Erkenci Kuş: Broken Promises

Part 11: Can

Song: Paloma Faith's Only love can hurt like this

I tell myself you don't mean a thing
And what we got, got no hold on me
But when you're not there, I just crumble
I tell myself I don't care that much
But I feel like I die 'til I feel your touch

Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must've been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this

Say I wouldn't care if you walked away
But every time you're there, I'm beggin' you to stay
And when you come close (when you come close), I just tremble
And every time, every time you go
It's like a knife that cuts right to my soul

Only love, only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Must've been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burn into my skin
Only love can hurt like this

But it's the sweetest pain
Burnin' hot through my veins
Love is torture, makes me more sure
Only love can hurt like this

*****

"Oğlum! Aslanım! Nasilsin? How was your trip?" Can laughed heartily as his father's voice barrelled down the phone.

"Iyiyim, Babam. My trip went well. How's your cruise going?" Can grimaced at the thought of how unfruitful his trip had been but shoved it to the back of his mind to focus on his dad.

"Ben de." Aziz replied.

They chatted for a few more minutes as Can updated him on how the agency was doing.

"Harika! Enough about work, oğlum. So how are things going with the love of your life? You didn't ever tell me her name? Should I start heading home so I can meet her?" Aziz's full-throated laughter barrelled out.

Pain stabbed at Can's heart. It was the same whenever her name was mentioned or she was referenced. He couldn't seem to escape her even though she wasn't in his life anymore.

He couldn't lie to his father. Lying went against everything believed in. But he couldn't tell him the truth either.

Luckily, a knock on the door provided him the perfect out. "Babam, I'm so sorry, I have to run now. Duty calls." He promised to call again soon then disconnected.

Waving Guliz in, he waited for her to speak.

"Can bey, while you were away, I booked you an appointment for Ceyda hanim and Gamze hanim to come and see you. It's today at 2pm."

"Thank you, Guliz. Please let me know when they get here." Can sighed. Fikri Harika had got the Compass Sport contract but, with his trip to London, he hadn't spent any time on it, leaving it all to Deren and the creative team.

He hadn't met Ceyda, Compass Sport's CEO but he knew Gamze. She was a friend from university. They'd lost touch until she'd turned up at Fikri Harika with the CS team to discuss the requirements of the campaign.

He leaned back and swivelled his chair from side to side. A wave of longing washed over Can. He missed his father. Aziz Divit. Though his dad had begged him to take over the company while he went on an extended holiday, Can had found out the real reason for his trip. Metin, his estranged friend and family lawyer had broken attorney-client confidentiality and told him his father was going away for treatment for a pulmonary condition. His dad, for whatever reason had decided to keep it from him and Emre.

Plagued with guilt, Can wished he'd been around more. That he'd spent more time with his dad instead of being away from him for extended periods. He prayed the treatment would work and his dad would come back and take his rightful place at the helm of the company he'd built from scratch forty years ago. He prayed that he would honour his dad's legacy. Most of all, he prayed that by the time his dad came back, he would have unravelled the giant knot that was his feelings about Sanem.