Colliding Hearts

Chapter 20

Emre was walking towards the cafeteria with his hands in his pockets and his head down. "Emre!" I reached for his shoulder, he tensed when I tapped him. "Can I talk to you?"

"We're supposed to be in the cafeteria." 

"Please Emre" He kept walking. I pleaded, my voice filled with desperation. 

"Fine" He relented and turned around. "What happened to her? Why would she do that?" He said loudly lost in his thoughts. 

"Love" I simply stated. "Since the day you met she has always loved you. I'm not here to tell you what to do, but I ask you to understand why she did it. She wanted to make you proud and to be noticed by you, she wanted you to look at her like she's always looked at you. She's crazy about you and it made her do this dumb mistake. But she is not this liar, it's not like her. She has hurt you deeply but I hope you can listen to her and possibly find it within yourself to forgive. Knowing my sister she will carry this burden for the rest of her life."  

Emre opened his mouth to say something but I interrupted him.

"Say it to her. Remember that love is about forgiving." 

Emre's face softened. He seemed to be processing the weight of my words. 

I walk away, leaving him there. 

"I saw you talking to Emre" Leila looks at me in panic.

I give her a side hug and decided to not give her any details of our conversation. "He will come around." 

----***----

"Can I don't think we are going in the right direction."  I mutter under my breath, my eyes scanning the surroundings in search of any hint that could guide us to the hotel. I close my eyes, desperately trying to recall the survival tactics I've seen in countless movies. Come on, Sanem, think! What did they do in The Revenant when they were lost in the woods? Maybe that movie isn't the best example, that fight was gruesome. I shiver thinking of that. 

"Sanem, come on!" Can beckons me to catch up. He strides confidently a few steps ahead of me. Meanwhile, my own coordination seems to have abandoned me, as I stumble over branches, rocks, and even innocent piles of snow, my clumsiness slowing us down.

"Love, I watched a show on Nat Geo that said to look for trail signs when you're lost in the woods. Maybe we can also go to the highest peak and that could point us to the hotel." I suggest, hoping to offer a glimmer of hope.

"Babe, we will find a way back and while it's still daylight. It was a bad idea letting you drive the snowmobile." A playful smirk dancing on his lips.

I can't help but respond with a playful expression of my own, mocking his comment.

Can and I have been walking for like 20 minutes, and all the trees appear similar. The snow is reflecting the sun, which is causing me temporary blindness. My heart is beating a mile a minute and I haven seen any innocent animals during our walk. What if a bear jumps at us?  

Sanem don't be silly, bears are hibernating. My inner thought gives me a side eye 

I quickly catch up to Can once again, I was slightly behind. 

Again Sanem... keep up

We walked a till we got to a small cabin. Can told me to wait so he can check the premises. "Can I don't think you should trespass." I whisper yelled. 

"Come" he called for me after he looked around. 

The inside of the place took me by surprise. The soft glow of candles, dim lighting, throw blankets, and the presence of a charcuterie board made this a romantic environment. Wait, did he secretly planned this? 

I'm captivated by his boyish face, his flushed cheeks and that endearing habit of his to bite his lip. That's the answer I needed to know that he planned this whole thing. "So you wanted me to believe that I got us lost?" I squint my eyes and crossed my arms on my chest. 

"Sort of" He says with a seductive smirk. He gets closer and takes my hand, caressing it with the tip of his finger. "I love you" he whispers. "I wanted to do something romantic. We've been under so much stress and we needed this break for us." He kisses my hands. "And just so you know there is no funny business tonight. I have wine, movie, and card games. All PG13 here." 

I laugh. 

"I love you" I kiss his lips 

We had a wonderful time together, enjoying wine and cheese. More enjoyment on my part. Can attempted to challenge me in a game of UNO, unaware of my exceptional skills. I laugh thinking of all my celebrated dancing victories. I think one of them was the chicken dance. Throughout the night, we engaged in deep conversations like his relationship with Emre and Huma, he shared stories of his many world adventures. We even made plans to travel together in his boat. I love that Can accepts me as I am, with my quirks and childish behaviors. He even joins me in my silly ideas. 

I can't believe you had Can dancing the Macarena with you. My inner voice shakes her head 

----***----

It's eight o'clock and I find myself too energized to sleep. "Mom, I'm going to take my bike for a ride," I exclaimed, leading Rosie outside. Despite the chilly weather, riding along the boardwalk provided a moment of reflection on the incredible experiences I've had over the past few months. I've experienced the joy of falling in love, explored new career possibilities, cultivated self-assurance, created a bond with my sister, and demonstrated strength.

I take a seat on an empty bench, gazing at the water adorned with the reflections of the surrounding building lights. From this point, I can even get a good view of the lighthouse. After thinking of everything I've done, it's time to do the most important step, send my novel to an editor. In this notebook lies the greatest love story ever written, my own journey with Can Divit. In these pages I unleashed the passion, anguish, joy, and sadness ever lived. Now it's time for the world to experience that too. 

Hey where are you? I want to get the 411 on the trip. Ayhan texts me 

Sitting on the bench. Come to the shore. I reply 

A few minutes later, a sudden chill runs down my spine. "Get in the car, bitch!" Polen's voice pierced the air filled with anger. She's pointing at me with a gun in her trembling hands.

I slowly stand up from the bench and make my way to her car. 

"Not so fast. Give me the phone." I reluctantly hand it over. With a swift motion she snatches it and slams it to the concrete floor. 

She drives us away.