Listening : Jesse Mccartney - Crash & Burn
I set my coffee cup down and went back to my room to get ready. Even after three full mugs of coffee, I still didn't feel fully awake. But I couldn't keep my friends waiting any longer.
As I looked through my clothes, Aylin's words echoed in my head. I gave up on the pants-and-sweater combo I'd reached for and instead picked a black skirt-and-body set hanging a few hangers away. It looked like velvet, but lighter—softer, matte, smooth to the touch, and not shiny at all.
The headache I had made it clear I didn't have the luxury of wearing my hair up. So I tamed the volume, added a slight wave, and gathered it loosely over my left shoulder. When it was time for makeup, I studied my reflection. My face looked paler than usual.
My eyes were burning, so heavy makeup wasn't an option. I simply took my everyday routine and shifted it into darker tones. Lastly, I put on the small green-stone earrings that matched my outfit and stood up.
Checking myself in the full-length mirror, I smiled in quiet satisfaction. The high-waisted pencil skirt that fell just to my knees naturally forced a more composed posture. The long-sleeved body that left my shoulders bare completed the look with a clean, elegant balance.
I didn't need to try hard to stand out. I looked put-together without sacrificing comfort. Aylin had been right—despite how exhausted I felt, I actually felt better than before.
I got out of the taxi in front of the restaurant we'd agreed on. As I passed the tables in the seaside garden and reached the entrance inside, my friends spotted me and waved. The group waiting for me was larger than I'd expected. I smiled and greeted everyone, though it was hard to hide my surprise.
When I took off my coat, I smiled at the person pulling out my chair.
"Thank you, Demir. That's very kind of you."
As I glanced at Nil, Bora, and Demir sitting across from me, Feyza leaned in, clearly having read my thoughts.
"Sorry, Duru. We didn't think it'd bother you, so we invited Nil without telling you. And she invited Bora and Demir. If you want, we can make an excuse and leave."
I smiled understandingly and whispered back.
"It's fine, Sapphire. I don't have a problem with them. Inviting Nil was actually a good call. I'd have done the same."
Once she relaxed, I turned toward Bora, who was animatedly telling a story.
"…The woman married the wrong man. Then she fell in love with him. Poor Mr. Fikret was left all alone."
"Don't be ridiculous, Frizzy. Who confuses her husband with another guy?"
"Didn't this make the news? The woman had face blindness or something."
Bora laughed at Aylin. "That's it, Ponchikella! Face blindness, yes." Then he shot Demir a disapproving look. "And you—stop chasing honey for once and look around. The world is happening, Teddy."
Demir rolled his eyes and grumbled.
"With you around, is there even a need? You already bring every ridiculous piece of news to the table."
I was giggling at their bickering when Nil touched my hand. She leaned in, and I mirrored her.
"Sorry. I know you were planning a girls' night, but Bora insisted and I couldn't say no."
I gave her the same reassurance I'd given Feyza.
"It's fine. When Demir and Bora are together, they're more entertaining than any girls' night anyway. I don't mind them."
I didn't finish the sentence, but from the way her gaze briefly shifted, I knew she understood the subtext. As long as that Hotshot wasn't around, spending time with his friends didn't bother me. Especially now that I didn't have to play the girlfriend role anymore.
Just then, my phone buzzed on the table.
You look amazing.
Smiling, I texted Aylin back.
Thanks to you.
"Demir, did you hear about what happened in the department?" Feyza asked. "That accident in the structural lab."
That caught my attention.
"Hmm. It happened while we were there."
"You're kidding."
"Did anyone get hurt?" Aylin and Feyza asked at the same time.
"Almost. Kerem pulled the guy back at the last second."
My brows furrowed instinctively. That Hotshot had a habit of throwing himself into danger. I was sure of it by now.
"What happened?"
"It was a concrete compression test. You put the specimen into the press and gradually increase the load. Everyone knows that tense feeling—watching and thinking, it's about to crack. The guy was standing a bit too close to the press, next to the professor, watching the values on the screen. Technically not forbidden, but… borderline. You could feel the crack coming. And then—crack. The specimen shattered. But that wasn't even the worst part."
Listening to Demir, my skin prickled. I'd seen similar experiments before, so it was easy to picture.
