The Blood Debt

Chapter 20

Ayla

I head back to the house with Lou to find Roman, his mother and Rejab sitting at the dinner table by the pool.

There's a deathly silence to their gathering that tells me their disagreement hasn't been resolved. I feel terrible knowing my unwanted presence has caused this, something I knew would happen and wish I'd fought harder against.

I watch as Lou takes a seat next to her mother and Roman's eyes direct me to the empty seat by Rejab. The minute I lay my hand on the chair Manolya's glacial eyes land on my hands and she says no, before turning to Roman.

"Absolutely not."  

I freeze like a child caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

Roman turns to me, ignoring his mother's outburst and nods for me to sit down, but Manolya isn't having it.

"I said no," she tells him in a tone that leaves no room for argument.

"She eats in the kitchen with Emina. She's not family and she doesn't get to sit at my table," she says angrily.

Do I sit or do I leave? I'm not sure what I should do.

I look awkwardly from Roman to his mother and then back to Roman with a I-told-you-this-would-happen-look, but he's not having it either.

He completely ignores his mother and nods toward the chair again.

I'd actually prefer to eat in the kitchen and not have to sit with Manolya either. I can't think of anything worse than having her bore holes through me for the entirety of dinner, but when Roman's eyes catch mine, I realize that this habit he has of not taking no for an answer extends to his family too.

Rejab grabs a mini meatball from a platter Emina has laid out and shoves it in his mouth like he doesn't have a care in the world. He grabs the back of my chair and pulls it out for me. When I hesitate he looks up at me and pats the seat. He, like his brother, act as if Manolya is invisible.

I sit.

Lou gives me an awkward reassuring smile.

"Emina is not sitting in the kitchen today," Roman finally says acknowledging his mother's protest, "and neither is the blood debt."

"Shame on you, letting this kurve sit on your brother's table."

Lou flinches at the word and even Rejab who until now has ignored the open hostility between his brother and mother gives Manolya a disapproving glance.

Whatever it means, I'm guessing it's bad.

"... and you call yourself a man."

"Enough," Roman says through gritted teeth.

"This is my table now and you would do well to remember that you're my guest."

It makes Lou flinch, but Manolya doesn't even bat an eyelid, glaring at Roman with silent scorn.

I stand shakily, thinking I'll put an end to their bickering if I eat in the kitchen, but the minute I stand up I realize my mistake when three sets of eyes turn to me. Rejab, who has ignored everything that's happened till now, turns to me mid bite of his byrek with a look of surprise that reminds me Roman's orders aren't the kind you refute.

"I can go to the..."

I'm about to say kitchen, but I stop mid sentence when I come eye to eye with Roman.

"Sit down," he says. It's spoken in that low venomous drawl he uses when he's trying to contain his anger, and it's enough to make me realize the error of my judgment.