"This—"
A cough from behind us made us both straighten up instantly and turn toward the sound. The shock of locking eyes with the last person I expected to see overshadowed even the embarrassment of being caught tangled up with Kerem.
"Rüzgar!"
"I didn't mean to interrupt, but I need to talk to Kerem."
Though his expression was as cold and sharp as ever, there seemed to be a faint hint of amusement in his voice. I wasn't sure whether it was because he'd seen us like that or because he enjoyed our surprise. I stood up, adjusting my clothes and hair while murmuring uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze.
"It's fine. We were just chatting."
Kerem hesitated for a moment, looked at me, then sighed and turned to Rüzgar.
"Did Mert tell you?" When Rüzgar nodded briefly, Kerem stood and turned to me. "Would you excuse us, Duru?"
"Of course. I was getting sleepy anyway."
As I was about to leave the room, I stopped in front of Rüzgar and placed a hand on his arm.
"I'm glad you're okay."
Despite his small but sincere smile, I smiled back before stepping away. I left the living room and headed upstairs. Once I entered Kerem's room, I sighed and sat at the foot of the bed.
Part of me was relieved that Rüzgar had returned safely, but another part wanted to curse his awful timing out loud. If he hadn't shown up, I could still be enjoying being in Kerem's arms. But since what was done was done, dwelling on it was pointless.
When I remembered the last thing he'd said, my brows furrowed. Which question had he meant? Had he asked something at one of those moments when I was lost in my own thoughts and fantasies again? But if he was so insistent on an answer, something must have interrupted me before I could respond.
Wait a second. Could he be talking about the offer I hadn't taken seriously?
With wide eyes, I jumped up and began pacing the room, trying to piece things together amid the sudden rush of excitement. But Rüzgar's arrival had happened at such a moment that there were countless possibilities to fill in the gap.
Lately, Kerem's increasingly affectionate behavior seemed to support that idea. Still, after the disappointments I'd endured one after another, I couldn't find the courage to assume that Kerem might actually have feelings for me.
That was exactly why I struggled to believe that he wanted me by his side not out of guilt, but because he genuinely felt something.
Sitting back on the bed, I pulled my phone from my pocket, set my alarm, and placed it on the nightstand. I'd pushed my brain hard enough for one day, and I needed rest. Lifting the blanket and crawling into bed, I noticed that there hadn't been a single sound from downstairs since I'd come up. Smiling, I hugged my pillow.
I didn't want the two of them to argue any further. Not just because they shared a past, but because they were more than brothers. To get through the chaos they were facing, they needed each other's support more than anyone else's. Anyone who saw them together would agree with me.
Yes, Demir and Bora were close friends too, but the energy Rüzgar and Kerem radiated when they were side by side was completely different. It was as if, as long as they were together, the possibility of anyone or anything breaking or harming them simply didn't exist.
As I yawned repeatedly, I closed my eyes and let myself fall into a sweet sleep.
I jolted awake, gasping, and sat up in bed, staring into the dark room. I took a deep breath, brushed the hair from my face, and rubbed my eyes. It had been a long time since I'd woken up this terrified from nightmares.
After what I'd seen, falling back asleep wouldn't be easy. Watching that movie had been a huge mistake—but it wasn't just the giant man-eating whales that were keeping me awake.
When I remembered the hooded man dressed in black, wearing a mask, and the things he'd said in my dream, every hair on my body stood on end. His touch had felt so real that I could've sworn he was in the same room as me. Panicked by that thought, I jumped out of bed, turned on the light, and scanned the room again.
After checking the balcony door lock and nervously searching the bathroom, I was sure I was alone. Walking over to the nightstand and seeing that it was four-thirty in the morning, I grumbled unhappily. I still had almost five hours before I needed to wake up. And since I wasn't in my own home, I had nothing to distract me during that time.
Grabbing my pillow and the folded blanket at the edge of the bed, I quietly went downstairs into the living room. Rather than staying alone, on edge, and sleepless until morning, it made more sense to sleep next to Kerem. I'd choose an uncomfortable sleep on a couch over tossing and turning in fear on that bed any day.
In the dim light cast by the lamps at opposite corners of the room, I saw Kerem sleeping on his back on the three-seater couch, his arms folded over his chest. I sighed involuntarily.
His smooth, masculine face—framed by rebellious, wavy strands of hair falling across his forehead—glowed in the low light that illuminated part of him while leaving the rest in shadow. Paired with his solid build, he looked like some divine being fallen from the sky.
Not that I'd ever seen a divine being before, but even if I had, I doubted it could've been more perfect than the man lying before me.
"I can understand wanting to enjoy the view, but I can't sleep if you're just standing there staring at me all night, Sunshine."