When I opened my eyes again, I didn't expect to find myself leaning against a tree at the edge of the cliff. I must've fallen asleep while he was carrying me. And honestly, that short sleep had helped. My blinding anger and dizziness were gone.
Noticing movement beside me, I slowly turned my head.
Rüzgâr was leaning against the same tree, one leg stretched out, the other bent, his arm resting on it as he stared thoughtfully at the view ahead. He didn't seem to realize I was awake.
Like this, he looked so beautiful that I couldn't resist watching him for a few minutes while he was distracted.
His face was striking at first glance. A sharp jawline. A straight, confident nose. Lips that rarely moved but always seemed tightly controlled. The deep gaze beneath his brows gave his face a natural severity. His eyes were black—not cold, but distant. Intense enough to steal your breath if you looked too long. His dark hair was neatly swept back, emphasizing his features.
Everything about him was balanced. Not soft, not harsh—perfectly in between. The kind of attractiveness that made you stop and look again.
If he didn't allow it, you'd never know what he was truly feeling. His voice was deep and calm, impressive yet cautious. And above all, he carried himself with a strength and nobility that never faltered.
Like a ruthless predator who used charm and beauty to trap its prey.
In short—
He was dangerous.
Of course, I hadn't discovered any of this in the last two minutes. I'd first seen Rüzgâr three years ago, on my very first day of university, and ever since then, my eyes had always drifted toward him whenever we were in the same place.
The strange part was that back then, watching him didn't make my stomach flutter or my heart race or my palms sweat.
No.
All of that started after the second time we kissed.
And considering the first time had been while I was drunk, I supposed that made sense.
When he let out a tired sigh and closed his eyes, I snapped out of my thoughts and tried to understand what was wrong. I was sure he'd been fine—almost cheerful—after the race. But now he looked drained and lost in thought.
Then Duru's words came back to me, and I cursed myself for being so thoughtless. Once again, I'd acted selfishly, as if I were the only one with problems.
Compared to everything this man had been through, my struggles were insignificant. Losing his entire family at a young age—only to find out years later that it hadn't been an accident, but murder.
I couldn't truly understand how that felt. But I knew reopening a wound that deep wouldn't be something anyone could handle easily.
I felt even worse about the way I'd snapped at him in the car. I'd had my reasons, but I didn't need to be that harsh. Maybe that was how he dealt with things.
We all coped differently. I drank when I was unhappy. Duru drowned herself in junk food and TV shows. Aylin exhausted herself with endless work just to avoid thinking.
We were all different.
I straightened slightly and placed my hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
He turned to me, looking confused, and I explained with a small smile.
"For what I said in the car. I went too far. I'm not great at holding back when I'm angry. I'm sorry."
"After your inspirational speech to Çağrı, I figured as much."
I laughed awkwardly and brushed my hair back.
"It was a bit harsh, huh? But unlike you, he deserved every word. He almost killed us."
"I thought you trusted me."
His tone was teasing, but I didn't understand what he meant.
"Huh?"
"You said that before the bet with Çağrı."
My face started heating up, and even though I lowered my head and let my hair fall forward, I doubted the moonlight let it go unnoticed.
"I meant it. I trust you, Rüzgâr. Even without a reason. But that doesn't mean I think you're a superhero. You can have an accident too."
"I haven't had one since I started driving."
"Oh…"
Not knowing what else to say, I changed the subject.
"Where are the others? Did they leave?"
"No. They're back where we started. The party goes on until morning."
"Hmm…"
What was wrong with me?
I couldn't remember the last time talking had felt this difficult. Was it guilt? Or was being this close to Rüzgâr affecting me more than I'd expected?
"You're angry at Duru, but you're not that different from her."
"I don't understand."
"You got mad at her for blindly following Kerem and putting herself in danger. But tonight, you did the same thing."
I sighed and nodded.
"I know. The moment I thought I was going to die in that car, I forgave all of them. They don't know it yet, but oh well. A little guilt won't hurt them."
He sighed this time.
"I don't blame you for what you said. I just didn't expect you to be that scared."
"Are you kidding me, Rüzgâr? I was in a car going straight toward a cliff at four hundred kilometers per hour! You're lucky I didn't have a heart attack!"
"It wasn't four hundred," he said with a faint smile.
I rolled my eyes but smiled back.
"Whatever."
"I wouldn't have let you get into the car if I thought something bad would happen."
"What do you mean?"
When he smiled gently, I buried my face in my hands and wanted to run away screaming. Even if he hadn't thought it before, he'd probably be convinced by now that I was just a stupid blonde.
"If I hadn't been confident—if I thought there was even a small chance you could get hurt—I wouldn't have let you ride with me, no matter what you said."
"Why does that sound like your way of apologizing?"
He laughed and shrugged. I smiled too.
"I might consider forgiving you if you promise not to tell anyone you carried me."
That made him smile again—but this time, it was different. It reached his eyes. And just seeing it made my heart stumble.
Silence settled around us again. Even though I knew I'd regret it later, I decided to bring up the thing that had been eating at me.
"Rüzgâr… I'm sorry about your family."
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."
He said it in such a way that I immediately looked up at him.
"And it wasn't your fault either. You know that, right?"
He kept staring into the void without answering. I moved away from the tree, knelt in front of him, and gently placed my hand on his chin, turning his face toward me.
"I'm serious, Rüzgâr. None of this was your fault. Going to that party might've been your idea, but even if you'd stayed home, nothing would've changed. If someone else in your family had survived instead of you, would you want them to blame themselves?"
He looked away.
I continued softly.
"Exactly. You wouldn't. So stop blaming yourself too. You were just a kid. And no matter how much you want to believe otherwise, you know there was nothing you could've done. I'm not saying this just to comfort you. I really—"
His lips suddenly crashed against mine, cutting me off.
It took me a few seconds to respond, but when I did, he pulled me closer—one hand on my cheek, the other on my waist.
His kiss was nothing like gentle or tender.
It was intense. Demanding. Full of desire.
He knew exactly what he was doing, and I'd never felt this weak or needy before. Every place his hands touched felt like it belonged to him, not me.
No man had ever made me feel this completely claimed with a single touch.
When his finger brushed my lower lip, my mouth parted instinctively, allowing him to deepen the kiss. My arms wrapped around his neck, my fingers tangling in his hair as he pulled me onto his lap.
Straddling him, every inch of space between us vanished. Even through our thick clothes, I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
When he finally pulled away, we were both breathless. I never would've guessed leaving his lips would feel like such a loss.
I knew he wanted more—just as much as I did—but I was certain he wouldn't act on it.
"I should take you home."
Still shaken, I only nodded.
As I looked into his mesmerizing eyes glowing under the moonlight, one thought crossed my mind.
Now I knew what it meant when Rüzgâr Atahan kissed me back.
What I also knew was this—I was in trouble.
Big trouble.