Don't Read (The Last Page)

even in my worst lies (you saw the truth in me)

What if Serkan saw right through Eda's breakup speech back in episode 25?

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"Thank you, Eda Yıldız."

That hurt. Hearing those words hurt. Hearing them from Eda's mouth hurt more.

The broken look on her face might as well have taken a gun and shoot him in the heart.

It was a look he knew all too well.

He had the exact same broken look on his face after he broke up with her when he found out the truth.

Everything she said tonight, every word that came out of her mouth was nothing but a lie. Just like everything he said that night was a lie.

He knew Eda. He knew her well. She'd never be this cruel. Not to him.

Eda may have been the one saying those words but they weren't hers. It was her grandmother's.

All week, Eda kept warning him about her grandmother. How dangerous she was, what lengths she could go to to get what she wanted. He should have listened.

It wasn't hard to put two and two together.

Ms Semiha probably threatened Eda and she did this to protect him.

Pot.. meet kettle.

He understood it. He did. He broke her heart all those months ago to protect her.

The thing was, he was tired.

He was tired of the back and forth. Tired of not being able to hug her or hold her hand or kiss her the way he desired.

He wasn't going to let her go so easily.

Not this time.

They'd face her grandmother together. Come what may.

So he found himself at her house, knocking on her door like a mad man. Melek opened the door.

"Enişte?"
"Is she upstairs?"
"She doesn't want to see you."
"Yeah, well, tough luck. We need to talk."

He didn't wait for her answer and barged in. He climbed the stairs two at a time and found her room. It never even occured to him that he'd never been in her room before. He just knew where it was.

She was laying down on her bed, still in the clothes she wore that night, hugging to her pillow with a guitar pick in her hand.

His guitar pick.

He knew it.

"Eda?"
"Serkan? What are you doing here? Get out!"
"Not until we talk."
"We have nothing left to talk about. I said all I needed to say. We're done. It's o-over."
"Say that again without your voice breaking."
"Serk-"
"If it's over then why do you look like you've been crying like you just lost someone? Why are your eyes red? Why are you hanging on to my guitar pick?"

She didn't answer him. She averted her eyes instead.

"Eda, don't do this. Just talk to me. Don't do what I did."
"I can't."
"It's your grandmother. Isn't it? She's making you do this. What did she say to you Eda?"
"You don't understand."
"Then make me! Don't do what I did, Eda. Don't let her do to us what she did to your parents. You don't have to do this alone Eda, please. Please, talk to me."
"She put you in jail. Your father was arrested because I didn't break up with you soon enough. She won't stop, Serkan. Please just go. Don't make it any harder than it already is."
"Tell me everything. What does she want from you?"
"Serkan, please."
"Tell me."
"She wants me to get married with someone of her choice. She'll destroy you, your parents, your company, your reputation. She's going to destroy everything and everyone you care about, if I don't do what she says."
"You're not serious. You can't be serious. Tell me you won't do this. You won't actually get married to someone else just to protect me."

She couldn't do it. She couldn't lie to him. Not anymore. Not when he was right there, begging her to tell him what was going on.

"Of course I won't! Are you crazy? I'm just playing along long enough so I can find something to make her go away! She's smart, Serkan. I know her. I had the front row seat to watch what she did to my parents. You cannot underestimate her. She'll notice the slightest slip up. She was there and she was watching. I had to make it look real."
"So what you said tonight..?"
"It was a lie. It was all a lie. I didn't mean a single word of what I said."

He was breathing again. He hadn't even realized he'd stopped. He pulled her close and hugged her. Tightly.

"Don't ever do that to me again."
"I won't. I didn't exactly enjoy it, you know? How did you know I was hiding something?"
"The look on your face. I had the same look when I broke up with you that night."
"I knew you were hiding something back then. That's why I kept pushing."
"I know. You and I have major communication problems to work out."
"You don't say?"
"But first, your grandmother. I won't underestimate her. And I will play along. But I don't want you to put yourself in dangerous situations, alright? I need you to come to me when you need help. Promise me."
"Promise."
"Thank you."
"At work, we are just two coworkers. Nothing more. Don't come by my desk or call me to your office unless it's actually about work. Just be your work-oriented robot-self."
"So, back to robot Bolat, huh?"
"Don't forget that I fell in love with robot Bolat. I just need you to play it up a little bit."
"Your wish is my command."

She buried her face into his chest, not wanting to let go.

"Hey. Look at me? We're going to be okay."
"I hope so. I want us to be."
"I should probab-"
"Stay. Please?"
"I thought we needed to be careful?"
"We do. But I need you to stay with me tonight. If we're going to be two strangers at work for a while, I need to get my fill of you."
"That is one of the best ideas you've had tonight."