Chapter Twenty Six

4.3K 247 16
                                    

As she ran, Sanem went hurtling into Leyla. She tripped over her heels and the platter of food in Leyla's hands dropped straight to the floor in a loud clash that made the two wince. Instinctively, Leyla cursed loudly until she caught sight of her visibly distressed younger sister.

"Sanem!" Leyla exclaimed, reaching out for her sister who immediately flinched in response. "Are you okay?"

"Sanem?" This time, Osman caught sight of many worrying signs: her wrinkled dress with a tear along its side, the messiness of her ponytail, the blood caked in her hair. "What happened?" Again, as Osman tried to reach for her, a rattled Sanem jumped out of his hold. She didn't want anybody – other than Can - to touch her because that feeling of foreign touch just reminded her that the feel of Fabri's sleazy hands was still fresh. She could still feel the lingering burn of his slap, the tight claps of his fingers and the brutal force of his lips against her own.

Every time she thought of what could have just happened, Sanem wanted to vomit.

"F-Fa-Fabri, tried... he tried to touch me-" Sanem sobbed the words out and it catalysed a cry of Leyla's too. The Aydin sister's were visibly upset and nobody pushed Sanem to divulge in the repulsive details of what exactly had just happened to her. Unfortunately, it wasn't too hard to piece the truth together. Not only was Sanem's dress ripped and evidently been toyed with, there were purple bruises littered across her exposed skin and a nasty gash at the back of her head.

Osman took one last glance at a distressed Sanem before sprinting into the darkness she had surfaced from. He was going to make Fabri lag. He ran his hand along the wall to guide him, desperate to catch the man – if you could even call him that – who had forced himself on the girl he considered his sister. He couldn't fathom how anybody thought sexual assault was okay and he was desperate to use his fist to reach Fabri a lesson. But much to everyone's disappointment, Fabri was gone. He had been smart enough to run when Sanem had made her escape.

"I'll go get Mr. Can." Whilst Leyla knew exactly what Sanem needed, Osman felt anger course through his veins violently. He wanted to hug Sanem, comfort her in some way but he couldn't. She wouldn't let him touch her and with Fabri gone, he was helpless. All Osman and Ayhan had to offer was their mere presence. Them being there helped Sanem just that little bit ... with them with her, she didn't have to fear Fabri coming after her again and the three stood like that in a heavy silence until Leyla got Can.

It seemed Leyla had given him a hasty explanation when she'd gone to get him because he didn't ask any questions when he caught sight of his Sanem. He hesitated just a little, obviously not having expected to see Sanem's appearance as truly dishevelled as it was. Minutes earlier she had been beautiful and sexy (and she was still all of those things) but there was a certain aura of taint around her. She had been touched without her permission and that was reflective through her tears and both physical and emotional wounds. Can froze and just looked at her for a second. His mind unable to comprehend that that was his typically joyful girl. But he quickly got over his shock for the sake of Sanem. Can said nothing but his actions said a lot. Just like Leyla had predicted, he knew exactly what she needed. He approached her cautiously, his heartbreaking at the sight of her.

Unlike her reactions to her friends, when Can reached out to Sanem, she readily proceeded towards him. Her first few steps were slow but then she was practically running until she was shielded by him. Carefully, he held onto her shoulders and pulled her further into his chest, his chin resting on top of her head. The contact between their bodies was warm and honest and Sanem felt herself feel sheltered and protected by Can's entirety. Her arms sat limply at her sides as she sobbed silently into the comfort of Can's chest.

"Shh, don't panic, don't worry, bebek, it's okay." Can mumbled sweet nothings into Sanem's ear in hopes that she'd calm down but it wasn't working. He placed his mouth to her temple in a whisper of kiss and that didn't help her stop crying. He rubbed her back and she still carried on. Can and everybody else just felt helpless.

Deep down, Sanem really wanted to stop crying for the benefit of those around her. She knew that her distress was transferring onto them but she couldn't stop it. Her pain was too much to cope with by herself. She wanted to escape it but no matter how hard she tried, it followed her everywhere. When she closed her eyes, she saw Fabri's disgusting face and when she opened her eyes, she saw the worry evident on everybody else's. Sanem felt helpless no matter where she turned and that only made her cry harder.

"I'm sorry." As Can rubbed his hands against her goosebump covered arms, he wasn't sure if he'd heard Sanem correctly. He paused his little movements and looked down at Sanem in puzzlement. Why had she apologised for the actions of that dirtbag, Fabri? "I'm so so sorry."

"Don't you dare apologise, Sanem!" Can chided like a parent to a child who had done something seriously wrong. He usually wasn't an expressively angry person but today, his anger became evident like that of a cartoon character. How had one man forced a woman like Sanem into conforming and apologising when she was the victim? One moment he was done and the next, the torment was visible in his face. Sanem first saw it in his eyes, then she saw his muscles tense and then, he displayed an inability to think clearly. The rational, calm Can was gone and the primitive man had taken his place. Suddenly, his liberal opinions had vanished into thin air and his emotional generosity had evaporated to virtually nothing. He wanted blood, Fabri's blood and he wasn't going to stop until he got it. Calling the police wasn't going to cut it for Can. He wanted serious revenge in a form that wasn't legal. Blinded by his anger, Can stepped away from Sanem abruptly and like Osman, he eagerly prepared himself to go after Fabri. However, Sanem let out a sob that pulled at his heart strings and diverted his attention immediately.

"Please ... please don't leave me." This time, Sanem's limp arms lifted and she clutched his shirt tightly within the palms of her hands, restricting his movements. Can was the only person who could console her in a situation like the current and she wasn't sure if she'd even be able to stand up right if it wasn't for him holding her up. "I need you." The evident child-like vulnerability in her voice was clear and Can knew his quest for revenge would need to take the backseat, for now, all that mattered was Sanem's well being.

"Never." Can hugged Sanem again, as if to reassure her that he was still there. "I will never leave you."

The large hand that had held her back, moved down to her knees and hiked her upwards, lifting her bridal style. Sanem's small frame pulled closely into Can's large chest and she nestled herself there as he carried her towards his car. He was taking her back to his house. There was no way he was dropping her home to be left wondering whether she was okay.

Can had said this multiple times since his initial breakup with Sanem but right now, he whole heartedly meant it – he wasn't letting her out of his sight, ever. He was going to comfort her, protect her, show her how much he loved her and then, then he was going to go after the scumbag that he dared to touch his woman.

Artemis (CanEm Fan-Fiction)Where stories live. Discover now