Early Bird (Erkenci Kus)(Part 4)

43. Good news and bad dreams

"Leyla," Sanem whispers as soon as she reads the message from Can and pulls her out into the hallway while her parents weren't looking. "I have to go and meet Can. I'm just going to change and then I'll slip out. Cover for me okay?"

"Wait, how? What do I say?" Leyla whispers urgently.

Sanem is already rushing upstairs however. "Think of something?" she whispers back and Leyla's shoulders drop as she sighs.

Sanem hurries into her room and gets dressed in a pair of jeans, with a sweater and sneakers instead of heels, pulling her hair out of its made up ponytail before she makes her way down and out of the house again silently and running down the street to hail a taxi.

When she reaches the beach, she sees Can's car and rushes to get to him, seeing him standing feet away staring at the lighthouse in thought as he waited for her.

"Can?" she calls and he turns, reaching for her as soon as he sees her and she wraps her arms around his neck.

Can hugs Sanem to him tightly, relief flooding through him at having her in his arms after what happened. He touches the back of her head, inhaling the smell of her hair and she closes her eyes, feeling the same relief. They stand like this for a few seconds and then Sanem turns and kisses his neck with a small smile. He pulls back and gives her a couple of kisses on the cheek, making her close her eyes in comfort.

"Can," she steps back to look at him when he stops and takes her hands in his, "how did tonight turn into such a disaster? I don't understand."

"Don't even ask," Can huffs and looks away with a sigh, pursing his lips before he looks down at their linked hands. Sanem frowns but doesn't say anything. "Sanem, I want to apologize to you and your family." He looks at her sincerely. "I feel very embarrassed by my mother." He traces her fingers with his thumb and she looks at the action before returning her gaze to his. "I was mortified at the end there, for Mr Nihat. I'm sorry that it happened."

"No, I'm sorry," Sanem says quietly. "I didn't stop my mom. Things just lit up so suddenly."

Can nods and grimaces at the thought of just how much it lit up in the span of minutes. "When my mother suggested dinner, I was skeptical at first, but then I thought about it and it seemed like a good idea. I should have gone with my gut. It turned into a vocal bashing and I couldn't stop it. I'm the one to blame, not you."

"No you're not," Sanem frowns and touches his cheek, tears pooling in her eyes for him. She didn't like seeing him beat himself up because of this. It wasn't his fault.

Can just looks at her, still upset but the look of love calming him some.

"I tried talking to my mom, but she's very angry." Can nods as she swallows. "How is yours?"

Can shakes his head. "The same as always," he sighs, "I talked to her too. Told her how I felt." Sanem's eyebrows lift a little in question. "I told her that you and your family are very important to me and I told her, again, that she'll just have to accept it."

Sanem's lip trembles as a tear rolls down and she smiles a little despite the hopelessness she felt at that moment.

"I also told her it wasn't going to change."

"Can," Sanem looks at the water and frowns before looking at him again. "I'm scared that it will always be like this," she admits. "Everything turned out so bad, I - "

"Don't be scared, it'll all be fine." He rubs her fingers again and looks back up into her tear filled eyes. "You and I will find a way to get through this, don't worry."

Sanem pulls her lips in as she nods and then chews on her lower one for a moment before she sniffs and smiles at him, her idea on the way over sounding like an even better plan now. "I think I might have a way...but it's a bit crazy..."