Far Side of the Dolunay

New places (3. Bölüm)

A/N: a little bit of a sad chapter for this episode - both Ferit and Nazlı are slowly coming to understand each other better, but I wanted to get a bit more into Ferit's head, so full of grief and busy just trying to get through. I think it explains why he behaves as he does for the next couple of episodes.

Nazlı flipped to her other side again, before flopping to her back with a gusty exhale. How could a room be so comfortable and not bring any sleep?

She turned and sat on the edge of the bed. It was a little hot in here. Maybe water would help...

She slipped into her dressing gown and went to the door, turning the handle quietly and creeping out, listening for any sign of having been heard... It wouldn't surprise her if Ferit Bey had alarmed the bedroom door, making sure she wasn't roaming the house out of hours. 'Alert: unplanned activity detected!'

The conversation after dinner was ridiculous - he wanted to know everywhere she and Bulut went? All because Demet, his blood relative, had seen Bulut and essentially showered affection on him?

It was awful what had happened to him, to the whole family, but whatever Fatoş might suspect, Ferit Bey made it very difficult to soften towards him. The term 'control freak' was coined for the man.

Nazlı shuffled downstairs and into the kitchen, peacefully cloaked in shadows but dimly lit by the garden lights, the glow from the swish wine rack, and the shine of the moon filtering through the blinds. The sound of the water bubbling from the jug into the glass was oddly satisfying, and she lifted it to her mouth as she turned-

'AAAGGGHHH!'

'Shh, shh, you'll wake Bulut up.' Ferit Bey stood a few feet away with an infuriatingly innocent look on his face, holding his own water glass.

Of course. The warden.

'You scared me half to death! How do you keep just looming up out of the darkness?!' she finally gasped a breath, clapping her hand to her pounding heart.

'Drink some water.'

She took a gulp of the cool liquid. He stood still, the innocent look still on his face, in a soft tshirt and sweats, his hair tumbling boyishly over his forehead like he'd been asleep. How did such a big man move so quietly? Oh, he was barefoot.... well...

'Could you not sleep?' Nazlı tore her eyes up to his face.

'No, it's always the same, my first night in a new place.' Well, the first night she was aware of where she was, anyway... No, let's not bring that up!

'Your room isn't comfortable?' he asked, concern on his face.

'No, no, thank you, it's perfectly comfortable. I have everything I could want. Even the fireplace, it's lovely, fits in with the decor very well, not that I'd use it right now of course, it's summer... That is, it's just a little warm in there,' she trailed off awkwardly.

He seemed bemused by her waffling but satisfied, and in the following beat of silence Nazlı decided to go for it.

'Ferit Bey, it's good that I ran into you actually, there was something I wanted to say.' She took a breath. 'The incident with Demet Hanım-'

'I know, I know you have no blame in that,' he interrupted.

So magnanimous. 'Yes. I know. It was something else. When they were together today, Demet Hanım really seemed to love Bulut, and he liked her too. It didn't feel like they hadn't seen each other for years... I just thought you should know that.'

He had gone very still as she spoke, his eyes focused on her face, but his head dropped back a little, his expression skeptical. He wasn't buying it. Stubborn man!