Forbidden

Chapter 39

Ashley's POV:

"Osman, that's enough! You haven't talked to her for a long time so she got worried about you." My mother yells at him. I walk a few nervous steps towards him after he got speechless.

"Hello, father. How are..." He cuts my words by hugging me. I hug him back and can't hold my tears back.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault!" I sober but he doesn't say a thing. So does my whole family not. They're just looking at us and my mother is crying too.

When I face my father I see him also crying. I can't remember when my father ever cried. Maybe that day when my grandmother died and this was 7 years ago. I hug him now even tighter since I made him cry.

We had a good day together. I know they acted like I never left and someday they will punish me for that but I'm glad it wasn't now. I say goodbye to my father and promise to visit him again tomorrow. Amar drives us home and we already eat dinner.

It's still 6 p.m so I think I could meet someone I really missed. Kerem. I know my father wants me to marry him and I shouldn't see him after I did this to him but he's still my best friend. Even though it's been a while I didn't talk to him. I feel bad about this.

I texted him to meet at the Zurich Lake Bellevue. We used to go there all the time. So I ask Samir to drive me and later pick me up. When I arrive there memories come up and I smile immediately. I haven't been that long gone so it didn't change a thing. It's still full of people and they are already staring at me. Usually, people don't go alone at the Bellevue unless you go jogging. Even then they're mostly two people jogging together.

I hope Kerem doesn't take any longer because I'm way too early here and he needs some time to arrive because he moved a little further. I forgot that and came too early now. I remember when we were kids, we met at a soccer field near my place and he wasn't always on time because his place was a little further than mine. I never recognized how lazy and selfish I was for always meeting him at places he had more to travel. And sometimes I get the feeling I'm a bad friend. But you know what the funniest thing in this story is? Kerem still fell for me even if I treated him like this. He never requests my actions he just accepts the way I am. I always wished for him a girl that someday will love him back and make him happy how I couldn't. And now here I am destroying the happy ending of my best friend who always treated me like every woman wants to be treated from a man.

While thinking of all these things and stare at the Lake, suddenly someone closes my eyes from behind me. I jump of afraidness and immediately hold my hands on the stranger's hands on my eyes.

"Who's this?" I ask.

"Guess who, Kanka." When a manly voice says this I immediately notice who this is.

"Kanka!" I say excited and turn to face Kerem. 'Kanka' is in Turkish and means 'buddy' in English. We used to call each other often like that. And now that I think of that it would be weird if we get married and still call us Kanka.

"Where have you been, Asli? Not even telling me anything about your run away, I feel ashamed!" He chuckles. Kerem would never be mad at me and that's one of the reasons why nobody could ever replace him as my best friend.

"I have to tell you a lot of things. Please sit down." I tell him the whole story. Even about Hudson. I know Kerem has feelings for me and this would hurt but I don't want him to hear it from someone else. I even told him about this week that we couldn't really enjoy because I had to come back.

"Oh, sounds like you really fell for him." He says trying to act normal but I know he's disappointed. I feel so bad for him but he knew anyway that he and I had no future. Well, a future where I love him back.

"I even told him I love him before my flight but I had to hurry so he didn't say it." I tell worried. I guess I'm being a little too honest and regret it every time I say something that could hurt Kerem.

"I think he just needs time. Guys always have it harder to say than woman do." He calms me.

After a very long talk about that and other stuff, I recognize the time. It's already 3 hours gone and I have to go back home. Kerem wants to drive me and I first resist but then I agree. Maybe it's better when he drives me so my mother can be calmed down by knowing that I'm not alone this late.

We arrive at my house and he even walks with me to the door. After a long goodbye and a hug, an Uber drives directly in our driveway. Before I can ask myself who this is he gets out of the car.

I can't believe it. Hudson!

... (to be continued)