Your Grace - Burak Çelik

CHAPTER 19

A/N: Long chapter uwu

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" said Ayedah after Burak had dropped them off at home after the match. "Yeah, it was," said Aarif as he hung up his coat. "I really enjoyed myself today...the match was great too, I've never really watched the Turks play- they do really well." "I know," said Ayedah with a small smile. "Every time I absentmindedly watch them play on TV or something, I wonder if you've ever followed them." "I wish I did sooner," said Aarif. "But now I can, thanks to Burak." He smiled suddenly. "Which is another thing I do want to talk about," he began.

"I think that he's good for you."

Ayedah frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. "You know what I mean," said Aarif, giving her a look. "Just accept his proposal already. And you don't even need my permission for this- if I approve of him, I'm sure Aunty Gab does." Ayedah stared at him. "What on Earth are you talking about?" she asked, looking rather alarmed. Now it was her brother's turn to look confused. "Isn't he courting you?" he asked slowly. "What do you mean, courting?" squeaked Ayedah. "Marrying you," said Aarif matter-of-factly, and Ayedah nearly dropped the glass she picked up to fill with water. "What?!? Of course not," said Ayedah, forcing a laugh to pretend she found it funny. "Stop messing with me, Aarif."

"I'm not," said Aarif. "Honestly...I think he genuinely likes you." Ayedah put down the glass on the counter of the kitchen island and leant against it to face her younger brother. "Well..." She didn't really know what to say to that- let alone what he really meant.

"I'm...glad he does..?" Her brother groaned. "Not just 'like' like that! I mean more than a friend!" he exclaimed. At the look on Ayedah's face, he raised his voice further to prove his point. "He. Likes. You. Like a crush!" "Most brothers don't really encourage it when their sisters are involved with a guy, if I'm being honest," said Ayedah matter-of-factly, her voice so stonily nonchalant it would drive anyone insane if they were involved in that present situation. "Besides, it's not like that with me and Burak. We're-" "Just friends?" Aarif snorted. "Just friends don't look at each other the way he looks out for you. The way he talks to you. The way he looks out for you- damn, he even has a Turkish nickname for you."

"He said he does for everyone," said Ayedah casually. "And besides, he's just calling me by a title, it's not a nickname." "Oh really," said Aarif sarcastically, and Ayedah sighed at him, very nearly as exasperated as he was. "It means 'Miss Writer'," she explained. "I assume it's a title they have for writers here." Aarif gave her a skeptical look; "And you accept that he calls you 'Miss'," he demanded. "Ayedah, I do recall you getting very irritated with people who would give you titles when you were younger. What changed with him?"

Ayedah had had enough. She shot her brother the sharpest look she could muster at that moment and immediately, his slightly smug and mockingly exasperated expression wilted into one of slight apprehension. "Look, really, you're just being ridiculous at this point," she snapped. "Please stop persisting on this. Look, I know Burak did do a lot for us, which I am eternally grateful for, but I believe it to be sincere. He's not doing it to woo me or anything, why would he anyway? Stop trying to make it a big deal, please Aarif."

"He would like you because you're a good person," said Aarif. "Anyone would, if they knew you enough." Ayedah's stern expression immediately softened; "You've never said that before," she said quietly. "Well, it's true," he said sheepishly. "You are a good person, even though I know you don't think you are." He sighed as he sat down on a chair at the island. "Look, maybe I didn't say anything, but don't think I never noticed when you were suffering," he said. "Maybe I don't know everything you've gone through, maybe I don't know what you went through each and every day- but I do know that you suffered at home...there were some things which I saw with my own eyes." "Did you now?" asked Ayedah. She began to wonder if he secretly knew about her disorder, too.