BLACK ROSE (COMPLETED)

34 -

Ah, alas! What folly had I succumbed to, daring to kiss a man barely a week since our fateful encounter? Fatih had grown weary of me, dismissing me like one discards a wilted flower.

Yet, in this separation, a curious relief bloomed within my chest. No longer would I be plagued by the sin of sharing a kiss while tethered to another. Perhaps it was a mercy veiled in heartache, a blessing I ought not mourn.

At least I had kept my promise to Ceren. The night we spent together was a parade of snacks and animated shows. Later, I read her a few stories, tucking her into my uncle's bed, where she drifted to sleep without a trace of fear. This time, unlike before, I did not retreat to my room, leaving her alone to fend off the night's shadows. Instead, I stayed beside her, donning a black nightgown—green, truly, but black it turned upon my wearing—its straps clinging to my shoulders and hem grazing my knees.

Yet sleep eluded me. I feared if I let my guard down, Ceren would vanish in the night, morphing into Fatih once again. And I could not bear to share my bed with a man who had betrayed me, however unfaithfully. So, I watched a movie on my phone, determined to stay awake. But, alas, exhaustion is a cruel master, and soon my eyelids fell, and sleep claimed me.

In the fog of night, I vaguely recall the sensation of a kiss upon my forehead, and a blanket being drawn over me. Morning greeted me with a quiet revelation—Fatih lay beside me. As I feared, Ceren had once again shifted into him. He looked like an angel, with hands folded beneath his head, a serene expression gracing his face beneath the thin cover. But appearances deceive. A snake in a prince's disguise, indeed! My mind wandered to the film Sleeping with the Enemy, though this was worse—Sleeping with the Betrayer.

I could have woken him with a splash of ice-cold water, but the thought of committing such a sin at the break of dawn seemed too much. After all, Fatih himself had once spoken true words, though they fell from the mouth of a fool: wasting water was a sin.

Wondering how to fill the time until he woke, I decided to call Sinem, knowing she'd appreciate the irony of Fatih leaving yet another construction project unfinished—me, of course.

I slipped into the living room and shut the door behind me before calling her.

"Hey girl, what's up?" I asked when she finally answered after five rings.

"I'm good, Ece," she replied, but something about her tone struck me as off, strangely quiet, strangely still. "How are you?"

"Ugh, don't even get me started! You won't believe what Fatih did."

"What did he do?" she asked, again with that flat voice. There was no spark of her usual cheer.

"He asked Alya out! Can you believe it? I could just lose my mind!"

There was silence for a few seconds, and then Sinem's muted reply: "Hmmm... Really?"

"But don't worry," I added, "she turned him down. If she hadn't, she'd have felt my wrath. I would've exacted revenge so fierce, the curse hanging over me would tip its hat and say, 'Bravo, Ece! You're more cursed than I could ever be!' I'd rub chili into her lips!—well, something else came to mind, but I held my tongue."

"Oh... really?"

"Sinem, what's going on? You sound... off."

Another pause. Then she spoke, her voice wavering. "I... we..."

"What?"

"Fatih and I are together."

I laughed, thinking she was joking. "That's a good one! Dark humor suits you."

"Yes, but here's the thing—it's not a joke. Fatih and I started dating yesterday."

"What? Has he contracted some acute form of flirtation sickness? Two weeks ago it was me, then Alya, and now you? Sinem, you're next on his sketch list! You know he draws every girl he dates. When he does, tell me—I'll take that drawing, roll it up, and shove it up your... well, let's just say, somewhere uncomfortable!"