Can Yaman International Presents: Aşk ve Gurur~ Love and Pride

Chapter 6: Kararini Ver ("Make Up Your Mind")

At the end of Chapter 5:  (Sanem's POV)  I swung around and met the malicious glare of my former coworker. "What are you doing here, Aylin?" With a nasty smile on her face, she said, "Witnessing a stomach-turning performance. I wonder what your mother would say if she knew her perfect daughter was slumming it with the son of a shopkeeper." Trying not to let my fear show, I ignored her and walked away. I didn't want to think about the havoc she could cause.

(Author's Note:  Please read to the end of the chapter. Your comments are welcome and don't forget to vote too. Thank you!)

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Sanem's POV:

Leyla whisper-yelled at me, "Where have you been?", scaring the daylights out of me as I sneaked back into my room. 

"Met a friend from school and went out for drinks," I said unconvincingly.

She eyed me with suspicion. "I don't believe you," she said. Then her eyes widened comically as she asked, "Sanem! What is that?" pointing at my collarbone.

I ran to the mirror to look and Oh my God! He had marked me. The memory of him biting and then sucking my skin burst into my mind's eye so vividly I almost swayed with the power of it. My face flooded with color.

Leyla was watching me with eyes that were all too knowing. "I think you have been very naughty and you will tell me everything. But right now, you have to hide this and change out of that dress. Mother and father came back really early this morning. She's been asking for you and I don't know how much longer I can hold her off. I told her you weren't feeling well. I have to go get ready for work. I like your new necklace by the way."

She ran out of the room and... What new necklace? I looked down and there was Can's albatross swinging from its long-chain between my breasts. I had no idea when he'd slipped it over my neck. I lifted the small pendant to my lips and closed my eyes. In just a short time, he had changed me irrevocably. I was never going to be the same. I tried to think of a future without him in it... and couldn't.

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"Good morning mother. How was your trip?" I asked, trying to mask my nerves. I walked into the dining room and took a seat across from her, preparing myself for the lecture that was sure to follow. I had no doubt Yiğit had done his due diligence. I pretended to eat what was placed in front of me while I waited.

"What are you wearing?" my mother asked.

I looked down at my gray business suit. Conservative color and cut just as she liked. Same as always... oh, except for the albatross necklace. I quickly tucked it into my high- necked dress shirt feeling protective of it. I didn't want her eyes on it.

"Something a friend gave me." I replied, trying to shrug it off as insignificant. She looked unconvinced but thankfully didn't pursue it.

"You have grown a lot, daughter," she began, "I despaired of you for many years with your head always buried in books, writing nonsense from dawn till dusk. I feared you would never grow up and live up to the family name. Of course, you still have this ridiculous notion of running a business when you should be thinking about marriage and children."

"I want those things too. Someday." And not with a man of your choosing , I added silently to myself.

"I thought you had grown out of your impulsiveness but imagine my surprise," she continued as if I hadn't spoken, "when I received a report of a most alarming nature. My daughter dressed like a prostitute leaving a party on the back of a motorcycle with some ruffian." Her voice was hard but she took a calm sip of her tea.