Not Ready To Say Goodbye | SCK AU story

Part 1: The Man I Left Behind

      The radiant sun hanging in the cloudless Mediterranean sky beats down ferociously, on a beautiful August afternoon. A gentle breeze wafting from the exquisite azure colored ocean, lying at the bottom of the rugged ridges of Amalfi Coast offers a welcoming reprieve from the scorching summer heat.

     The cozy café nestled between an eclectic boutique and a popular gelato shop has become a second home for Eda. Today she decided on her favorite off-shoulder white embroidered dress and leather strappy sandals, accessorized with a straw hat and an oversized wicker tote bag.

      Stefano, the young handsome waiter, greets her jovially at the entrance of Masaniello Art Café, as she makes her way to her designated table, out on the bougainvillea-covered cobbled patio.

        She quickly examines her reflection in the large mosaic mirror beside the patio door, and catches the piercing eyes of a couple of male admirers sitting at a table behind her. The white dress that accentuates her exquisite bronzy tan, and her sun-bleached honey-brown hair complete the 'sun goddess' look on her. Puckering her nude stained lips and tilting her head to one side, Eda gives her reflection a satisfactory nod.

      His lips curl in a hesitant smile. The air escapes her lungs as her gaze collides with his. Eda had to blink a few times to assure herself that the vision before her is not a figment of her imagination.

      The man sitting across from her in the far corner is an exact replica of the man she left almost a year ago. Her heartbreaking decision to leave the man she loves more than anything in the world has been weighing her down like a rusted anchor lying at the bottom of the ocean floor. Eda's heart is pounding as if she were a racehorse sprinting towards the finishing line, when she sees the familiar stranger approaching her table slowly, with trepidation.

      She draws her eyes up and her gaze is met by the most brilliant greenish-brown mosaic with amber speckles. Those colour-changing eyes haunt her in her dreams and undoubtedly belong to none other than Serkan Bolat. Seeing him again drudges up all the emotions she has managed to keep at bay since the night she said goodbye to him. Parting with Serkan ripped her heart open, but despite her broken heart and being away from him for 360 days, nothing has diminished the love she has for him.

      Eda follows Serkan's gaze as he pulls out the wrought iron bistro chair and sits down, facing her. She feels the invisible pull between them instantaneously, as their eyes lock, and the heaviness against her chest feels like an elephant is sitting on her.

      The one year that they've been apart seems to have worked wonders for Serkan. He looks as painfully handsome as she remembers, dressed in a crisp white polo shirt and khaki cargo pants, his well-defined chin pebbled with day-old stubble.

      Her separation from him has been very painful for her but her job has kept her busy and leaves her with little time to ruminate and wallow in self pity. Working with Efe Akman has been Eda's saving grace. She was over the moon when she received the phone call from him with a job offer at his architectural firm in Italy.

      She's aware that Efe has been infatuated with her from day one, but they have somehow managed to settle into a comfortable platonic relationship. Eda has been on a few casual dates here and there, but no one has even come close to capturing her heart. The reality is, it's virtually impossible for her to give her heart to another man when her heart already belongs to someone else. Once you've had true love, everything else feels like settling.

      The weeks following her arrival in Italy were excruciating for Eda. She remembers the countless times she held her phone in her hand, dialed Serkan's number, then hung up hastily before she entered the last digit to complete the call. Leaving him was the most gut-wrenching thing she has ever had to endure, but in her heart of hearts, she knew that it was the right thing to do.