Even though he spoke quietly, I hadn't expected him to be awake. Startled, I stepped back.
Did this guy have some kind of seventh sense that activated whenever I looked at him? Every single time, I got caught.
"I was just checking if you were asleep."
"Did something happen?"
"No, no. Go back to sleep. I was going to curl up on that couch anyway."
He opened his eyes, studied what I was holding for a moment, then looked at my face.
"Why aren't you sleeping upstairs?" I shifted uncomfortably and mumbled quickly.
"Ihadnightmareandgotscaredandcamehere." He sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes.
"Duru, don't exhaust me. Speak proper, sweetheart."
Rolling my eyes, I placed what I was holding on the loveseat and sat down in the empty space.
"I had a nightmare, and since I'm in a stranger's house, I didn't want to be alone. If that explanation is sufficient, may I sleep now, Hotshot?"
He frowned and sat up, his suspicious gaze making me uneasy. I looked away, straightening the blanket and placing the pillow at the head of the couch.
"What did you see?"
"I don't remember. Good night."
If I told him what I'd seen, I wouldn't just deepen his guilt—I'd also have to mention the man I'd seen while we were in the car. For both our sakes, it was better to keep those things to myself.
Stretching my legs as much as the couch allowed, I pulled the blanket over my head and closed my eyes. Sleeping like this would be difficult, but maybe I'd drift off eventually.
A few seconds later, I groaned in irritation as the blanket was pulled away and I looked up at the man standing over me. The tense, unhappy expression on his face made it hard to stay annoyed. Even without me saying anything, he must have guessed what I'd seen through simple logic—but that didn't mean I'd let him confirm it and feel worse.
"Will you stop looking at me like that? My nightmares have nothing to do with you. At least, not directly."
When nothing changed in his stance or gaze, I sat up, looked down at my hands in my lap, took a deep breath, and continued.
"The movie we watched… When I see scary stuff with giant fish, I get nightmares."
He stared at me a little longer before sighing, grabbing a pillow and blanket under his arm, and extending his other hand toward me. I looked at his hand, then his face, beneath my slightly furrowed brows.
"Where to?"
"Upstairs. You won't sleep comfortably here, and I don't think I need to tell you this, but you're unbearable when you don't get enough sleep, Sunshine."
"Thank you. Your compliments warm my heart, Hotshot."
Ignoring my dry jab, he took my hand, pulled me up, and led me toward the stairs without letting go. In the bedroom, he set the pillow on the bed and turned to me.
"No need to be tense. I'm not planning on sleeping with you."
After turning off the main light and switching on the night lamp, he sat on one of the armchairs opposite the bed, propped his legs on the ottoman, and draped the blanket over himself. Rolling my eyes, I climbed into bed and pulled the comforter over me.
"Kerem…"
"That's enough, Duru. Don't ask me to sing you a lullaby or tell you a bedtime story."
I giggled and waved my hand dismissively.
"I was just going to say thank you. I know I test your patience sometimes, but—"
"Sometimes?"
"Don't push it, Hotshot. Be grateful I'm thanking you!"
He laughed, leaned his head back against the chair, and closed his eyes.
"Good night, Sunshine."
"Good night."
For a few minutes, I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position. Then Kerem's scolding voice cut through the silence.
"Stop moving around and go to sleep already."
"Okay, okay, I'm sleeping."
I closed my eyes and tried to stay still, but the unease inside me refused to let me drift off. I sighed and turned to the other side.
"What now?"
"I can't sleep."
"Damn whoever made you watch that movie…"
He got up from the chair and came to the side of the bed. Lying down on his back, he pulled the comforter over himself and folded his arms across his chest. I quickly masked the smile spreading across my face with a serious expression.
I had already accepted the truth—I felt safer when I was close to him. So I shifted slightly toward him, careful not to let any other part of us touch, and rested my head on his shoulder.
"For someone who claims she can't sleep with anyone else, you seem a bit too comfortable right now."
His fair comment made me pout, and just as I was about to pull back, he suddenly turned toward me, slipped one arm under my head and the other around my waist, pulled me firmly against him, and lay back on his back. My head was on his chest, my hands awkwardly stuck between us, blinking in stunned confusion.
As warmth flooded my body with the excitement of our sudden closeness, I stayed still for a while, struggling to clear my mind of embarrassing thoughts. A few seconds later, I relaxed, shifted slightly to find a more comfortable position, and after a huge yawn that nearly tore my lips, I murmured softly.
"Are things better between you and Rüzgar?"
After a deep sigh, he answered in a low voice.
"I wouldn't say it's our best time, but I didn't expect things to be any different either. I've had time to process what I heard, but Rüzgar just learned everything. It's only natural that he needs more time to adjust."
Even though he assessed the situation logically and acted as if he'd accepted his friend's behavior, I could hear the unspoken sadness and guilt he didn't want to voice, hidden between the lines of his unusually tired tone.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. I may not have known Rüzgar as long as you have, but I don't think his anger is directed at you. Just like you, he's reacting strongly to what he learned. But trust me—both of you will return to how you were much sooner than you think."
"Duru?"
"Hm?"
He seemed torn between speaking and holding back. Sighing, he tightened the arm around me slightly.
"We should sleep now. Tomorrow will be a long day for both of us."
"Hm."
As my eyes closed on their own, his fingers stroking my hair made my lips curve upward in contentment.
"Your body knows it belongs to me, just like your heart does—but you're still in denial, Sunshine."
As that sweet weight settled over me and my consciousness slowly faded, I wasn't sure whether those whispered words were real or part of a dream—but the warm lips I felt against my forehead were far too real.