She snatches her hands from his and stands to pace the floor in anger. Her therapy sessions have been making her stronger, so she makes a few passes across the floor before she begins to tire. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of helping her, she finds her own seat and makes sure it's far from him. She can't let him be near or touch her. Because when he touches her, she can't think. And right now, she needs to think.
"So when Cemre took me shopping and made me buy all that stuff? She was doing that to make me look bad?"
"She said you left your credit card at home, so she offered to pay for everything. But that you spent more than even her credit limit allowed," Emir explains.
"That's not what happened," Reyhan sobs, the full realization of what Cemre and Cavidan had done finally sinking in. "I didn't want any of that stuff. I didn't even want to go shopping."
"I'm sorry," he apologizes. "Sorry that they did that. Sorry I believed them."
He can't stand to see her crying so he goes to her. He kneels next to her and tries to catch her eyes. But the angry fire burning in her eyes makes him feel even worse. Because she's not just mad. She's also hurt. He did that to her.
"And you," she continues, stopping to wipe her cheeks. "You set me up with that dinner on the beach. You took me out there, showed me a good time, and then gave me that check. Do you know how that made me feel? Of course you do. It made me feel exactly how you wanted me to feel. Like a whore."
"Reyhan. Don't say that. Please," he begs her.
"What? It's true, isn't it? 'Payment ... for your services' you said. And then you just left me there. Do you hate me that much too? Was any of that day on the beach real? Is any of this real? Are you playing me now?"
"No! Of course not!"
"How am I supposed to know what's real and what's not real?"
She pushes him away and gets out of the chair, moving towards the door. Leaving. Leaving him. And it makes him panic.
"Reyhan?"
"Don't follow me," she calls over her shoulder, hand on the door handle. "I can't be here right now."
"Reyhan, please. Can you just listen to me?"
He comes up behind her and covers her hand with his own, not letting her leave.
"That day on the beach was real," he tells her. "So real that I almost forgot about my plans for revenge. But I'll never forget that day. It was the first time we danced. I didn't want it to end."
She isn't actively trying to leave anymore and he considers that a good sign. So he continues.
"I couldn't think straight," he confesses. "You had my mind all messed up. I didn't know what to believe about you. I was convinced you were running a con on me, yet I still couldn't let you go. My heart didn't want to let you go. But my pride got in the way. And we both ended up paying the heavy price of that pride."
She turns around and faces him, tears still streaming down her face.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you," he says, still apologizing. "I'm sorry I let them hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't have your back the way a husband should. But I can promise you I'll have your back now. I'll be there to protect you against anything. Even my mother. I won't let them hurt you again. I don't ever want to see your eyes filled with tears again. Just say it isn't too late."
When he reaches out to her and she no longer pulls away from him, he considers that another good sign. When he holds out his arms, she falls into them and he can't help but be relieved. She buries her face in his neck, still crying. But she doesn't seem to be angry anymore. Just sad. And that breaks his heart even more.
"Oh, Baby," he sighs. "I was so stupid. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Why would they do this?" she asks tearfully. "Why do they hate me?"
"They hate you because I ... because I love you," he manages to say.
Her little gasp of surprise brings a small smile to his lips.
"Emir?"
"Shhh! I'm just putting it out there. I just want you to know. Just take it in for now. We'll figure it all out later," he reassures her. "Just say that you're willing to stay in this with me. Just say that you'll be patient with me. That you'll forgive me when I mess up."
She lets out a heavy sigh before looking up at him.
"It wasn't your fault. Your mother and Cemre started all this."
"But how I acted, how I treated you ... that's on me. But you have my word," he swears. "You have my vow that I will never do that again. When we have problems, they will stay between us. And we'll work them out. My mother wants to hurt me. Cemre wants to hurt me. But you, I trust with my heart. I know now that you won't do anything to hurt me on purpose."
"Not if I can help it," she promises in return. "That's my vow to you too, Emir."
He smiles at her and hugs her.
"As long as we keep these promises then nothing can come between us."
"Your mother terrifies me," Reyhan whispers. "If she wants me gone, I'm afraid that she won't stop until I'm gone."
His mother scares him too. But Emir isn't going to let anything happen to Reyhan. His mother will lose him before he'd ever let Reyhan go. He just hopes it won't come down to that.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Defne thanks Zafer for the ride and gets out of the car. She waves him off, but he insists on waiting until she gets inside. Just as she's about to put her key into the lock, a man steps out of the darkness and startles her. He had been waiting for her.
"Fatih!" she says, putting a hand to her chest. "You scared me. What are you doing here? And why? You walked out on me months ago and I haven't heard one word from you since."
Looking at him now, Defne doesn't know what she ever saw in him. Sure he's good looking and has a good job and nice car. And at first he treated her well. Or so she thought. Unfortunately 'faithful' doesn't turn out to be one of his character traits.
"Babe, let's talk," he says, making her skin crawl even more. She can't believe she ever let this guy touch her. She can't believe she thought she would marry him.
"About what? About how you left me for Burcu? Or about how she left you for someone else?" Defne asks, folding her arms defensively across her chest. "I don't care about anything you have to say. And I don't have anything to say to you. So just go."
