Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 3)

88. Tonight at seven

Can rolls his keys around his finger as he walks up to the front door from the garage.

As soon as he steps inside, however, he almost turns back around.

"Can, hello son, welcome home."

An almost painful urge to tell her to get out overtakes Can, but instead he just gives a barely there nod, then announces, "I'm going to change and leave."

"But..."

He doesn't give Huma a chance to finish what she was about to say, turning into the hallway leading to his bedroom instead.

Once inside, he kicks the door shut behind him, and walks over to his bed, tossing his jacket down on it. Then he just stands there, chewing on his bottom lip with his hands on his hips indecisively.

Should I call him or leave it alone?

He debates another few seconds before taking out his phone and putting it on speaker on the bed while he starts undressing.

The phone keeps ringing and he clenches his jaw, dropping his shirt on the floor and starting on his rings and necklaces. "Come on Emre," he huffs and redials when the line dies.
This doesn't get answered either and he picks up his phone to hang up and lock it, sighing. "Maybe it's better if you don't go."

-

"Leyla, can I come in?" Sanem calls from the other side of Leyla's door.

"Yes, you can," she answers and turns as Sanem comes in, her face smiling in amazement at Leyla. Leyla smiles back, pausing in folding the clothes she had been wearing before.

"Wow, you look amazing."

Leyla looks down at her long lilac satin dress shyly. Her hair was curled and pinned on top of her head with loose pieces framing her face.

"This dress is beautiful. Is that why you wanted the earrings?"

"Yes. And thank you."

Sanem stares at her a moment as she continues on with her folding. "Leyla?"

"Yes Sanem?" Leyla asks, looking at her and putting down the shirt in her hands.

"I want to tell you something. I know we've gone over this, I'm just...I'm a little worried...If you're making this decision last minute because you're angry - "

"Sanem," Leyla sighs. She's had a few hours now to really think. She knew it was the right decision. She was tired of getting hurt, and of seeing Emre with Aylin. She wanted to move on with her life. She could think of no one better to do it with than Osman. It was fast yes, when she called him to tell him she would be his girlfriend - she didn't think they'd end up here and engaged in the same day - but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. She and Osman knew just about everything about one another. Why should they waste any more time? "There's a saying, that the best decisions are made out of pure hopelessness. I think it's very fitting here." She looks down at their clasped hands. "Then again, the worst decisions are also made when you're heartbroken...but if you don't make any kind of decision about your life, you end up standing still." She looks up at her Sanem and nods. "I promise you this is the former and not the latter. I am hurt yes, but I won't be forever and the sooner I move on from it, the better."

Sanem looks her over as if she wanted to see if she was being truthful and Leyla smiles, pushing back the tears of finality to her decision, hoping she hid it as well as she could.

Sanem smiles back then and pulls Leyla's to make her sit down with her. "Do you remember when we were little, and I played pranks? And you would protect me from the backlash?"