Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 4)

32. Return to the real world

"I don't know what you want. Why do you care?" Sanem asks heatedly. Can was still being pissy about Yigit's call. "Do I question you about why when Polen calls, you jump to answer?"

"You can ask me what you want. Have I ever not answered your questions? If so, when?" She scoffs. "Look, I picked up because it kept ringing and it was getting annoying."

"Okay," Sanem mocks him slapping the face of his phone. "That doesn't explain why you had to rush to answer. You didn't want to until you saw her name. She can call you when she's worried and you can reassure her but when I get a call you have a problem with why I'm getting it. Ugh, you make me so angry." She huffs and turns away.

"You do everything you can to make me just as angry," he warns.

"No, no." She stands up and turns to him, shaking her head. "No. The only thing that makes you angry is that I chose to work somewhere that isn't under your thumb, nothing else."

"Sit down."

"No, I won't."

"You will sit or I will make you sit."

"No, I'll stand."

Sighing, Can says, "It's not that I wanted you under my thumb Sanem, it's the fact that you already had a job and you went to find yourself a new one unnecessarily. You had a good job. And now you're leaving the country with a stranger. You're really certifiable I swear," he raises his hands in surrender.

"Yzmir is in Turkey," Sanem states pointedly. "You are the one leaving the country, Can. You're going to the Balkans with Polen, just you two." She growls and then slaps her hands in finality. "You know what, I don't care. I don't care. Go!"

"What - What are you saying, 'just you two'? That's nonsense."

"Ha!" she scoffs over her shoulder as his phone rings again.

"That's complete - " he looks down at the caller and frowns.

"It's ringing. Answer!" Sanem grabs the phone and answers for him. "Hello!"

"It's just - " She turns her back, not listening and he rolls his eyes, lifting the phone to speak. "Yes? Speak fast I'm in the middle of something."

Sanem eyes him listening, her hands in her pockets.

"What?" Can gets up and she pauses her glaring at his concerned frown. "Is it serious?"

She pokes his arm. "What is it?" she whispers. He nods at her to wait a second and then listens again.

"Okay, I'll come home...Yes, okay... hang up, don't talk and drive."

"Was it Polen?" she asks before he's even hung up properly.

"It was Emre. Mom's sick or something." Sanem's mocking sneer turns to worry almost immediately. "I have to go home." He sighs. "Shall we go?"

"Of course, I'll get my stuff." She gets her gloves, beanie, and earmuffs. "Come on." She grabs his hand while he checks they left nothing behind. "What's wrong with her?" she asks, stopping when he doesn't move but looks at their hands and then at her.

Slowly Sanem lets go, staring up at him. She was so used to being there for him, she didn't think twice being there again.

"Uhm," Can shrugs as they start walking. "Old age?" he guesses. "Things tend to go a bit downhill healthwise from a certain age, you know?" he attempts to joke to put her obvious embarrassment at ease. He'd liked it when she held his hand, but she didn't so he wasn't bringing it up unless she wanted to bring it up.

She never does though.

**

"Miss Deren, where are you going?" Guliz calls after Deren walking hastily over to JJ. "Miss Deren, wait - Miss Deren!"