The Return To Love

Chapter Four

       After a mild interrogation, CeyCey told her everything that had happened. " Sanem, I'm sorry, but the thought of you being hurt again was too much for me. I thought you had made a good life in San Cristobal, maybe you even found someone that took your mind off Can Divit." He told her with regret.

       " But once you started asking all those questions about him, almost obsessing about him, I knew you weren't over him. And all I could see was the same fragile woman that left Istanbul to save herself."....

      Sanem sniffed, " I know CeyCey, but I'm not the same, I'm not fragile, I'm not that woman that left Istanbul seven years ago." She hesitated before continuing, " But I am that woman that is still in love with Can.... I always have been and I always will be." She stated strongly.

      CeyCey knew better than to try and talk her out of it. Their love always seemed supernatural, undefined, and you might even say unreal. "So what are your plans now, are you staying here, where are you anyway?" He asked, after thinking about it. He hoped she didn't say she was staying with Can...

      Sanem turned over on the bed, looking out the open door...." I'm at the Skalion Hotel, and the view is amazing. You can see forever,... and no, Can is not here." She answered, knowing what he was thinking.

      " I would guess he has gone to his cabin. We spent the afternoon talking. He wants to explain,.... well, I want him to explain to me what happened back then,... why he left, why he didn't get in contact with me all those years.... why he didn't answer any of my call and texts." She said, reciting her agenda...

      She was quiet for a second before continuing, " We need to see if there is anything left for us. If what we felt back then is still there. If it is CeyCey... I want to find it again..." She spoke softly, as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

       Can was going to wait to call his friend CeyCey. He was still angry and didn't want to say things he might be sorry for later, he had a habit of doing that. So he would calm down a bit before making that call.

       But he was ready to hear what his brother had to say for himself... What part he had played in this deception. Even though it was late, he wanted Emre to know that he was still in town.

      His brothers phone rang three times before he answered, " Can, I guess you're in Dubai. If you're calling about dad, he is fine, getting stronger by the minute." He said with a laugh.

      " I'm glad to hear it Emre, but I'm not in Dubai,...I'm still here in Istanbul. A funny thing happened on my way to catch my plane.... I stumbled onto an old friend....well she was more than a friend." He replied with sarcasm.

      " Yes,... I was shocked to see Sanem at the airport...this airport, in Istanbul... And no one thought  I should have known about it...." He snapped, wishing he was face to face with his brother, just to see his look.

      Emre let out a sigh, " Damn, I knew it was going to be bad. But I honestly didn't know anything until you were already on your way to the airport. This when I ran into Leila at the hospital. So.....what happened?" He asked timidly.

      " What do you think happened,.. I freaked out, she freaked out.... But she stayed, and I stayed. We spent the rest of the day together.." he told him. " I wish you had called me and told me. You knew I was in a bad way when I left." He said, recalling the way he felt earlier in the day...

       Emre hung his head, " Hey, I wasn't sure what to do. Leila said that Sanem had been hurt enough by you, and this was not the time for a reunion, so I kept quiet. You have to admit, you did act a little crazy,... wanting to know everything about her. I thought you had moved on.." 

      Can smirked, " Emre you knew I hadn't, I couldn't. You don't move on from the person you are meant to be with." He huffed in disgust. " I shutdown, I might have blocked her out of my life, but I never moved on..." The very thought of it making him ache with regret.

      " Look, I just wanted you to know I'm here. I will stay at the cabin until we figure this out. Tell dad I will see him soon. But right now, all I'm going to concentrate on making it right with Sanem." He uttered, determined to do just that...

      Emre knew that his brother would do just that. He always had a deep respect for Can's determination, and if he set out to get her back....then he wouldn't let anything stand in his way... 

      He ended the call with his brother and stretched out under the stars. With his arms folded underneath his head, he let himself begin to speculate, imagine, even dream about what could happen when they saw each other again. 

      What had her life been like the past seven years? How did she end up on the island of San Cristobal?  Did she have a lot of friends there....and then that most dreaded thought possible popped into his mind...Did she have a man, a boyfriend waiting on her there. He had seen the name Javier light up on her phone earlier, and she was quick to step away so he wouldn't hear the conversation......

      An uneasiness started rumbling in his stomach. He sat up, his mind now fully engulfed with thoughts and doubts....

      He had planned to take her to a cafe for breakfast, but now, he thought the best place to begin their day, their time of reconnect, was right here at the cabin. So he would get up early, take a trip to the market to get all the things she loved to eat, and bring her here.. First he would need to rent a car......

      That sudden overwhelming need to hear her voice overtook him... He grabbed his phone and found her contact number,.... he had never deleted her number,...but was it the same number. "Only one way to find out...."  He spoke out loud, as he tapped the call button...

      The hot shower had been wonderful. She wrapped the soft, luxurious white robe around her. A robe that was supplied as a courtesy from the hotel.. She towel dried her hair, then pulled it up into a bun on top of her head...

      She poured another glass of wine and took a seat on the balcony. The sea air, the stars, the moon dancing and skipping about on the water, all of it reminded her of him... 

      If she had been a few minutes later or sooner getting to the airport that afternoon, she would be sitting with Javier right now in Barcelona... She would have missed out on the last opportunity to see Can.... She shuddered at the thought of it.... Yes, it had been a chance meeting, fate... a sign... Just as so much of their relationship had been.

      A chance meeting in the dark...a kiss from a stranger.  Who else could say that's how they met the love of their life. .. She smiled as she remembered it like it was yesterday.... She could still feel his lips as they pressed firmly against hers that night....

      She took a sip of wine, then picked up her phone to make a call to her sister... "One more person to reprimand before turning in. Everyone needs to know that I won't tolerate anymore interference in my life.... From now on I say how I'm going to live it.." 

      Before she had the chance to make her call, her phone rang.... It read " My Love"  on the caller ID..... She blinked her eyes.....was she seeing things...was he calling her.. She had never changed the name she had programmed into her phone almost eight years ago..

       This meant he still carried her number in his phone.... She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before answering...... 

      " Hello.... You still have my number. And since I knew who was calling....i guess you know I still have yours as well...." She said shyly, with a slight laugh....