"One of the hydraulic hoses on the side burst for a split second. Just for a moment, but it sprayed oil right at face level. The guy froze—couldn't step back, couldn't turn his head. Kerem was right next to him and yanked him back by the shoulder instantly. One second later and the oil would've gone straight into his eye. And the idiot wasn't even wearing goggles."
I exhaled in relief when I realized no one was hurt. It could've ended horribly.
"The oil splashed all over his lab coat and the floor. The guy turned completely white. He was shaking, didn't know what to do with himself. The professor shut everything down immediately. Later they checked the hose—loose connection. Normally, something you'd never notice. But when the concrete cracked, the pressure spiked, and the oil shot out."
"That guy should be thanking Kerem every day."
"Seriously. Having him there was pure luck."
With the comments piling up, I looked away uncomfortably. The restaurant suddenly felt too warm. The laughter, the clinking cutlery, the noise—it all blurred together. I stood up and murmured quietly.
"I'm going to get some air."
I didn't take my coat or phone because I didn't want to meet anyone's eyes. As soon as I stepped outside, the drop in temperature and the breeze finally let me breathe again. I walked slowly through the empty garden area and leaned against the railing. It was cold, but not enough to overpower my need to be alone.
Staring at the dark, calm sea, I let out a tired sigh. I couldn't stop people from talking about their close friends. And lately, everything—meaningful or not—seemed to remind me of him. That beautiful face I kept trying to bury deep in my mind kept resurfacing, mocking me.
I lifted my gaze from the reflections on the water to the sky. The clouds trying to cover the full moon felt like a mirror of my inner world. No matter how hard I tried to feel okay, the moment I heard his name, the tightness in my chest took over.
It was far too late to run.
Maybe I should've started worrying about my mental health at this point. What sane person felt this much for someone they'd known only a few weeks—someone they'd barely seen a handful of times?
Another deep sigh escaped me. In this dangerous game I was playing with myself, every move cost me another piece. I could feel the end approaching. All it took was one move to win.
And his voice echoed in my head.
"Check."
I stretched my arms forward and exhaled in frustration, lowering my face. Looking at the water, I muttered angrily.
"You'll never learn, Duru. Never."
Then I felt it.
Someone was watching me.
I lifted my head slightly. A little further away, just outside the light, stood a silhouette. Hooded. I couldn't see his face. My heart started racing for no reason at all. He was looking at me. I was sure of it.
I took a step. Then another.
"Duru, are you okay?"
I flinched at the voice and turned to the man approaching from behind me. What was he doing here?
When he reached my side, I looked back to where I'd seen the hooded figure.
But it was gone.
Just like that—as if it had never existed.
I scanned the area frantically, frowning. Was that even possible? Or had my paranoia crossed into hallucinations?
"Is someone bothering you?"
I took one last look at where I thought the figure had been and turned to Kerem.
"Kind of…"
I hesitated. Finishing that sentence could cause all kinds of trouble. I wasn't even sure what I'd seen myself—bringing it up would sound strange. Best case, Kerem wouldn't think it was odd. Worst case, he'd tie it to his own problems and say something that would only irritate me more.
I shook my head.
"No. It's nothing."
As his suspicious gaze lingered on my face, I struggled to handle the impact of seeing him again after so long. No matter how much I tried to look away, I couldn't.
In his midnight-blue shirt and matching dark trousers, he looked breathtaking. When he draped his jacket over my shoulders, I tried to stop him.
"You don't have to, Kerem. I'm fine."
He answered irritably beneath furrowed brows.
"People who are fine don't tremble, Duru."
Because his hands still held the lapels of the jacket, we were standing far too close. It had been so long since I'd seen him this close. His hair, lightly stirred by the breeze, made you want to reach out and touch it; his facial features looked as if every inch had been carefully drawn, his lips full, and of course those beautiful caramel-colored eyes I could stare at for hours without getting tired…
When he swallowed slowly, my gaze drifted back to his lips.
"I warned you twice, Sunshine. There won't be a third time."
After those words brushed against my lips, the only thing I felt was his mouth on mine.
For a brief second, I froze. Then my eyes slowly closed as I placed my hands against his chest. When I kissed him back, his tongue pressed for permission, and I parted my lips in response, deepening the kiss. When his hands slid to my waist and pulled me closer, a soft sound escaped me and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
In that moment, my last piece fell.
"Checkmate."