Quiet Storm

Chapter 23

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"Where were you?" Emir reached Zeynep as soon as she opened the door.
"Out." She moved passed him.
Emir sighed angrily, gripping her arm to stop her. "Why are you doing everything in your power to make me crazy?" His other hand caressed her cheek roughly, squeezing it. "Answer me." His thumb was now on her lips, pressing on them.
"You are a phycho! Let me!" Zeynep pushed his hands down, moving backwards.
"Did you get lectured by Nihan? What is this?" He narrowed his eyes, moving towards her again.
"Uff, leave me Emir." She held his arm to stop him from touching her again.
"I won't." He pressed his forehead on hers, bringing her closer from the waist. Her huge belly was keeping him from pinning her onto him tightly. "Did you go to your brother?"
"I did..." She trailed, licking her lower lip. She had her eyes shut to avoid any unnecessary feeling. It wasn't time for him to affect her like this.
"See, it wasn't that hard to tell me..." He turned his head to the side, watching her attentively. "Open your eyes." He gripped her chin softly.
Zeynep complied, keeping her gaze low.
"You are hiding something..." He spoke, his tone thoughtful. "Anyway..." Placing his palms on her belly, he bended over to leave a kiss on it. "Goodnight, son."
Feeling guilty for a moment, she eyed him sympathetically. "Goodnight." She told him too, making her way upstairs.

"God damn it..." She burst into crying the moment she entered her room. "What am I going to do, Allah?" Rubbing her hands all over her face, she sat by the edge of the bed carefully.
"Son... I'm doing it for us... Don't hate me that I'll take you away from your father..." She talked to her belly softly. "It's just for a little while... Hopefully he'll change and come to us... But I can't raise you in the midst of a war, I won't." She wiped her tears, hugging her stomach.

"So how are we going to do it, brother Kemal?" Zehir listened carefully to whatever Kemal told him.
"I don't know Zehir, I have to think... It's better to keep her hidden around here until she gives birth... Then she can go."
"But isn't he going to find her here?"
"He won't. She's gonna be so close to us that he won't even think about it." He exclaimed, smiling at his own idea.
"How exactly?" Zehir sitted in the opposite side of him.
"We're gonna get Zeynep a place around here... Even Nihan won't know it." He whispered, looking around in case she was coming. "Many people can't keep a secret. Emir could find a way to take it out of them."
"You're right..." Zehir agreed, nodding his head. "She will safer here and have someone to help her out with the baby."
"Exactly." Kemal stood up, pacing around for a bit.
"I know she will hate it if she can't go out freely but it's not long until birth anyway."
"And then she'll leave with a fake passport?" Zehir asked. "Emir will have everyone looking for her."
"He will... That's why we have to be careful, Zehir." Check for a good place around here."
"I will, I'll have our guys looking-"
"Looking for what?" Nihan came down, smiling.
"Surprise." Kemal smiled back, hugging her.

Next day Zeynep was relaxing by the pool. The weather has gotten quite hot, it was unbearable for her since she was carrying all that weight.
"Mrs Zeynep?" Efsane came down. "This came for you." She handed her a little box.
"What is this?" Zeynep moved up, watching it curiously.
"I don't know, a courier guy brought it." She shrugged her shoulders.
Nodding her head, she opened the box.
Inside there was a gorgeous one stone ring. It came with a note:

'I figured yesterday that I haven't given you a ring yet. Not sure about the size, your fingers have gotten bloated during the past month.
E. K.'