"She didn't leave me. I'm the one who sent her packing," Fatih claims. "She lied about the baby."
She just shakes her head and turns her back on him. She's done talking. She was done talking months ago when he left.
But apparently he's not done with her. He grabs her arm and tries to pull her back to him which makes her begin to struggle with him. Too tired to fight with him, she begins to fear that her struggles are in vain.
"Is there a problem here?"
Zafer comes up behind them and surprises them both. He walks to Defne's side and stands between her and Fatih. Fatih is forced to let go of Defne's arm.
"Are you okay?" Zafer asks Defne, concerned at the fear he sees in her eyes. "Is this guy bothering you?"
"This guy is her fiance," Fatih spits out. "Why don't you just leave us alone, Pal."
"Ex fiance," Defne corrects him.
"Ahh. The mistake," Zafer says, understanding dawning. He's the jerk she was talking about earlier. "You need me to take care of him? My offer still stands."
Defne just laughs and shakes her head, remembering how Zafer offered to beat up Fatih for her. She's amazed how this guy she just met can turn this nightmare into something that makes her smile.
"No need to fight," she says, giving Zafer an easy smile. "Fatih has already lost. There's nothing here for him."
"Nothing here? You weren't saying that three months ago when you claimed I was your baby's father. So were you just lying like your little friend?"
Defne goes pale. She was hoping he had forgotten. She places her hand on her still flat belly as if to shield her unborn child from her ex.
"Just leave, Fatih," she begs. "We have nothing left to discuss."
"Or is this guy the father?" Fatih guesses. "Were you messing around behind my back?"
Zafer starts to worry when Defne begins to shake. This guy is really rattling her. He needs to help.
"Looks like you figured us out," Zafer says, slipping an arm around Defne's waist. Not only to hold her up, because she looks about ready to collapse. But also to give Fatih the impression they're a couple. "Maybe you should go, like the lady asked."
"Fine. But you'll be back," Fatih snarls at Defne. "You'll be back when you miss all the things I could buy for you. But don't bring the kid with you. I'm not taking care of anyone else's brat."
With that, Fatih storms off.
"What a nightmare," Defne groans, leaning into Zafer's side before she realizes what she's doing. "I'm so sorry for pulling you into this mess. But Fatih is gone now, thanks to you. That should be the last I see of him."
"Do you mind my asking what's going on?" Zafer asks, leading her to the swing on her porch and sitting with her. "He's the jerk ex, I presume?"
"Fatih left when I told him I was pregnant," Defne starts, figuring Zafer deserves to know the truth. "He didn't believe me because my best friend Burcu stole my test and told him it was hers. Because, unbeknownst to me, he was sleeping with her too. Word out on the street is that she found a guy even richer than Fatih and left him after confessing she lied about the baby."
"Those two sound like they deserve each other," Zafer says. "You're better off without him."
"Definitely," Defne agrees, caressing her belly. "My baby and I will be just fine on our own."
Zafer looks down at her stomach uncomfortably. He hadn't known she was pregnant. Now that he does, he doesn't know what to think.
"Don't get that look on your face," she teases him. "Mister anti-wife and anti-family."
"I didn't say those were bad things. Just not for me," Zafer clarifies. But she just keeps laughing at him.
"You're panicking," she points out. "But I'm the same Defne you met a couple of hours ago. And neither of us are looking for a relationship. Remember?"
"Yeah, in your case, I can see why." He laughs when she playfully punches him.
"Brief lapse in judgement with that one. I don't know what I was thinking," she admits. "He's trash. But you're not, Zafer bey. You seem like a decent guy. Thanks for helping me tonight."
"You helped me with Ayla's room," he shrugs. "We're even."
After an awkward silence, Zafer looks at his watch.
"Um, are you going to be okay? I mean, that guy isn't going to come back tonight, is he?"
"Fatih? Definitely not. Running is what he does best," she says, rolling her eyes. "But it is late. I should go in."
He nods, standing up when she does. She shakes her head, laughing internally at his persistence, but then goes inside when she realizes he's not leaving until she's in the house. She has to admit, the man has impeccable manners.
"Good night, Zafer," she calls from the door.
"Good night, Defne."
With a final wave, he finally turns to leave. He can't stop himself from taking one last look at what he's leaving behind. If she were any other girl, he might have talked her into letting him stay. But despite her current predicament, he doesn't think she's that kind of girl. This girl is special. He can feel it. She's a girl like Reyhan. A girl you marry.
When the thought of marriage doesn't repulse him like it normally does, he realizes it's time to get far, far away from Defne. He loves Emir, but the last thing he needs is to end up like him. So what if the guy seems happier than ever. Or that he has a wonderful woman to love him and take care of him. To support him and fill his solitary days with joy. And his cold bed with warmth. He doesn't need any of that.
"Your life is perfect as it is, Zafer," he tells himself. But no longer sure he believes it.
With a sigh, he takes one last look at Defne's house and then drives away. All the while trying to figure out how his "perfect" life suddenly seems more lonely than he remembers.