.
"Finally, a girl who can actually understand me has joined us. I'm so happy, Duru. Congratulations."
"I don't know what Kerem sees in you, but you'd better not hurt my brother."
"Don't scare the girl, Teddy! Ignore him, Sugarflake. You're already my favorite sister-in-law."
Congratulations, hurt, sister-in-law? God, where was this conversation even going? I waved my hands in panic.
"It's not what you think. Seriously!"
"Relax, Duru. They didn't react the way you were afraid they would." I leaned in and whispered in his ear so the others wouldn't notice I was about to lose it. "Can we talk alone? Right now."
He nodded and stood up, so I stood too and turned to his friends, who were still trying to figure out what was happening. "Could you give us a minute? I need to talk to Kerem."
The guys silently agreed, while Nil let out a sly little laugh. Great. Who knew what was going on in her head?
The moment we left the living room, I grabbed his arm before we could even step into the kitchen and pointed at the stairs. With an amused look, he asked, "Don't you think we're moving a little fast for a couple who became official ten minutes ago, Sunshine?"
"You're way too hopeful for someone who's about to get dumped in the fastest way of his life in five minutes, Hotshot. If you don't want your friends to witness it, we need to talk somewhere they can't hear us."
Once we got into the bedroom and I shut the door behind us, I spun on him, furious.
"What was going through your head when you told the dumbest lie I've ever heard?"
He stood there with his hands in his pockets, completely unfazed, and raised a brow.
"You mean when I ignored all my standards and told them I'm dating you?" Then his expression shifted—serious, almost flat. "Oh no. You were right, Sunshine. I think I need professional help."
"Very funny, Hotshot! And just so you know, the feeling's mutual. You don't fit my dream boyfriend profile either."
"Can you be a little realistic? I'm the boyfriend every girl dreams of."
I frowned and put my hands on my hips. "Then stop messing with me and go date them."
"Already throwing a jealousy tantrum?"
I had to physically stop myself from shoving his smirk back into his face.
"Jealous? Of you? Please. You unbearable—" I cut myself off and scowled. "Wait! That's not the point!"
When he laughed like he was having the time of his life, I huffed, shoved him, and sat down on the bed. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes.
"Do you have any idea what you just did, Kerem? You looked your childhood friends right in the eye and lied. The second we go downstairs, you're telling them it was a joke and explaining what's really going on."
He looked away and stared at the wall, and it took me a few seconds to catch up.
"You're not going to tell them the truth, are you? That's why you said we're dating." My voice sharpened. "I can't believe you used me to fool them, Hotshot."
He came over and sat beside me, irritation pulling at his features.
"I haven't learned enough to tell them anything yet, Duru. First, I need to find out what happened to that man."
"Okay, but when the odds of him showing up anytime soon are already low, what exactly are you planning to do? You don't have a single clue."
"I'm looking into the numbers on the phone from yesterday's guy. And there are a few things I found in the room before he showed up. It's too early to lose hope."
"I don't know when you started, but you need to stop talking like this is some easy library research. You're dealing with people who wouldn't hesitate to get their hands bloody."
"I told you. This isn't something I got to choose." His voice hardened. "And I'm only going to say this once: from now on, no matter what happens, you're not getting involved."
"Sorry, but that's not happening. If you want me to help you play this game against your friends, I need to know about every new development. That's the deal. Either accept it or give up."
He took a deep breath and shook his head.
"I never should've gotten on that elevator."
"For the first time, we agree on something."
After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Fine. Deal. If you're done talking, can we go downstairs now, please? I seriously need caffeine."
He started walking to the door, and I was about to stand up when I realized we still hadn't covered the most important part.
"Wait! I forgot to say my main condition."
"Oh my God. We're not forming an international business partnership, woman. We just have to pretend to be dating."
"Business? We can't even grocery shop without you wrecking my nervous system. But that's not the point." I lifted a finger. "Here's my condition: we only act like a couple in front of our friends. Nobody interferes in anyone's life. And under no circumstances are we getting closer than necessary. Got it?"
Oh no. I knew that look. He smiled—the exact same way my nieces smile right before they do something bad—opened the door, and walked out without saying a word.
I chased after him, shouting in protest.
"I don't like that look, Hotshot! Why aren't you answering?.. Kerem?.. I'm talking to you… Answer me!"
When we went downstairs, Demir came out of the kitchen and looked at us suspiciously. I immediately stopped yelling, flashed him my sweet-girl smile, and hurried after Kerem into the kitchen. Since we were back within earshot, I had to postpone this fight for another time we'd be alone.
While he made himself coffee, I perched on one of the stools behind the counter.
"Can you make me one too, please?"
"Aren't you the one who said you'd never ask me for a drink again?"
"Compared to the suffering I'm going through just thinking about being your girlfriend, a terrible coffee is nothing."
He set a cup down in front of me, planted both hands on the counter, and leaned in until his face was level with mine—leaving only a few centimeters between us. I hated when he looked at me like that. His gaze was so intense I couldn't even think straight, let alone talk.
When he gently tucked the strand of hair that had fallen onto my cheek behind my ear, a tiny smile slipped onto my lips without my permission. His eyes dropped to my mouth, and he murmured, low and amused, "You don't look like you're suffering at all, Sunshine."
The words—paired with that crooked grin—snapped me right back to reality. He'd trapped me again, the jerk. And of course my reaction only made him laugh more.
Then I heard a cough behind me. I stopped frowning and pulled back. He straightened too, lifting his own mug. Still grinning, he turned to the friend who'd walked in.
When Rüzgar sat down on the stool beside me, I could feel my cheeks starting to burn. I was at a full-on turning point in my personal humiliation timeline. I honestly wasn't much different from those kids who get sent to stand in the corner as punishment.