"Bloated?!" She shouted, getting annoyed instantly. She raised her hands to inspect them carefully.
"Seems like you got my present?" Emir tried to hide a smile.
"Have they gotten bloated?" She showed him her fingers.
"Kind of."
"UFF!" Her expression turned to a broody one as she crossed her arms.
"I got you a ring and you are worrying about that." He shook his head, sitting by her side. "Aren't you gonna wear it?"
"I don't know if it will fit my bloated fingers." She snapped with an attitude, turning her head to the other side.
Emir puckered his lips, trying not to smile at her childish behavior. He took out the ring and put it on her finger himself. "That's it. It fits."
Zeynep was following his movements. His behavior came as a surprise to her.
"Why did you buy me a ring?" She found herself asking, staring at it.
"It's essential when people marry." He simply said, looking at the pool indifferently.
She didn't reply anything but nodded her head.
"I don't want to be your bad man... I never wanted to..." He began, lowering his head. "You don't have to be afraid of me." He added hesitantly. He was aware that something was off with her. Little by little she was distancing herself from him.
"I'm not afraid of you." She replied automatically, touching his knee comfortingly. "I've never been."
Emir flickered his eyes, still looking at the floor.
"Emir..." She literally felt sorry about him right now. What he said wasn't true and she wanted him to know. "I'm not afraid of you... Really. I'm just in a sensitive state and I can't -, I can't stress about every little thing."
"I know... I'm not happy that you are between all this either, Zeynep." He confessed, raising up. " Sometimes I wish I could leave everything behind and start anew for Poyraz... But I can't leave my mother in this condition... I can't leave-"
"Nihan..." Zeynep added, smiling sadly.
Without answering anything Emir looked at her for seconds, then walked away slowly.
Things are harder than she initially thought. But leaving is her only choice. Emir is not willing to let go of his battle. It's more like a battle in his head, because in reality no one is actually fighting him. Kemal just wants his and his family's peace, that's the reason he did all of this. But Emir... If he wanted his own family's peace, he would take them away and leave everything and everyone behind. Sadly he doesn't want to do it, so Zeynep must act on her own... For Poyraz's sake.

"Brother? Any news? Did you figure out something?" She later called Kemal from her room.
"I did, Zeynep... We have to talk about it face to face, it can't happen on the phone."
"Okay... I will come to you again, I guess... Emir is here the whole day, you can't come."
"I'll send someone to pick you up, you shouldn't take taxis."
"Okay, brother. See you tomorrow."
"Take care, my sister."

"Who were you talking to?" Emir entered her room without knocking.
"My brother..." She moved nervously farther from him.
"Which brother?" He walked to the window, gazing at the view.
"My brother Kemal."
"What is going on? What is all this talk?" He towered over her, demanding an explanation.
"He's just looking out for me... What's the big deal?" Zeynep kept a calm face, trying her best to mask her actual feelings
"I know you... And I know you are hiding something right now..." He observed her face in an attempt to figure something out.
"I'm not hiding anything. I'm exhausted, Emir." She yawned, signaling him she wanted to rest for a bit.
"Alright..." He was far from persuaded with her sayings but he didn't want to pressure her any further. "Let me help you lay down..." He held her legs, placing them on the bed carefully.
"Poyraz is getting bigger and bigger... Thank you." She smiled softly at him, trying to get comfortable.
"We're almost there..." Emir commented, touching her belly with two fingers.
"Are you curious to see him?" She asked, watching his fingers. She then placed her palm over them.
He didn't move, looked at her for seconds and then her belly again.
"What do you think?"
"I think that if you want, you can be the greatest father." She squeezed his fingers lightly.
"I will try... I don't want to do the mistakes my father did." He confessed, looking down.
Zeynep smiled at herself, enjoying that he was acknowledging his father's mistakes in order not to repeat them.
"Because deep inside, you are just a wounded man who longs to be someone else... Someone better." She brought her palm up his cheek, caressing it lovingly.
"No light can come out of this darkness, Zeynep..." He shared a pitiful smile with her, flickering his eyes.
"Poyraz will be our light... If you let your heart open, he will enter and make everything better." Her eyes had so much hope into them for some reason, making him feel hopeful himself for a moment.
"I wish." He then moved away, not wanting to seem vulnerable in front of her, he hated it.
"Didn't you ever want to be someone else?" Zeynep tried to raise a little, waiting for his reaction.
"I am a Kozcuoğlu. My son will be born as a Kozcuoğlu. There's no choice in the matter, little one." He turned his back to her, facing the wall.
"I mean to just be, Emir. No names, no engagements, not anything... Have you ever thought where could you be if you weren't carrying all this burden?"
"But I am. And being with you, right here is an exception, you know it." He turned back to her with a vulnerable look.
"I thought you wouldn't give me more credit than I deserve." She cracked a faint smile.
"I already gave you a child, what more could I give you?" Emir walked to the side of the bed, standing all over her.
Zeynep realized the heaviness of his words, tears forming into her eyes.
He wiped the tears away with his thumb, his look fixed on her lips.
"Everytime I am with you, I am someone else." He moved closer, a few inches separating them.
"Don't do it... Not now." She begged him with a broken voice.
"Shh..." He shushed her lips, placing short but sensual kisses on them.
All she did was surrender in the moment, knowing it was destroying her.
This was toxic. A drug, a need, a nessesity...
No matter how much you fight, you always end up drowned.

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What will Zeynep do? She's literally in a dead end. 😔
Enjoy reading 🌹