80
The exhibition finally closed around seven and the crew, who were reluctant to go home, decided to go drinking first, before heading for karaoke.
Tahti who had decided to go with them, had only done so because she knew she would be unable to sleep that night, as her thoughts would be centred on Demir.
"Tell me..." Herley was saying as he dropped his cup from drinking, with a dull clack, not tearing his eyes off Derek and April, who were seated opposite him.
"...which one of you liked the other first?"
"I don't think that's important." Jennie said, turning towards him. "As long as they love each other and they are dating, it's fine."
He slammed his hand on the table, startled every single of them, and a few customers in the pub.
"Who liked the other person most is more important. That's the only reason, the relationship will last long." He replied and Jennie rolled her eyes, with a sigh.
"This is the reason you're still single." She replied, with poisonous pointedness.
"Hey."
"I don't agree with that." Chris said, before downing the contents of his cup and everyone turned to listen to what he had to say. "Ask a question like that, then nobody will be really honest with their answer. They will say they like the other person first."
"What's the big deal about that?" Sol asked, dropping her glass from taking a guloo, before lifting a bottle for a refill. "Shouldn't you like the other person more?" She asked, leaving them to reflect on her question.
"Why else would you date the other person, if you're not sure of your feelings?"
Jasmine buried her mouth in her palms and Jennie, who was moved by her girlfriend's statement, reached out to give her hand, which was under the table, a gentle squeeze, which made everyone, except Tahti, cringe in jealousy.
"God, they're making me go blind." Herley screamed and Chris hurriedly made to cover his mouth, when other customers, were starting to stare at them.
"That's making you go blind?" April scoffed. "Hey, watch this."
Everyone watched her curve an arm around the neck of an unsuspecting Derek, before dragging him to her for a dose of passionate kiss.
Herley gasped, raising his hands to his eyes, obstructing his eyes from seeing anymore of the emotional torment, while Tathi busied herself, sipping her alcohol until Derek finally pulled back.
Herley finally lowered his hands, his eyes showing anger and jealousy, from the scene he'd just witnessed. "God, what was that?"
"Hey, do you want to see something that'll make you go gaga?" Jasmine asked and Herley rolled his eyes, with a snort.
"Puh-lease,you guys kisses isn't a sight to see anymore. I'm sick of seeing it, already."
"Woah... that's news." Jennie muttered, under her breath.
Tahti, finding no place in the conversation, refilled her cup and downed it's contents, before deciding to go home and accept her fate of thinking about Demir, all night.
"Where are you going?" Jennie asked, when she picked up her bag to slung over her shoulder, as she rose.
"Home." She replied, and everyone's eyes moved to her.
"Home?"
"Why? Are we boring?" Jasmine asked and she shook her head.
"No. It's just that I feel a little bit tired from the exhibition. I should go home and rest." She replied.
"Oh." came Jennie's muffled reply.
"See you later." She raised a hand to wave at them, which everybody reciprocated back, before she turned to head out of the pub.
She raised her hands to her arms, on walking out of the pub, to be hit by the evening breeze and her mind went back to the first time, she'd enjoy the evening breeze with Demir, at school.
A sad smile crossed her lips and she lowered her eyes the bracelet dangling on her wrist, before she raised her head to look at the dangling crescent moon and star, through the reflection of the moon.
She had been his star, all the while, but she hadn't realized it until now.
"I miss him." She whispered, staring at the design, as if it was going to convey her message to him, that might. Dropping her head with a sigh, she turned back towards the road leading to school, instead of her apartment. She was to leave L.A, the following morning and since she wasn't sure of when she was going to be back, she decided to see her piece with Demir, one more time.
I'm sorry it took me so long to realise your feelings for me, Demir, she thought silently, wishing she could see him one more time.
The school's gallery was still opened when she arrived and she ascended to the stairs, pushing the glass door that bore the word 'LOYORE' and walking in, to head towards where her piece was located.
She was just turning, by the curve leading to her artwork when she saw the familiar back of someone, she wasn't expecting to see any more for the day, standing right in front of her piece.
It couldn't be, she was hallucinating, she admonished herself as she shut her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake off the hallucination, but he was still there when she opened her eyes.
This wasn't a drama so there was no way it could be him, she thought as she neared him, her heart racing on glancing to confirm it was indeed Demir.
Gosh, she scoffed. Had he been able to see through her, the moment he had walked in earlier, during the exhibition?
"What are you doing here?" She asked, in a low voice and he slowly turned back to look at her, with no hint of surprise on his face that he wasn't expecting her to come.
"I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" She rolled her eyes with his a snort. "You're really the worst, do you know that?"
"Tahti..."
"If you decided to be a jerk, you should have at least stayed that way. Why are you here like this?" She asked, her temper slipping.
She knew he must have known that she had finally realise the truth and regretted it so much. Was that why he had finally showed up? To see how pathetic she looked, when he was out of her life?
He slowly lowered his head to look down at something and she followed his eyes when he looked like he wasn't going to stop staring at it, to realise he was staring at the bracelet.
Embarrassed, she turned her head to look the other way as she sneaked up her hand to hide behind her back.
"Do I..." He was saying and she forced herself to look back at him as he raised his eyes to meet her gaze. "...still have a chance with you?"
She arched her brow, in response. "Were you going to severe ties with me, then?" She asked and he lowered his eyes to the ground.
"I couldn't stand the fact that you hated me so much." He said, his voice coming out in a low whisper.
"That's right. I hate you, more than anything in the world." She blurted and his eyes rose to meet hers again, tears welling up in them. "You're a jerk, who toys with people's feelings yet..." She broke off from her rage, pausing to rake her fingers through her hair.
"...but God knows how much I feel better on seeing you right now."
That statement seemed to have rekindled hope in him as his dark looming eyes, which had darkness in them slowly reflected light.
"So..." She was saying as she lowered her hand and slowly made her way towards him, taking his hand and lifting her head to look up at him.
"...don't leave me alone and just stay by my side."
His eyes slowly became misty with tears and he lowered his head, his lips curving into a smile, a reaction she wasn't expecting.
"Why are you smiling?" His head lifted as she asked.
"It's just..." He paused, trying to hold back his sniff. "...thinking about you makes me smile."
Firecrackers seemed to have exploded in her head-on hearing him say that.
"If thinking of what to say to me makes you smile..." She said, nearing him to reduce the space between them. "Does that mean you like me?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I like you, Tathi."
That was what she had always wanted to hear him say before he would ask her out, but she wasn't willing to let him take the initiative anymore, she decided as he took her hands in his.
"Aydemir Wilson..." She called and he raised his head, from looking at her hands.
"Let's date."
That seemed to have been a bombshell to him, she noticed as his expression gave him away. He obviously hadn't been expecting, she would want to date a player like him.
Well, she had been told to love whoever she wanted to love and she wasn't going to take a risk, by caring about the repercussions, this time.
"You won't regret it?" He asked, sounding concerned.
"Of course. It's obvious that I will, but I'm still going to do it." She replied, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder, standing on her toes to plant a brief, yet tender kiss on his lips.
Demir chuckled, when she pulled back and raised his fingers to wipe away a tear, which had escaped from his eyes before lowering his mouth to hers.
Heat rose from her stomach to her chest, as she parted her lips and felt him washing over like a wave of warmth, curling her toes, unfurling all her senses as the taste of him nearly silenced all thoughts.
Her whole body tingled, the feel of his frame leaning on hers as his arms wrapped around her felt nearly forbidden. He pulled her in, claiming her mouth again, hungry and intense, until her knees gave in.
As if time had sopped right there, as they stood glued to one another. As if no one else existed and there was no risk of the securities watching the show from outside.
She was just curving an arm around the back of his neck, to deepen the kiss when her fingers, which had just grazed his neck, was greeted by a burning sensation. Startled, she pulled back to look at him, a concerned look on her face.
"Why are you so hot? Are you sick?"
"I'm fine." He replied, in a strangled sob. "I don't feel sick at all... since you are with me."
God, but who would have thought her boyfriend was such a romantic guy? She smiled, curving a hand around his neck, to drag his mouth to meet hers halfway, for a dose of passionate kiss.
LOVE.
For Jasmine and Chris, it had been an infatuation.
For April and Derek, it had been a epic.
For Sol and Jennie, it had been a miracle.
But for them, love had been complex.
